This is the second bestseller Freakonomics book. The first one took the world by storm with its engaging stories and weird facts, explained in an everyday language.
Superfreakonomics came out a few years after, and it’s not new book. I’ve had it for some time, but decided to read it now.
The main discipline the authors employ is Behavioral economics, that “studies the effects of psychological, social, cognitive, and emotional factors on the economic decisions of individuals and institutions and the consequences for market prices, returns, and the resource allocation” (wikipedia).
This second tome goes into several different subjects, analyzing them with a fresh perspective.
Prostitution, driving (or walking) drunk, suicide bombers, altruism, death rates in hospitals, and global warming are the main subjects approached.
Levitt and Dubner write about complicates issues and economic concepts with a stunning simplicity and humor, making us think twice about opinions we assumed were set in stone.
Dubner also hosts a podcast called “Freakonomics radio“, a must if you are into looking at reality from a different perspective and like to be challenged in your thinking.
I just don’t know what took me so long to read this book. It makes for compulsive reading from page one. I’ll soon read their new book, “Think Like a Freak”.
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