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I recall absolutely loving the first "Freakonomics" book. This is in the same vein, very eclectic, but I didn't really feel as though I'd learned much this time around, whereas the first book seemed to make the point, through a lot of disparate stories, that the world runs by incentives. This one made the same point, sort of, but it wasn't anything new. Also, I was rather put off by the first chapter on prostitution, mostly just because while they discussed the profession clinically, it still involved distasteful details that I'd never considered before. Still, conceptually interesting.
Awesome! Very excited to learn that this is coming out. Getting my copy autographed too. (Yes, I am a nerd.)
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01/31/2010
I thoroughly enjoyed this second book from the Stevens/Stephens. It was full of facts and statistics that I love. I thought it was a bit more controversial than the first, but maybe it's because these issues hit a little closer to home than the first one did.
The book lagged a bit in the beginning for me, but the ending picked up nicely. I found it fascinating the different types of geoengineered inventions that are being bandied about. I like how one of the scientists/economists said it's like the fire extinguisher. You don't stop trying to prevent fires, but you definitely want it around in case there is one. It's not that we should stop trying to be more ecologically friendly, but we SHOULD be looking for tools that can actually work if things do get so out of hand. And I would say that modeling such tools after what mother nature does all on her own, isn't such a bad idea. And if you can do it inexpensively, then the problem again is what?!
I hope these guys continue putting these books out. I've never been so interested in microeconomics before but it is a fascinating field. And behavioral economics is also very interesting too. (The monkey story at the end was hilarious.)
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01/31/2010
I thoroughly enjoyed this second book from the Stevens/Stephens. It was full of facts and statistics that I love. I thought it was a bit more controversial than the first, but maybe it's because these issues hit a little closer to home than the first one did.
The book lagged a bit in the beginning for me, but the ending picked up nicely. I found it fascinating the different types of geoengineered inventions that are being bandied about. I like how one of the scientists/economists said it's like the fire extinguisher. You don't stop trying to prevent fires, but you definitely want it around in case there is one. It's not that we should stop trying to be more ecologically friendly, but we SHOULD be looking for tools that can actually work if things do get so out of hand. And I would say that modeling such tools after what mother nature does all on her own, isn't such a bad idea. And if you can do it inexpensively, then the problem again is what?!
I hope these guys continue putting these books out. I've never been so interested in microeconomics before but it is a fascinating field. And behavioral economics is also very interesting too. (The monkey story at the end was hilarious.)
This book was pretty fun. I especially liked the premise that the solutions to the most intractable problems are usually the cheapest and easiest. There were several good examples of that.
Way better than the first Freakonomics. Some concepts weren't explained very clearly, which was disappointing, but I did find this one easier to read and easier to understand why such economic research was important and compelling.
I know, I know, there are problems with this, but where else would I find the endnotes to lead me to scholarly examinations of the role of kangaroo farts in global warming, the seasonal pricing of prostitution and efforts to teach capuchin monkeys to use money (after which they promptly invent inflation and prostitution)?
The answers found in the data cannot be viewed as absolute. And it is never wise to look at just one set of data. Nor are the answers to most issues covered in the book as simplistic as the authors make it seem. However, topics covered were most interesting to me and the text well written. That said, please that I never have to have surgery by a doctor who thinks his hand germs are immune to infecting patients!!!! This in a time when even the super antibiotics barely work ;-)
I remember being really intrigued by Freakonomics when I read it, so I was excited to hear that the authors had written a sequel. This book reads a lot like the first one. There are some great anecdotes, lots of things that really make you think. They definitely have an interesting way of looking at things. I thought the chapter on global warming was especially interesting. I can see why that part in particular has made the book so controversial. It made me cringe a little bit to read how they tear down some of the Al Gore-ian (Al Gore-y?)ideas about global warming, but I must say, they make some good points. And the "garden hose full of sulfur dioxide" idea as a fix for global warming actually DOES seem pretty plausible. Hmm. I also found it incredibly fascinating to read about some of the techniques that authorities are using to track suspected terrorists. (ex. Suicide bombers don't buy life insurance.) Like Freakonomics, the book as a whole didn't really fell like it had a "flow", but I was okay with reading it as a collection of research on a lot of different topics. Incredibly interesting stuff -- and great material for conversation at parties!
Good read. Lots of interesting theories to make you go "Hmmm?".
Just as interesting as the first one! Love these books.