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Business. Psychology. Self-Improvement. Nonfiction. HTML: The New York Times bestselling Freakonomics changed the way we see the world, exposing the hidden side of just about everything. Then came SuperFreakonomics, a documentary film, an award-winning podcast, and more. Now, with Think Like a Freak, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner have written their most revolutionary book yet. With their trademark blend of captivating storytelling and unconventional analysis, they take us inside their thought process and teach us all to think a bit more productively, more creatively, more rationally�??to think, that is, like a Freak. Levitt and Dubner offer a blueprint for an entirely new way to solve problems, whether your interest lies in minor lifehacks or major global reforms. As always, no topic is off-limits. They range from business to philanthropy to sports to politics, all with the goal of retraining your brain. Along the way, you'll learn the secrets of a Japanese hot-dog-eating champion, the reason an Australian doctor swallowed a batch of dangerous bacteria, and why Nigerian e-mail scammers make a point of saying they're from Nigeria. Some of the steps toward thinking like a Freak: First, put away your moral compass�??because it's hard to see a problem clearly if you've already decided what to do about it. Learn to say "I don't know"�??for until you can admit what you don't yet know, it's virtually impossible to learn what you need to. Think like a child�??because you'll come up with better ideas and ask better questions. Take a master class in incentives�??because for better or worse, incentives rule our world. Learn to persuade people who don't want to be persuaded�??because being right is rarely enough to carry the day. Learn to appreciate the upside of quitting�??because you can't solve tomorrow's problem if you aren't willing to abandon today's dud. Levitt and Dubner plainly see the world like no one else. Now you can too. Never before have such iconoclastic thinkers been so revealing�??and s… (more)
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This book contains a few surprises, but overall it seems like a slap-dash production intended to cash in on the success of their previous enterprises. As such, it is somewhat duller reading. There are a few interesting analyses, like about the rationale for the popular email extortion scam based in Nigeria, or how a love of "fun" might be harnessed to encourage people to save more money.
For the most part, however, the chapters read like filler material. They include platitudinous management suggestions that make common sense but not compelling reading, such as in the chapter on “How to Persuade People Who Don’t Want to Be Persuaded," and “revelations” about phenomena ranging from the etiology of ulcers to the causes of obesity that made the rounds of popular magazines years ago.
Using the examples of King Solomon and rock singer David Lee Roth to provide examples of game theory may have been cute, but it felt like the authors were reaching for the lowest common denominator. In fact, it seemed more like a chapter on the meta subject of How to Expand Your Potential Reading Audience.
The last chapter of the book discusses when it is advisable to quit whatever is it you have been doing for too long. Maybe the authors should take their own advice and call it a day.
Evaluation: This book is mildly entertaining, but not up the standards set in the first two. Gone are the "economics" of the earlier books; more challenging content has been replaced with bromidic bullet points and stories I read a long time ago in doctor's waiting room periodicals.
With 30 years experience working with government and non-profits dependent on others for financial support, I knew before reading this book, that regardless of intent, in the long run, the most
This very readable book, confirms that, but also shows why and how it happens, and how to avoid at least some of that. Well done!
If you're looking for a quick book to inspire some new and cool research ideas, thumb though Think Like a Freak, but don't expect to
A better choice is Mostly Harmless Econometrics. This one not only guides you through the basics of the econometric techniques you need for real research, but it also helps you formulate a research plan with FAQ you can ask to come up with creative new methods for causal identification.
Their conclusions are not great ones, but they are well formulated, sound... and an entertaining read if nothing else!
Their conclusions are not great ones, but they are well formulated, sound... and an entertaining read if nothing else!
The Freakonomics team, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner are well known for their unusual approach to analyzing and solving rather quirky
Memorable stories illustrate each step in the process. We learn the best strategy for winning a soccer penalty kick, the value of feedback from field experiments, the dangers of dogmatism, how to win a hot dog eating contest, the power of M&M’s , the impact of drinking bacteria, and the value of fun.
Several stories about the price of wine, the power of advertising, and paying workers less show us how Freaks use evidence to debunk ideology.
Once revealed and understood, their process for solving problems is rather ordinary: 1) admit you don’t know the answer, 2) define the correct problem, 3) dig deeply to uncover the root cause, 4) think like a child to explore new viewpoints, 5) understand how incentives motivate, 6) use clever game theory approaches to “get your garden to weed itself” if you can. Additional chapters describe research from the Cultural Cognition Project on persuasion, and highlight the benefits of quitting.
The stories are fun to read, fun to know and fun to retell. The stories help make the process steps easier to understand and remember. Reading this book may make you a better problem solver.
The Freakonomics team, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner are well known for their unusual approach to analyzing and solving rather quirky
Memorable stories illustrate each step in the process. We learn the best strategy for winning a soccer penalty kick, the value of feedback from field experiments, the dangers of dogmatism, how to win a hot dog eating contest, the power of M&M’s , the impact of drinking bacteria, and the value of fun.
Several stories about the price of wine, the power of advertising, and paying workers less show us how Freaks use evidence to debunk ideology.
Once revealed and understood, their process for solving problems is rather ordinary: 1) admit you don’t know the answer, 2) define the correct problem, 3) dig deeply to uncover the root cause, 4) think like a child to explore new viewpoints, 5) understand how incentives motivate, 6) use clever game theory approaches to “get your garden to weed itself” if you can. Additional chapters describe research from the Cultural Cognition Project on persuasion, and highlight the benefits of quitting.
The stories are fun to read, fun to know and fun to retell. The stories help make the process steps easier to understand and remember. Reading this book may make you a better problem solver.
One of my favorite anecdotes from this book involves the rock band Van Halen and their eccentric lead singer, David Lee Roth. I head the first part of this story before: the band demanded a bowl of M&Ms in their room, but there could be no brown M&Ms. When this story got out, I, like most people, considered it to be self-indulgent rock stars going over the top. There was, however, method behind this madness. The facility requirements for the lavish stage show were quite complex, much more so than other bands. Buried in the 56 page document was the comment about the M&Ms. If the band found this requirement was ignored, they would suspect the rest of the document wasn't followed very closely and had to carefully inspect the set for safety reasons.
The audiobook version concludes with an hour or so of Freakonomics podcasts from their website; a nice extra that might drive me to the website to subscribe some day. It doesn't appear the authors are tired of writing these books, and I look forward to reading the next.
The basics: Think Like a Freak is a glimpse into a different way of thinking. What it lacks in
My thoughts: In many ways, Think Like a Freak is somewhat of a departure from the first two Levitt and Dubner books. It's written in a very similar style, and as I read I felt as though I was privy to a casual conversation between the two. The book itself is broken up into chapters, each with a different lesson of how to think like a freak.
While this book lacked many of the wow moments I so loved about the first Freakonomics, it's lessons are wise and interesting. I read this book quickly (in only a few hours), and I was fascinated as I compulsively read. Even a few days later, however, I'm struck by how few specific tidbits have stuck with me. Part of this result stems from the fact that some of these lessons of thinking like a freak are evident from having read their first two books, reading their blog and listening to the podcast over the years. In some ways, this book lacks the newness of the first two books. Instead it excels at putting a lot of wisdom in one place. It's likely not a coincidence that the book's release coincides nicely with graduation season. This book would make a wonderful gift for new graduates.
The verdict: While I prefer to read about freakonomics in action more, Think Like a Freak was a fascinating glimpse into the thinking processes behind freakonomics. It has many worthy lessons and quite a few memorable tidbits to satisfy those, like me, who are hungry for more freakonomics.