Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner and Stephen Levitt

This book is filled with completely polarizing chapters in which the two things discussed seemingly have nothing to do with each other, but the authors find a way to connect them. In this summary, I will take you through some of the highlights of my favorite chapters and some of the more important chapters as well. The interesting thing about the book as a whole is that it does not even seem like you are reading a book that is trying to teach you economics through some outrageous situations. Another intriguing thing about this book is that these authors have such an extensive knowledge of studies that they can pull from any study, even if it has nothing to do with what they are talking about, and they can make it relevant. The first chapter starts the book off strong comparing sumo wrestlers and teachers. The connection between them, according to the authors, is that both groups of people will sometimes cheat in order to get more money because they are being scored on how well they d o in their specific field. For example, teachers get graded, so to speak, on how well their students do on standardized tests, so they change certain answers on students’ tests so that they are correct. Some of these cheating teachers were caught when a retake test was given out to certain classrooms where teachers were thought to be cheating and some that were not (for control). With sumo wrestlers, it was more difficult to completely catch them cheating because the two wrestlers going againstShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Steven Levitt And Stephen Dubner And Freakonomics1436 Words   |  6 Pagessuch as how to best format an online dating profile or finding the reasoning behind why employees in large corporations tend to steal bagels, authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner in their book Freakonomics claim to explore â€Å"the hidden side of everything.† The previous examples provided, including the various other topics that Levitt and Dubner touch upon in their book, are likely unimportant to the average reader and as a whole are without any obvious similarities. The authors even mention the lackRead More Freakonomics A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner1032 Words   |  5 PagesFreakonomics A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner Freakonomics brings together many combinations of thoughts that one wouldn’t find relevant in companionship. The two authors discuss comparisons that are so off the wall, that you almost question reading the book; however, that is the reason many read the book in the first place. The authors Levitt and Dubner compare in one chapter of Freakonomics the reason why drug dealers live withRead MoreFreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt Stephen J. Dubner  Is Based  on These Fundamental Ideas: Incentives, Conventional Wisdom, â€Å"Experts†-Use Their Informational Advantage897 Words   |  4 PagesFreakonomics By Steven D. Levitt Stephen J. Dubner  is based  on these fundamental ideas: Incentives, conventional wisdom, â€Å"Experts†-use their informational advantage Incentives are the cornerstone of modern life. And understanding them or, often, ferreting them out—is the key to solving just about any riddle, from violent crime to sports cheating to online dating.There are three basic incentives economic, moral and social. How do we profit and what incentives drive us to act unethical? TheRead MoreChapter 3 : Conventional Wisdom1091 Words   |  5 PagesChapter 3: Conventional Wisdom Freakonomics was one of the best novels that I have ever read! I am truly amazed at how Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner compared their study and research to the economy that we live in today. Out of all of the chapters in Freakonomics, Chapter 3: Conventional Wisdom, is the one that stood out the most. This particular topic relates to the world in many different ways. Conventional wisdom is often wrong. Conventional wisdom can be described as the ideas or beliefsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Freakonomics 1027 Words   |  5 PagesLanguage and Composition 3 August 2016 Freakonomics 1. Give the title, author, genre, and date of original publication. Freakonomics is the title of this nonfiction book; it was written by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. On April 12, 2005, by HarperCollins. 2. What is author’s purpose for writing the book? Write a paragraph summarizing the main argument or purpose. In this unique book, economist Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning author and journalist teamRead MoreFreakonomics Essay737 Words   |  3 PagesThe Hidden Side of Everything Steven D. Levitt is an award winning economist. Stephen J. Dubner is an award winning writer. The two met in Chicago, and the result was Freakonomics, a book that claims to explore the hidden side of everything, using real-life examples such as studies and polls conducted by Levitt to explain how economics is everywhere, that economics is how the world really functions. Through everything from analyzing the inner thought processes of real-estate agents and crack dealersRead MoreA Rogue Economist Explores The Hidden Side Of Everything By Steven Levitt Essay1537 Words   |  7 PagesAfter reading Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, it opened my eyes to the most interesting approach to the world. The book name in itself is an odd and unique title. It defines Steven Levitt’s irregular approach to the world of economics and makes you â€Å"forget your image of an economist as a crusty professor worried about fluctuating interest rates†, says Publishers Weekly. Steven Levitt focuses his attention on relevantRead MoreFreakonomics and Misconceptions of Economy Essay1244 Words   |  5 Pagesamazement: Freakonomics is said to unravel the untold stories of life. Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner break common misconceptions of economics by revealing its true science. Freakonomics shatters the view of economics being an arid study of finance and markets. They pull in information to make inferences on past occurrences subtly influence on the present. Freakonomics packs punches with its countless number of tables and figures, serving as concrete data to make their assumptions. Levitt DubnerRead MoreA Critique on Freakonomics, A Nobel by Levitt and Dubner765 Words   |  3 PagesIn Levitt and Dubner’s novel, Freakonomics, they deal with the sensitive subject of abortions in chapter four. During this section, Levitt and Dubner are purposing that the drop of crime is no t because of the many popular ideas they address but instead because of abortions becoming legalized. Providing proof to their argument, they list out all the popular ideas that many people believe to be the cause of the drop in crime and then one by one explain why these ideas could not fit into the massiveRead MoreFreakonomics Chapter11068 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Incentives are the cornerstone of modern life†(Levitt and Dubner 12). Levitt and Dubner once mentioned in their book â€Å"Freakonomics†. According to Oxford dictionary, incentives are something tends to incite to action or greater effort, as a reward offered for increased productivity (â€Å"incentives†). In business field, incentives are something given by bosses to encourage their employees to endeavour in bringing benefits to their business. For a simple example, the employee who hits the monthly or year