Superfreakonomics

Steven Levitt, the original rogue economist, and Stephen Dubner have spent four years uncovering the hidden side of even more controversial subjects, from terrorism to shark attacks, cable TV to hurricanes. The result is Superfreakonomics. It reveals, among other things: - Why you are more likely to be killed walking drunk than driving drunk - How a prostitute is more likely to sleep with a policeman than be arrested by one - Why terrorists might be easier to track down than you would imagine - How a sex change could boost your salary Because sometimes the most superfreaky solution is the simplest.

Here at last is the long awaited sequel to the international bestselling phenomenon, Freakonomics. Steven Levitt, the original rogue economist, and Stephen Dubner have been working hard, uncovering the hidden side of even more controversial subjects, from charity to terrorism and prostitution. And with their inimitable style and wit, they will take us on another even more gripping journey of discovery. Superfreakonomics will once again transform the way we look at the world.

Freakonomics was a worldwide sensation, selling more than four million copies. Now Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner return with SuperFreakonomics, and fans and newcomers alike will find that this freakquel is even bolder, funnier, and more surprising than the first. SuperFreakonomics challenges the way we think all over again, with such questions as: How is a street prostitute like a department-store Santa? What's the best way to catch a terrorist? What do hurricanes, heart attacks, and highway deaths have in common? Are people hardwired for altruism or selfishness? Can eating kangaroo save the planet? Levitt and Dubner mix smart thinking and great storytelling like no one else, whether investigating a solution to global warming or explaining why the price of oral sex has fallen so drastically.

Avec Freakonomics, leur premier livre, Steven Levitt et Stephen Dubner ont transformé notre regard sur le monde moderne en appliquant les méthodes de l'économie aux petites bizarreries de la vie quotidienne. Quatre ans après ce succès mondial, SuperFreakonomics aborde une nouvelle série de questions aussi insolites les unes que les autres. Pour Steven Levitt et Stephen Dubner, la méthode économique n'est ni une simple discipline universitaire ni une stricte explication mathématique de l'" économie " mais un instrument dont il faut se servir pour décrire comment nous prenons des décisions. Voilà ce qu'est la freakonomics, le mariage de la méthode économique et d'une curiosité iconoclaste. Une analyse serrée des chiffres ainsi qu'une certaine ouverture d'esprit leur permettent de montrer que bien des idées ne sont que des idées reçues... Dans SuperFreakonomics, la finesse d'analyse de Steven Levitt se mêle au talent de Stephen Dubner pour expliquer, entre autres, la chute spectaculaire des tarifs des prostituées dans les quartiers chauds de Chicago ou comment s'y prendre pour refroidir la planète. En démontrant que, finalement, les êtres humains ne font qu'obéir aux incitations, ils nous dévoilent le monde tel qu'il est réellement : beau, hostile, dégoûtant et, par-dessus tout, super freaky. [Source : d'après la 4e de couverture]

Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner single-handedly showed the world that applying counter-intuitive approaches to everyday problems can bear surprising results. Think Like a Freak will take readers further inside this special thought process, revealing a new way of approaching the decisions we make, the plans we create and the morals we choose. It answers the question on the lips of everyone who’s read the previous books: How can I apply these ideas to my life? How do I make smarter, harder and better decisions? How can I truly think like a freak? With short, highly entertaining insights running the gamut from “The Upside of Quitting” to “How to Succeed with No Talent,” Think Like a Freak is poised to radically alter the way we think about all aspects of life on this planet.

The application of economics to major contemporary real world problems -- housing, medical care, discrimination, the economic development of nations -- is the theme of this new book that tackles these and other issues head on in plain language, as distinguished from the usual jargon of economists. It examines economic policies not simply in terms of their immediate effects but also in terms of their later repercussions, which are often very different and longer lasting. The interplay of politics with economics is another theme of Applied Economics, whose examples are drawn from experiences around the world, showing how similar incentives and constraints tend to produce similar outcomes among very disparate peoples and cultures.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the landmark book Freakonomics comes this curated collection from the most readable economics blog in the universe. It’s the perfect solution for the millions of readers who love all things Freakonomics. Surprising and erudite, eloquent and witty, When to Rob a Bank demonstrates the brilliance that has made the Freakonomics guys an international sensation, with more than 7 million books sold in 40 languages, and 150 million downloads of their Freakonomics Radio podcast. When Freakonomics was first published, the authors started a blog—and they’ve kept it up. The writing is more casual, more personal, even more outlandish than in their books. In When to Rob a Bank, they ask a host of typically off-center questions: Why don’t flight attendants get tipped? If you were a terrorist, how would you attack? And why does KFC always run out of fried chicken? Over the past decade, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner have published more than 8,000 blog posts on the Freakonomics website. Many of them, they freely admit, were rubbish. But now they’ve gone through and picked the best of the best. You’ll discover what people lie about, and why; the best way to cut gun deaths; why it might be time for a sex tax; and, yes, when to rob a bank. (Short answer: never; the ROI is terrible.) You’ll also learn a great deal about Levitt and Dubner’s own quirks and passions, from gambling and golf to backgammon and the abolition of the penny.

Seeks to provide an engaging and comprehensive primer to economics that explains key concepts without technical jargon and using common-sense examples.