Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything - by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner

*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 conventional wisdom on its head. Freakonomics is a ground-breaking collaboration between Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning author and journalist. They usually begin with a mountain of data and a simple, unasked question. Some of these questions concern life-and-death issues; others have an admittedly freakish quality. Thus the new field of study contained in this book: Freakonomics. Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, Levitt and Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives—how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing. In Freakonomics, they explore the hidden side of ... well, 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. What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world, despite a great deal of complexity and downright deceit, is not impenetrable, is not unknowable, and—if the right questions are asked—is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking at things. Freakonomics establishes this unconventional premise: If morality represents how we would like the world to work, then economics represents how it actually does work. It is true that readers of this book will be armed with enough riddles and stories to last a thousand cocktail parties. ButFreakonomics can provide more than that. It will literally redefine the way we view the modern world. First published in the U.S. in 2005, Freakonomics went on to sell more than 4 million copies around the world, in 35 languages. It also inspired a follow-up book, SuperFreakonomics; a high-profile documentary film; a radio program, and an award-winning blog, which has been called “the most readable economics blog in the universe.” ([source][1]) [1]: http://freakonomics.com/books/ 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? What kind of impact did Roe v. Wade have on violent crime? Freakonomics will literally redefine the way we view the modern world. 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 stuff and riddles of everyday life -- from cheating and crime to sports and child rearing -- and whose conclusions regularly turn the conventional wisdom on its head. He usually begins with a mountain of data and a simple, unasked question. Some of these questions concern life-and-death issues; others have an admittedly freakish quality. Thus the new field of study contained in this book: freakonomics. Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, Levitt and co-author Stephen J. Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives -- how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing. In Freakonomics, they set out to explore the hidden side of ... well, 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. What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world, despite a surfeit of obfuscation, complication, and downright deceit, is not impenetrable, is not unknowable, and -- if the right questions are asked -- is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking. Steven Levitt, through devilishly clever and clear-eyed thinking, shows how to see through all the clutter. Freakonomics establishes this unconventional premise: If morality represents how we would like the world to work, then economics represents how it actually does work. It is true that readers of this book will be armed with enough riddles and stories to last a thousand cocktail parties. But Freakonomics can provide more than that. It will literally redefine the way we view the modern world. --front flap 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? What Kind Of Impact Did Roe V. Wade Have On Violent Crime? These May Not Sound Like Typical Questions For An Economist To Ask--but Levitt Is Not A Typical Economist. He Studies The Stuff And Riddles Of Everyday Life--from Cheating And Crime To Sports And Child Rearing--and His Conclusions Regularly Turn The Conventional Wisdom On Its Head. The Authors Show That Economics Is, At Root, The Study Of Incentives--how People Get What They Want, Or Need, Especially When Other People Want Or Need The Same Thing. In This Book, They Set Out To Explore The Hidden Side Of Everything. If Morality Represents How We Would Like The World To Work, Then Economics Represents How It Actually Does Work.--from Publisher Description. An Explanatory Note -- Introduction: The Hidden Side Of Everything -- What Do Schoolteachers And Sumo Wrestlers Have In Common? -- How Is The Ku Klux Klan Like A Group Of Real-estate Agents? -- Why Do Drug Dealers Still Live With Their Moms? -- Where Have All The Criminals Gone? -- What Makes A Perfect Parent? -- Perfect Parenting, Part Ii; Or : Would A Roshanda By Any Other Name Smell As Sweet? -- Epilogue : Two Paths To Harvard. Steven D. Levitt And Stephen J. Dubner. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [209]-230) And Index. "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 his conclusions regularly turn the conventional wisdom on its head ... Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, Levitt and Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives--how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing. In Freakonomics, they explore the hidden side of, well--everything ... If morality represents how we would like the world to work, then economics represents how it actually does work."-- Book jacket, front flap Neste Livro, O Economista Steven Levitt E O Jornalista Stephen J. Dubner Estudam A Rotina E Os Enigmas Da Vida Real - Da Trapaça à Criminalidade, Dos Esportes à Criação Dos Filhos - Com Conclusões Que Viram De Cabeça Para Baixo O Senso Comum, Geralmente Usando Dados Aparentemente Inofensivos E Fazendo Perguntas Simples Nunca Feitas. Daí Surge O Novo Campo De Estudo Apresentado Neste Livro - Freakonomics. O Que Liga Essas Histórias é A Crença De Que O Mundo Moderno, Aparentemente Confuso, Complicado E Enganoso, Não é Impenetrável Nem Indecifrável. Na Verdade, Quando Fazemos As Perguntas Certas, O Mundo é Ainda Mais Interessante Do Que Supomos. É Preciso Apenas Uma Visão Nova. Asking provocative and profound questions about human motivation and contemporary living and reaching some astonishing conclusions, 'Freakonomics' will make you see the familiar world through a completely original lens Anyone living in the United States in the early 1990s and paying even a whisper of attention to the nightly news or a daily paper could be forgiven for having been scared out of his skin.