Sunday Musings: Economist On The Loose

I just finished reading a book called “Freakonomics” by authors Levitt and Dubner. Levitt teaches economics at the University of Chicago, while Dubner writes for the New York Times and The New Yorker.

Most economists, at least from my experience, string together endless numbers to make a statistical case. However, Levitt dances to the beat of his own drummer. I enjoyed reading about seemingly unrelated topics and how they actually tie together using his research, which is based on numbers, of course. He thinks way outside of the box yet his logic is impeccable and is supported by an obvious sense of humor.

You can’t take yourself too seriously if you write about topics like this:

Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool?

How did the legalization of abortion affect the rate of violent crime?

Freakonomics really examines the hidden side of everything. The inner workings of a crack gang. The truth about real estate agents. The myths of campaign finance. The telltale marks of a cheating schoolteacher. The secrets of the Ku Klux Klan.

If you enjoy a book that looks at life’s day-to-day events in a different light, this is a fun read. My only suggestion to the authors would be to tackle another subject of interest to many, which would be examining the somewhat questionable dealings on Wall Street in the same way they did the topics featured in this book.