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A review by katykelly
Think Like a Freak by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
4.0
4.5 stars
I was really excited to see the authors of Freakonomics/Superfreakonomics had a new collaboration coming out. Those books definitely had an effect on how I look at things, and I had high hopes for this new effort.
It's not the same as their previous works, I would start by saying. While there are anecdotes (or rather, stories, as they'd call them), it's much more like a self-help book in the sense that they offer lessons of how to think like a Freak (an economist) about the world, problems big and small, your life.
It's still funny though. And informative. They offer tidbits from their own lives, how they got where they are today, more experimental research they've been involved in. I think one of my favourite stories was about the hot-dog eating champion, and how he used his own research to improve his eating performance to win at championships. But it's all there - why slave owners licked their slaves, why David Lee Roth insisted on no M&Ms on his music tours, Nigerian scammers.
There's something for everyone. It's far-reaching, mind-expanding, and just might change the way you see the world. I've started listening to their podcasts since reading this, and am enjoying those.
Great stuff, highly recommend. If you haven't read their above-mentioned books before, do look them up as well. Some of the best non-fiction I've ever tried.
I was really excited to see the authors of Freakonomics/Superfreakonomics had a new collaboration coming out. Those books definitely had an effect on how I look at things, and I had high hopes for this new effort.
It's not the same as their previous works, I would start by saying. While there are anecdotes (or rather, stories, as they'd call them), it's much more like a self-help book in the sense that they offer lessons of how to think like a Freak (an economist) about the world, problems big and small, your life.
It's still funny though. And informative. They offer tidbits from their own lives, how they got where they are today, more experimental research they've been involved in. I think one of my favourite stories was about the hot-dog eating champion, and how he used his own research to improve his eating performance to win at championships. But it's all there - why slave owners licked their slaves, why David Lee Roth insisted on no M&Ms on his music tours, Nigerian scammers.
There's something for everyone. It's far-reaching, mind-expanding, and just might change the way you see the world. I've started listening to their podcasts since reading this, and am enjoying those.
Great stuff, highly recommend. If you haven't read their above-mentioned books before, do look them up as well. Some of the best non-fiction I've ever tried.