SuperFreakonomics

Another fun “economics outside the lines” book full of connections that are intriguing and sometimes unexpected. I enjoyed the narrative, transitions between stories, and the tone (inquisitive and open). Don't expect any deep explanation of economics-this is a popular science book at best.

I'd recommend it to adults (some topics are not appropriate for even precocious children).

Fascinating social economics stories.

Enjoyable read. Reminds me of Malcolm Gladwell's style of using several data points to weave interesting stories into a surprising result.

Just as entertaining and informative as the first one. Hope the authors are planning more.

Not as amazing as the first one, but tackling more interesting problems. If you listen to the Freakanomics podcast, most of this will be familiar.

Not as amazing as the first one, but tackling more interesting problems. If you listen to the Freakanomics podcast, most of this will be familiar.

Short review: This is more of the same micro-economic research similar to the previous Freakenomics book. They write well and it is still interesting, but the method is a little stale. The last last sections was about how simple, cheap solutions are often better but less often chosen. I think in the future they need a theme and then work around that (similar to how they did the end of this book.)

Full review on my blog at http://bookwi.se/superfreakonomics/

Fascinating book, a great listen for a car ride. The section about the environment got a little long winded, but otherwise really interesting!

Another book title that is so long that I must remark: Need I say more? Not sure of the validity of all this info, but it is definitely a fun read.

The last chapter on global warming is a must read. It's a far cry from the quasi-religious rhetoric of most of environmentalists. Instead, it's a practical look at a potential problem with suggested solutions that don't entail crippling the entire world economy. It exposes Al Gore, who is mentioned several times by name, and his ilk as the dishonest luddites they are. No matter what your current stance on global warming is, the chapter is worth a read.

I found the rest of book less than super. A couple chapters, the one on carseats and the one on altruism, would have made great blog entries. There are several regurgitated studies that appear frequently in other behavioral economics books, an inordinate amount of time spent on prostitution and examples that didn't come as much of a surprise to someone who believes in the free market. This book definitely wasn't the bang that Freakonomics was, instead it's more like a toned down, extended version of the first book.