The New York Times bestselling Freakonomics changed the way we see the world, exposing the hidden side of just about everything. Then came SuperFreakonomics, a documentary film, an award-winning podcast, and more.Now, with Think Like a Freak, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner have written their most revolutionary book yet. With their trademark blend of captivating storytelling and … their trademark blend of captivating storytelling and unconventional analysis, they take us inside their thought process and teach us all to think a bit more productively, more creatively, more rationally—to think, that is, like a Freak.
Levitt and Dubner offer a blueprint for an entirely new way to solve problems, whether your interest lies in minor lifehacks or major global reforms. As always, no topic is off-limits. They range from business to philanthropy to sports to politics, all with the goal of retraining your brain. Along the way, you’ll learn the secrets of a Japanese hot-dog-eating champion, the reason an Australian doctor swallowed a batch of dangerous bacteria, and why Nigerian e-mail scammers make a point of saying they’re from Nigeria.
Some of the steps toward thinking like a Freak:
- First, put away your moral compass—because it’s hard to see a problem clearly if you’ve already decided what to do about it.
- Learn to say “I don’t know”—for until you can admit what you don’t yet know, it’s virtually impossible to learn what you need to.
- Think like a child—because you’ll come up with better ideas and ask better questions.
- Take a master class in incentives—because for better or worse, incentives rule our world.
- Learn to persuade people who don’t want to be persuaded—because being right is rarely enough to carry the day.
- Learn to appreciate the upside of quitting—because you can’t solve tomorrow’s problem if you aren’t willing to abandon today’s dud.
Levitt and Dubner plainly 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.
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I think everyone should read this book. It won’t solve your life problems or turn you into a genius but will teach you how to constructively look at how you think and operate.
It’s a fun read with plenty of humour while conveying important advice on the thought and decision-making processes, and even quitting lifestyle choices. The text is …
Having previously read Freakonomics and Superfreakonomics (and enjoyed both) I jumped at the change to buy Think Like a Freak when it was a BookBub daily special.
I like this book. I like Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner’s style, and I find their ripped-from-the-headlines approach to thinking about economics-related matters engaging and fun. …
Not as good as his first book, “Freakonomics,” but filled with plenty of interesting even humorous insights into the mind of a iconoclastic economists.
I lead a team of analysts & I buy them all this book. It is entertaining and applies outside the box thinking for problem solving
A self help book for people who hate self help books: its approach is logical and scientific. There’s no schmaltzy “rah rah rah, be more positive” message. Rather, thinking like a freak is outlined as thinking differently. Great, entertaining read as usual from these gentlemen.
excellent logic. debunk popular attitudes.
Great
Levitt and Dubner do a wonderful job of drilling deeply into social dynamics and finding surprising truths.
All of the Freakonomics books are fascinating – they provide a new way to think about the world, or a new paradigm if you like – and although I took some of the claims with a pinch of salt, I found them entertaining for that reason. I wish there was another one!
Gives a fresh new perspective on how we think all predictions are made.