Freakonomics (1 Viewer)

[La La]

anyone read it?

 

[ICUH8N]

Yes. It's interesting, but ought to be taken with a grain of salt, especially the sections about abortion reducing the crime rate etc, which have been debunked in the mean time.

 

[La La]

ah.
about to start it, just wondering what people thought...a few people recommended it.

 

[broken arm]

i heard it was right-wing reductionism.

 

[ICUH8N]

It certainly is reductionism - in the sense that the data are analysed and used to make broad statements in a simplistic way, and some of the conclusions really do stick in one's craw (the aforementioned abortion/crime link is the big one) However the heavier stuff on which the book is based has been published in academia and is available if you're so inclined, I imagine.

The other problem is that a lot of the material has since been misinterpreted (William J Bennet's comments for instance, are utterly wrongheaded) which has led to bad publicity, and accusations of right-wing bias on the part of Levitt which I don't think exists. You can get through the book in an afternoon, and make up your own mind, though.

 

[Wavioli]

huh huh- debunked.

 

[coast to coast]

I think its an interesting book, but kinda disappointing. It seems more that the journalist wanted to write it than the economist and thusly its seems a bit dumbed down and simplified. Not as bad as that Malcolm Gladwell book but interesting nonetheless. I enjoyed its lack of political correctness in the commentary on naming of children, especially the girl called Shithead.