Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

About the book

Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner apply economic theory to unconventional subjects, arguing that human behavior is driven by incentives rather than moral imperatives. They examine data to reveal hidden connections between seemingly unrelated events, such as the correlation between the legalization of abortion and the subsequent drop in violent crime rates decades later. The text analyzes how real estate agents exploit information advantages to sell their own homes for more money and investigates the organizational structure of street-level drug gangs, which mirror corporate hierarchies.

This book is for readers interested in behavioral science, data analysis, and the mechanics of social trends. It attracts those who want to understand the underlying motivations behind cheating, parenting choices, and professional corruption. Readers walk away with a framework for questioning conventional wisdom and a method for identifying how unintended consequences shape public policy. It provides a toolkit for using statistical observation to strip away social veneers and see the practical outcomes of specific incentives.

Details

Published

2005

Publisher

Penguin UK

ISBN

9780141928739

Language

EN