| If the thought of a book on economics is about as | | | | crime statistics from all over the country in comparison |
| exciting as watching your toenails grow, or you are | | | | with abortion statistics in the era after the Supreme |
| under-whelmed with statistics and number crunching | | | | Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, Freakonomics |
| theory, then the bestselling book Freakonomics : A | | | | arrives at a startling conclusion. The book submits that |
| Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of | | | | the highly publicized drop in America's violent crime rate |
| Everything just might be the book to make you wake | | | | since 1990 is due almost entirely to legalized abortion, |
| up without that extra cup of Starbucks' best. Actually, | | | | rather than better police work, new gun laws, or any |
| Freakonomics is an engaging read because it seems | | | | of a number of other factors put forward by agencies |
| to be more about sociology and psychology than | | | | of all stripes eager to take credit for it. Although the |
| boring numerical analysis. With its well-paced and easy | | | | authors concede they have "managed to offend |
| reading style, this book shows how the resulting | | | | just about everyone," from conservatives, |
| correlation and causality of data impacts our lives and | | | | (because "abortion could be construed as a |
| definitely makes us think differently about facts and | | | | crime-fighting tool") to liberals, (because "the |
| figures. The authors, Steven Levitt and Stephen | | | | poor and black women were singled out"), they |
| Dubner, contend, "What this book is about is | | | | stick strictly to the evidence, admitting that this view |
| stripping a layer or two from modern life and seeing | | | | "should not be misinterpreted as either an |
| what is happening underneath," exposing why | | | | endorsement of abortion or a call for intervention by |
| conventional wisdom is so often wrong. In effect, there | | | | the state in the fertility decisions of women." The |
| are real tangible benefits in thinking laterally. To be sure, | | | | book verifies its conclusion by consistently dismantling |
| their seemingly off-the-wall comparisons are definitely | | | | argument after argument for the other touted factors |
| attention grabbers. Who would have ever thought to | | | | and keeps returning to the cause and effect of |
| make the unlikely comparison of teachers and sumo | | | | evidence at hand. After all, the "truth" as the |
| wrestlers to show that economics is, in essence, the | | | | authors see it, is not always convenient. |
| study of incentives. But for those of you who desire a | | | | The other topics explored in Freakonomics, while not |
| smooth flowing book, with multiple concepts building to | | | | as controversial, are equally interesting. In fact, some |
| an ultimate conclusion, you might be disappointed. | | | | could be considered amusing. If you are looking to |
| Actually, the book presents six wholly different topics, | | | | spruce up you intellect for the next cocktail party, or |
| with no unifying theme. And while Freakonomics does | | | | widen your eyes to the world around you, then this |
| jump seemingly randomly from question to question, | | | | book is a necessary read. However, what might be |
| there are some lessons to be learned. For example, | | | | considered a turnoff by some is the annoying insertion |
| the book demonstrates that the most obvious reason | | | | of quotations from external sources about how |
| why something happens is not always the real reason. | | | | innovative or creative the authors are as a precursor |
| To be sure, sometimes the real reason doesn't even | | | | to every chapter. That being said, it is refreshing to |
| make the list of possibilities. Or, as is often true in the | | | | have an odd economist, or at least an economist who |
| case studies given in Freakonomics, the cause turns | | | | ask odd questions to tease out the most fascinating |
| out not to be the cause at all, but the effect. | | | | facts concerning the mysteries of the world around us. |
| Perhaps the most hard-hitting and controversial riddle | | | | One word of advice: don't buy this book in paperback. |
| tackled by Freakonomics explores the cause of the | | | | At the list price of $25.00, it rings up at only 95 cents |
| dramatic drop in the U.S. crime rate in the chapter | | | | cheaper than the hardback book, which is a much |
| "Where Have All the Criminals Gone?" The | | | | more attractive and sturdy volume. Plus, because the |
| book explains that by the 1990s violent crime had | | | | hardback has been available for much longer, you can |
| grown to epic proportions in the United States. Experts | | | | actually find it for significantly cheaper (more than $7 |
| everywhere, from law enforcement to government | | | | off the paperback price) if you search a few |
| agencies could only predict that it would get worse. | | | | bookstores. |
| The American way had somehow produced and | | | | After almost a year in publication, Freakonomics |
| coined the term "superpredator." | | | | continues to make the bestseller lists, currently holding |
| "Death by gunfire", intentional and otherwise, | | | | (at the time of writing this review) the much vaunted |
| had become commonplace. And then, instead of going | | | | Amazon #1 seller position. If nothing else, that is an |
| up, the crime rate suddenly started to drop profoundly- | | | | important statistic to keep in mind. |
| by over 40 percent in just a few years. By studying | | | | |