Freakonomics
by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner · first published 2005
41% recommend53% neutral6% critical
Why HN recommends it
Fun, readable pop-economics that shows how economists think by asking odd questions and following the data, such as the drug-dealer chapter. Suits newcomers wanting a fresh perspective with no prerequisites.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? How much do parents really matter? How did the legalization of abortion affect the rate of violent crime? These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much-heralded scholar who studies the riddles of everyday life—from cheating and crime to sports and child-rearing—and whose conclusions turn the c
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I read Dubner and Levitt's Freakonomics in 2005. It's lame to say that a pop-science book changed my life, but since then I've thought about economics every day. I would recommend some pop-econ to become familiar with a stylized version of…
on “Ask HN: What are the must-read books about economics/finance?” ↗Here is my list of 2016: - The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory - The 48 Laws Of Power - Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything - Crossing the Chasm - The Richest Man in Babylon - Confessions of an Economic Hit Man - Europe: A History - The Penguin History of Europe…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2016?” ↗…a couple of economics books that I quite seriously believe everyone should be forced to read. Economics in One Lesson, by Hazlitt Free to Choose: A Personal Statement, by Milton and Rose Friedman Freakonomics, by Levitt and Dubner (this book is just so damn fun to read) and for the hackers: The God of the Machine, by Paterson (Think engineering principles as applied to economics, history and politics. Probably…
on “What books would you recommend reading? Why?” ↗…first-generation immigrant from Taiwan, and we have had occasion to live in east Asia since our children were born, we thought carefully about both English and Chinese names for our own children.) The original Freakonomics book has a very interesting section on names in the United States, including the case of the Johnson family (Johnson is the second most frequent surname in the United States) who had many children, and…
on “Why do some countries regulate baby names?” ↗"Freakonomics" by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. Great book about how and why people respond to incentives. A lot of good examples told through fascinating stories supported by data.
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗…Smith, Marx, Robinson, Hayek, and Ricardo do a fantastic job laying the groundwork for modern economic theory. If you're looking for the quantitative side of economics, Mostly Harmless Econometrics, Freakonomics, and (on the very theoretical side) Recursive Methods in Economic Dynamics are must reads. Capital by Picketty is currently being debated, as the underlying evidence towards his theories are compelling…
on “Ask HN: What are the must-read books about economics/finance?” ↗Freakonomics - good “everything you know is wrong” Promote yourself - meh “just become an influencer and pick a new job” Extreme Ownership - good “navy seal war story -> leadership principle -> business application”…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗I'd recommend all of these: Freakonomics- Interesting book if you're into Game theory and economics kind of stuff, though it has no prerequisites Meditations- Great views of a stoic thinker Zero to one- Interesting take on startups and how…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗…instead of 2 billion dollar deficits? Economics-style thinking is very valuable. If you weren't blessed to have had a great economics professor in your high-school and college years, I recommend reading Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt. It was a required reading for my AP economics course and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it cover-to-cover.
on “Why wealth and patience appear to go hand in hand” ↗…Time", et al.), and H. Beam Piper's novel Kalvan of Otherwhen Non-fiction: - An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (Hume) - the surviving words and works of Epicurus, and Diogenes the Cynic - Freakonomics (Levitt, Dubner) - The Gay Science (Nietzsche) - The Jefferson Bible (Christ, Jefferson (ed.)) - The Devil's Dictionary (Bierce) - Brain Droppings (George Carlin) - anything by P. J. O'Rourke -…
on “Ask YC: favorite books” ↗…Language, Peopleware, Made to stick, Web Standards Solutions, Designing Interactions, The Pragmatic Programmer, The Mythical Man-Month, Oh, the Places You'll Go! Other good reads: Blink, Tipping Point, Long Tail, Freakonomics
on “Ask YC (and PG): What books do you have on your bookshelf? ” ↗…Cat's Table - Michael Ondaatje. I haven't finished this one yet, but it's part of a recent concerted effort to read more fiction. I've always loved Ondaatje's work, and this latest novel is no different. Freakonomics - Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner. I just started reading this last night, and I'm already 100 pages in. It's an addicting read, and is already causing me to re-evaluate the incentive systems that are…
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in 2012” ↗I just read about this in a book Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. I was amazed how well the Superman stories worked. Freakonomics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freakonomics
on “How Superman Defeated the Ku Klux Klan” ↗…Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty - Banerjee, Duflo Why Nations Fail - Robinson -------------------- Economics/Decision making/Psychology Undercover Economist, Freakonomics, Nudge, Thinking Fast and Slow -------------------- Random titles The Selfish Gene, Self-Reliance, The Elements of Style (about writing), Slaughterhouse-Five -------------------- Some links to inspire…
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite books? I'm bored” ↗…bias in the success stories. People wash out of other careers too. Seeing actual data on rates would be fascinating. For balance, read the “Why do drug dealers still live with their moms?” chapter of Freakonomics.
on “High-Paying Trade Jobs Sit Empty, While High School Grads Line Up for University” ↗