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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
Many of the reviews seem to be disappointed that this book wasn't about something else.
For what it set out to do, though - explain the process Levitt and Dubner use - it did a fine job.
This book was not meant to be like their first two. So, complaining it wasn't like those books is an odd critique.
The examples used to drive how the lessons or advice are spot on, and interesting in their own right. Another great outing for the freaks. And a good job of doing what they set out to do - explain the way they think, and how you can begin to incorporate their style of thinking into your life.
For what it set out to do, though - explain the process Levitt and Dubner use - it did a fine job.
This book was not meant to be like their first two. So, complaining it wasn't like those books is an odd critique.
The examples used to drive how the lessons or advice are spot on, and interesting in their own right. Another great outing for the freaks. And a good job of doing what they set out to do - explain the way they think, and how you can begin to incorporate their style of thinking into your life.
Gonna take a break from pop sci after this. The usual collection of interesting anecdotes but nothing explored deeper than surface level. Very quick read. Next nonfiction read I really want to dive into a topic instead of just collecting entertaining trivia.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
As always they offer great stories, but if you've listened to the podcast and maybe had a course in statistics, then there isn't much new here.
challenging
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
A little repetetive after listening to all of their podcasts. And it struck me as didactic at times. But it's a good read if you haven't been listening to freakonomics radio.
I read this book because I enjoyed Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics. I actually was unaware that there were more books by Levitt and Dubner, so I was quite excited to discover this one in my local library. Unlike Levitt and Dubner's previous works, Think Like a Freak is largely practical: though it maintains the often humorous tone and research style that fans of Dubner and Levitt's works have become familiar with, it focuses primarily on applications in your life, namely how you can think like a freak.
It is a light, easy, and relatively fun read. The thinking method the authors propose isn't as revolutionary as I thought it would be given the attention their books have received. Most of the advice seems to follow common sense. Granted, maybe it is one of those things where it looks easier on paper than it is actually to do. For example, there is a whole chapter on feeling okay about quitting when you are incurring just sunk cost and losing opportunity cost. I agree that quitting, even when you know is the best thing you could do, is maybe one of the hardest things to do for a lot of us. So in that sense the book had very sensible, valid points.
Not sure if I would read all of the other books in the series though--they might be a good source for interesting stories however, as the authors base a lot of their arguments around real life examples.
Not sure if I would read all of the other books in the series though--they might be a good source for interesting stories however, as the authors base a lot of their arguments around real life examples.