When to Rob a Bank

This is a compilation of posts from the Freakonomics blog to make a book. As one of the authors notes, a shameless attempt to make money on what was already given away for free. A number of these posts were updated with relevant information since there original post when it makes sense.

What I liked:
- The way the authors look at life situations from a perspective of motive. It provides an interesting context to things that on the outset may not make sense, but when motivations I hadn't considered were presented made sense.
- I liked the humor and the way the authors don't take themselves too seriously.
- I appreciated the authors attempt to take a neutral approach to subjects rather than simply imposing their own conclusions as a matter of fact declared by an expert.

What I didn't like:
- This was a really long read for me. While I enjoyed the content, at some point I found that I was finishing the book on principle rather than fascination. This is the reason for three stars instead of four. At one point I cranked the playback speed up to get through it faster, something I don't like to do.

Overall a good book. Fans of Freakonomics franchise will undoubtedly like this. The audiobook has the same production value as the podcasts do. If I were reading a print version I would likely take several months to get through it but would probably enjoy it more in smaller doses. Like reading a blog.

If you liked Freakonomics you will like this. Although just a compilation of blog posts and some other rants, they are still very compelling stories and insightful analysis which makes it fun to read.

Key takeaways:

- I love reading books that challenge assumptions I hold. This book had page after page of research that made me think twice. Very fun and engaging.
- I particularly liked the section about mail that gets delivered without postage. The cost of perfectly ensuring every letter has a stamp is too high compared to the missed revenue on those few letters that make it through. In business, you need to make sure the effort is worth the end result and be okay with recognizing sometimes it's better to let things slide.
- I liked the chapter about tenure, veganism, and the review of the ‘Good to Great' companies.