Freakonomics

My mother is an economist and not for once during my education did I ever think of being one myself. It is only of late that I have been drawn to economics, a social science seeking to analyze and describe the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

When I saw the title “Freakonomics” and it read a best seller. It was an impulsive buy and I journeyed two evenings with a rouge economist who tried to explore the hidden side of every thing.

The book follows no unifying theme and has 6 chapters, ranging from the relation of crime and abortion; to questions like which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? Though these may shock you off your wits because this is not what economists do. But the author calls himself a rogue economist, so I cannot complain.

If you skip the introduction, Freakonomics is a brilliant read and you will wonder if you are looking at data the right way. Levitt does not show any humility in the 242 page book and blows his own trumpet all through the book. Why would he not, he received his B.A. from Harvard University and his Ph.D. from M.I.T.

Rating: 2.5 / 5