BookBin2015: Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

freakonomics

I’m actually going to start this book review off with something that I rarely ever state (but also something that I’m going to be repeating in my next book review, so stay tuned!): I actually found the movie more interesting than the book. In this instance, I believe that the movie makes the information of economist Steven Levitt’s book Freakonomics a bit more approachable. While not completely boring, the book is a bit on the dry side. For a book with such a whimsical title, I suppose I was expecting a bit more…whimsy. I believe this is why I enjoyed the film version more. While not flippant at all, the film takes the text and livens it up, makes it pop a bit more.

I actually loathe that I’ve written all that. I typically defend books to the bitter end when it comes to the “which was better” debate. I think perhaps it also didn’t help that I trudged through this book while sitting on the beach. This is not beach reading. Bad choice on my part, to be honest.

After that rousing review, who doesn’t want to read this book now? To be fair, it actually is quite a fascinating study into the events that shape certain life paths for us as a society. It tackles statistical analysis in an approachable and provocative manner, inviting us to consider our own thoughts on Levitt’s well-supported arguments regarding things such as drugs, education, abortion, real estate, parenting, cheating…all presented in intelligent, witty, and freshly examined ways.

Final Verdict: I intend to check this out of the library again at some point. I don’t believe that I gave the book the fair shot it deserves to really capture me.

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