Think Like a Freak: Secrets of the Rogue Economist

Steven D. Levitt · Stephen J. Dubner

May 2014 · Penguin UK

About this ebook

From the rule-breaking authors of international bestsellers Freakonomics and Superfreakonomics, this is the ultimate guide to how to Think Like a Freak

The Freakonomics books have come to stand for something: challenging conventional wisdom; using data rather than emotion to answer questions; and learning to unravel the world's secret codes. Now Levitt and Dubner have gathered up what they have learned and turned it into a readable and practical toolkit for thinking differently - thinking, that is, like a Freak. Whether you are interested in the best way to improve your odds in penalty kicks, or in major global reforms, here is a blueprint for an entirely new way to solve problems.

Along the way, you'll learn how the techniques of a Japanese hot-dog-eating champion can help you, the reason an Australian doctor swallowed a batch of dangerous bacteria, why Nigerian e-mail scammers make a point of saying they're from Nigeria, and why Van Halen's demanding tour contract banning brown M&Ms was really a safety measure. You'll learn why sometimes it's best to put away your moral compass, and smarter to think like a child. You will be given a master class in incentives-because for better or worse, incentives rule our world. And you will learn to quit before you fail, because you can't solve tomorrow's problem if you aren't willing to abandon today's dud.

Levitt and Dubner see the world like no one else. Now you can too. Never before have such iconoclastic thinkers been so revealing - and so much fun to read.

Ratings and reviews

Full of interesting stories, insights and rules for how to think like a freak. Some conclusions, however, are a bit dubious.

The book is a brilliant exercise on critical thinking. The points made by the authors are creatively emphasized by their parable-esque writing. A must-read for individuals who enjoy thinking differently.

Still fun but mostly based on the blog/podcasts

About the author

Steven D. Levitt (Author)
Steven D. Levitt, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, was awarded the John Bates Clark medal, given to the most influential American economist under the age of forty. He is also a founder of The Greatest Good, which applies Freakonomics-style thinking to business and philanthropy.

Stephen J. Dubner (Author)
Stephen J. Dubner is an award-winning author, journalist, and radio and TV personality. He quit his first career - as an almost-rock-star - to become a writer. He has worked for The New York Times and published three non-Freakonomics books. He lives with his family in New York City.