Freakanomics

The book takes a look at past conventional wisdom and shows creative ways to look at data.  It was created out of a series of articles by Dubner, a NY Times writer, and Leavitt, an award winning economist. 

Every chapter asks questions and considers current data in a unique way—such as:

• Why has crime dropped?
• What makes a child more successful?
• Do real estate estate agents really have your best interest at heart?
• What makes a good parent?
• What led to the sudden crime drop in the 1990's?

This book highlights the fun and practical side of economics and challenges us to rethink some basic assumptions.

The book encourages people to actively and creatively look for data that will help you solve problems that arise in business.

In a Training magazine interview Dubner was asked how this way of challenging assumptions can help the business environment.

He said, “It can help by challenging the way one thinks about problems.    The conventional wisdom in a particular business may be wrong.  Often things in business are done because they’ve always been done that way.  Someone has to stand up and ask, ‘Why are we doing it this way?’  The next step—and this is the hardest step---is gathering the data that will provide the answers…then you have to be willing to ask questions of the data that may seem difficult, or even irreverent, to ask.  You have to be prepared for the fact that you may not always like the answers you get.”

When asked about other important business insights, Dubner talked about Google:

“Google does something I find really interesting.  Google creates an environment where really smart and talented people have time to think.  Giving employees time to think is how great companies come up with inventive ideas.  I don’t think that’s happening a lot in business today.”

If you like books that make you pause to consider an entirely new way of thinking, Freakanomics is for you.

Priceless Professional Development
 Priceless Points
June, 2006

Be the First to Comment