Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Book Review by Jane
After reading this book, you will look at conventional wisdom differently—and it must be the intention of the book to challenge beliefs. The book challenges you to look at ordinary societal problems with an economic viewpoint. Everyone wants to solve these problems presented in the book—crime, education disparities, even whether the realtor gets more for the realtor's own home than for a client’s house.

One of the challenges is to take the emotional element out of the questions. The first example of this is the crime question. There are too many variables, including things the author cited--like increasing interest in the community to conquer crime--to be able to assert, as the author does, that the advent of abortion in the 1970’s is responsible for the drop in crime. Crime is once again on the rise, I might add, along with abortion. The argument is that unwanted babies have a higher chance of stepping into crime. If all that is true, it is safe to argue that loving people would lower crime. You know, they just might. That would be an example of an emotional argument, though.

The authors dive into many controversial questions. You are invited to ponder what they are saying.

The authors looked into how a gang operated, and it was run similar to a corporation. They explained why drug dealers live with their moms. They talked a great deal about parenting. What works and doesn’t work when trying to raise a successful child proves to have some surprises. The book is a great attraction for expecting parents because there is a section on naming your baby for success--more for an economic and educational standpoint.

One thing I should mention that is probably obvious by now is that this book is not a dry, number-laden economics problem-solving book. The book asks and answers many questions not regularly put to an economist. Like, what makes a perfect parent? It is interesting to look at it through the authors' economic lenses.

Jane.