Freakonomics
With a burst of random energy and willingness to do something somewhat irrational - I quickly purchased the book Freakonomics from Audible.com today. While waiting for the 94MB file to download I decided to find out what I just purchased. I’ll let the following description explain as it says it best.
About “Freakonomics” - 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 Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much-heralded young scholar who studies the 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.
This was very encouraging to read and made me smile. I’d made a good purchase.
Along with the above information, I also began reading the Freakonomics blog. These guys are hilariously honest and cocky - I love it. In just the first few posts that I read I learned so much. Interestingly enough, what I learned has nothing to do with the subject matter but on being authentic to your users (sometimes called customers).
So, according to my download manager, I should begin enjoying the new book in a little over an hour. I’ll try to let you all know how it turns out.
Paul Says:
I’ve been interested in that books since the Wall Street Journal review two weeks ago. I just haven’t had time to buy or read it until now (now that I’m done with school). On another note - do you like reading whole books on your computer? I’ve found that I can’t read off my screen for too long, it strains the eyes.