nomadreader

The backstory: Think Like a Freak is the latest book collaboration of Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. I've previously adored Freakonomics  (read before this blog) and Superfreakonomics  ( my review .) The basics: Think Like a Freak  is a glimpse into a different way of thinking. What it lacks in extensive statistical evaluation, it makes up for in terms of anecdotes and process. My thoughts: In many ways, Think Like a Freak  is somewhat of a departure from the first two Levitt and Dubner books. It's written in a very similar style, and as I read I felt as though I was privy to a casual conversation between the two. The book itself is broken up into chapters, each with a different lesson of how to think like a freak. While this book lacked many of the wow moments I so loved about the first Freakonomics , it's lessons are wise and interesting. I read this book quickly (in only a few hours), and I was fascinated as I compulsively read. Even a few days la...

Superfreakonomics  is the follow-up to the wildly successful Freakonomics , which I thoroughly enjoyed. This edition is more of the same. If you liked the first one, you'll like this one. If you didn't, then you probably won't. If you haven't read either, read the first one. This one is interesting, mostly, but the last chapter was a bit of a drag for me. There are some fascinating theories, statistics and illustrations. For the fans of their New York Times blog, however, there's not much that's new. The first book was a novelty, and a fascinating interdisciplinary one. This book is clearly a concerted effort, and it's enjoyable, but I recall random trivia and interesting points rather than the overarching themes. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely. Will I still talk about it at dinner parties in five years as I still talk about some of the theories in the first one? Well, I will reference one specific chapter. In short, I loved it, although not quite as much as ...