Take a photo of a barcode or cover
487 reviews for:
Think Like a Freak: The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain
Steven D. Levitt
3.7 AVERAGE
487 reviews for:
Think Like a Freak: The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain
Steven D. Levitt
3.7 AVERAGE
OK I loved that they have surmised from the available data that due to the increase in job equality across genders intelligent women aren't limited to teaching as a vocation. Meaning that schools and education have suffered as a result.
Also had my beliefs tested when they challenge the efficiency of free healthcare; if people don't appreciate the value do they use it wisely? Since I work in the NHS and believe in free healthcare it was hard to reflect on what something I believe in might not be the best solution.
Then the summary of educated or not, people stick to their believes even when provided with scientific proof disproving that held belief (see above) that resonates during the Brexit campaigning and Trump's presidency so far.
Very interesting listen
Also had my beliefs tested when they challenge the efficiency of free healthcare; if people don't appreciate the value do they use it wisely? Since I work in the NHS and believe in free healthcare it was hard to reflect on what something I believe in might not be the best solution.
Then the summary of educated or not, people stick to their believes even when provided with scientific proof disproving that held belief (see above) that resonates during the Brexit campaigning and Trump's presidency so far.
Very interesting listen
A quick read on thinking a bit more like an economist. A few different ways of changing perspective, from thinking about smaller problems, to running experiments and knowing when to quit.
If you follow the podcast you don't need to read this.
Full review here: https://amandasbookblog.wordpress.com/2015/03/15/think-like-a-freak/
Full review here: https://amandasbookblog.wordpress.com/2015/03/15/think-like-a-freak/
I fail to see the point of that book. It can be shortened to basically : "sometimes the facts are counter-intuitive so watch out for that and make sure you keep an eye on your bias too". Ok, sure, cool.
Then the book uses shortcuts that are so over-simplified they dont really make sense anymore, mentions facts that are actually wrong or, again, oversimplified beyond recognition, and enjoys pulling the rug from under the reader's feet, probably to put emphasis on how smart the authors are.
Ok. Cool. Im glad I borrowed this instead of paying for it
Then the book uses shortcuts that are so over-simplified they dont really make sense anymore, mentions facts that are actually wrong or, again, oversimplified beyond recognition, and enjoys pulling the rug from under the reader's feet, probably to put emphasis on how smart the authors are.
Ok. Cool. Im glad I borrowed this instead of paying for it
Enjoyable approach to re-thinking your thought process. Usual Levitt humor and fresh approach.
Think Like a Freak is a departure from Levitt and Dubner's first two books, Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics, but that's okay.
In this book, the authors kind of unlock their methodology... not on how they conduct experiments, exactly, but on how they came to ask their questions in the first place. In essence, one must ensure they are asking the right questions in the first place--and the authors do a great job using stories (their own methodologies!) to illustrate their points.
My only complaint is that in addition to Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics, I also listen to the weekly podcast-- and quite a bit of that material is reproduced here. If you haven't listened to the podcast, then the authors connections will definitely leave you thinking about changing how you question the world around you.
In this book, the authors kind of unlock their methodology... not on how they conduct experiments, exactly, but on how they came to ask their questions in the first place. In essence, one must ensure they are asking the right questions in the first place--and the authors do a great job using stories (their own methodologies!) to illustrate their points.
My only complaint is that in addition to Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics, I also listen to the weekly podcast-- and quite a bit of that material is reproduced here. If you haven't listened to the podcast, then the authors connections will definitely leave you thinking about changing how you question the world around you.
Cute little refresher of Freakonomics concepts, but I think it fails at its main claim of retraining my brain. It mostly gave anecdotes and stories and simplistic takeaways, with little advice for practical application. If you've read any of their other books, you can skip this one.
This was a relatively short read. I was intrigued by the mention of PLS (prized-linked savings), but such accounts aren’t prevalent because the states would prefer to maintain their monopoly on lotteries. I wonder if the federal government couldn’t hatch such a scheme to encourage the irresponsible to save, however. It would not be a revenue generator like lotteries are for the states, but it might increase the national savings rate, and it would be better than state lotteries, which are, as is commonly said, “a tax on the poor.” People would still lose a little something with a PLS – a portion of their interest - but they would lose none of their principal (except to inflation), and they would still have the thrill of gambling.
That was something I found interesting to mull around, anyway, which is why I enjoyed reading this book – it gave me several things to chew on. Think Like A Freak wasn’t thorough or deep or particularly enlightening, but it was interesting – pop economics. So much of it seemed so familiar, however. It's been a while since I've read Levitt's other books, but I suspect there was a lot of repetition here.
That was something I found interesting to mull around, anyway, which is why I enjoyed reading this book – it gave me several things to chew on. Think Like A Freak wasn’t thorough or deep or particularly enlightening, but it was interesting – pop economics. So much of it seemed so familiar, however. It's been a while since I've read Levitt's other books, but I suspect there was a lot of repetition here.