Fine Arts
Freakonomics” offers a fresh perspective
By Eileen Daly
Jan 18, 2008, 09:17

It may be the title of “Freakonomics” or the fact that the front cover displays an orange slice with the skin of an apple that sets “Freakonomics” in its own category.

“Freakonomics” is a collection of essays spanning from the similarities between schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers to the tale of two brothers named Loser and Winner. Why such curious topics? It’s a book with the subtitle “A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden side of everything.” This rogue economist (actually two) are New York Times writer Stephen Dubner and University of Chicago professor Steven Levitt.

While sparing us from the tech-speak of micro- and macroeconomics, “Freakonics” provides a fresh perspective on well-debated issues and unforeseen similarities. One chapter covering an economist’s take on criminology and gun control, raises the fact that the odds of a child’s “death by pool” is 1 in 11,000 whereas a “death by gun” has a 1 in 1 million-plus chance.

This book is not meant to scare parents. On the contrary, one of its subtopics is “Why parenting experts like to scare parents to death.” Want to know how? Get the New York Times Bestseller which front cover boasts “…readers of this book will be armed with enough riddles and stories to last a thousand cocktail parties.”


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