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