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Freakonomics #1

Freakonomics: Un economista políticamente incorrecto explora el lado oculto de lo que nos afecta

steven d. levitt stephen j. dubner

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Freakonomics, de S. D. Levitt y S. J. Dubner, es un bestseller mundial, una obra curiosa, original e interesante de dos jóvenes economistas norteamericanos; un libro accesible que incluye ejemplos sorprendentes. Los autores han intentado mostrar el lado oculto de las cosas y explicar por qué el mundo funciona como funciona a través de las leyes de la economía --que se desvelan como una ciencia útil para comprender nuestras acciones--; lo que denominan la economía de lo raro.

237 pages, Paperback

First published April 12,2005
Series
Freakonomics
Literary awards
book sense book of the year award, financial times business book of the year, the quill award, 

This edition

Format
237 pages, Paperback
Published
August 1, 2006 by Ediciones B
ISBN
9788466625128
ASIN
8466625127
Language
Spanish; Castilian

More editions

About the author

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steven d. levitt

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Steven David Levitt is an American economist and co-author of the best-selling book Freakonomics and its sequels (along with Stephen J. Dubner). Levitt was the winner of the 2003 John Bates Clark Medal for his work in the field of crime, and is currently the William B. Ogden Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago as well as the Faculty Director and Co-Founder of the Center for Radical Innovation for Social Change at the University of Chicago which incubates the Data Science for Everyone coalition. He was co-editor of the Journal of Political Economy published by the University of Chicago Press until December 2007. In 2009, Levitt co-founded TGG Group, a business and philanthropy consulting company. He was chosen as one of Time magazine's "100 People Who Shape Our World" in 2006. A 2011 survey of economics professors named Levitt their fourth favorite living economist under the age of 60, after Paul Krugman, N. Gregory Mankiw and Daron Acemoğlu.

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Community Reviews

Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 99 votes)
5 stars
27(27%)
4 stars
32(32%)
3 stars
40(40%)
2 stars
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99 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
AC23
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 25,2025
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Really closer to a 3 1/2. I found the essays interesting enough, but upon reflection they seemed to lose much of their initial punch. It's possible to nit-pick at most of the studies, but more importantly the author tends to equate correlation with cause a little too glibly I think. It was a very popular book, but aside from quite a few comments by the major review media about some of the articles, I don't suspect it really had much effect on thinking in the "social sciences". I could be wrong.


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Megabootyeater
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 25,2025
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4,5/5 ⭐

“The conventional wisdom is often wrong.”

As an economics student, this really helped me to open my mind to learn how to analyse everyday situations from a economic point of view. And it also showed me a new branch of economics that has become my favourite.

If you want to learn the basics on economics, this book is for you. Some people might find it a little bit basic, but I think it should be taken as an introduction to the topic. More than teaching you how economics work, which is no easy task, I believe its purpose is to try and show how for every situation you can find an economic assumption to back it up.

What should be also taken into account when reading this book is that to prove most of his theories Levitt relies on statistics, which are part of economics as a science but not pure economics itself. Basically, do not expect to become an expert on the subject after reading it.

Anyways, I found the book pretty entertaining and well written. Highly recommend it.
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acelys
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 25,2025
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I read this book because it takes everyday things like crime, school, and parenting, gives them a fresh twist, and shares surprising truths with jokes and stories that make learning fun and simple!

Incentives Influence Behaviour:
People do things because they want to get something good or avoid something bad, even if it’s not what they would expect.

Don't Believe Everything You Hear:
Sometimes, what people think is true isn't. Numbers and facts can tell a different story.

Things Happen for Reasons:
Just because two things happen simultaneously doesn't mean one caused the other.

People Have Secrets:
Sometimes, people do things that seem strange or wrong for reasons we don't understand.

Rules Can Backfire:
Trying to fix a problem can sometimes make it worse.

Numbers Tell the Truth:
Looking at facts and data can help us understand the world better, even when it's surprising.

Overall, "Freakonomics" encourages readers to think critically and explore the hidden side of everyday life.
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zh0on_
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 25,2025
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Fun and cerebral. Caveat: it does not actually explore the hidden side of *everything.*

For example, the mystery of dreams isn’t uncovered nor is the hidden side of the half-dozen incredibly attractive French actresses blessing film screens over the past few years (ces lèvres
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zgardstar
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 25,2025
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Yeah, this isn't 'rogue economics'. This is sociology. It's not a new discipline. And this is really spurious sociology that wouldn't pass muster in academia, so Levitt published it for public consumption.
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aypikillsu
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 25,2025
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Verbose, repetitive, contradictory: a book of 200-pages that could be condensed to 3-5 pages.

Titles that vary from scintillating to insulting, yet are followed by a chapter that doesn't support the title bar.

Anecdotal stories, mistaken for data or hypothesis. Interpretations and hypotheses are drawn from data that could still be interpreted in multiple ways.

The book claims that it will link the unexpected, but frankly, links the obvious, with many "well duh" moments.

Needless generations of lists that help bulk out the book, but provide little further benefit for study.

Each chapter begins with unnecessary aggrandisement of the author for the statistician, that jars the flow of the book.

Overall, a good demonstration of why "social sciences" are in no way close to being "science", and instead should be termed social philosophy.
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BarnacleBlister
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 25,2025
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A fascinating book that taught me a lot of things about myself and other people that were distinctly uncomfortable. Herewith some of the tidbits I picked up.

* About 10% of the population are happy to commit some sort of fraud, even if it just consists of not paying for their lunchtime sandwiches.
* IQ is inherited not nurtured
* On the whole we don't like old people.
* Attractive men are rich, tall and have a full head of hair.
* Attractive women are pretty, blonde and not too successful.
* The introduction of legalized abortion can drop crime levels.
* Money spent on election campaigns is mostly money down the drain.
* Often what we say in public is not what we feel in private. (eg racist politicians are often condemned in public but voted for in the privacy of the voting booth.)

And the good news...

* You can vastly change your life for the better by getting online and doing your own research. Leaving it all to the experts - be they doctors, funeral directors or life insurance agents - is a mugs game.

I found this book hugely provocative, but also fascinating, and it has certainly broadened my outlook by a whole stack. I'm not convinced....but it's got me wondering about a lot of stuff. It was also written with humour. Chapter 3 for instance is titled Why Do Drug Dealers Still Live with Their Moms?

Very highly recommended.
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