Is this book's appeal due to its wacky revisionist title, its unsettling take on Roe v. Wade, or just its compulsively readable argument that economics does nothing more than study the incentives that drive us? Probably all of the above. What we do know is that it's the only economics book we've ever labeled a page-turner. An extraordinary work of social science explanation without oversimplification.

Economists can seem a little arrogant at times. They have a set of techniques and habits of thought that they regard as more ''rigorous'' than those of other social scientists. When they are successful -- one thinks of Amartya Sen's important work on the causes of famines, or Gary Becker's theory of marriage and rational behavior -- the result gets called economics. It might appear presumptuous of Steven Levitt to see himself as an all-purpose intellectual detective, fit to take on whatever puzzle of human behavior grabs his fancy. But on the evidence of Freakonomics, the presumption is earned.
— The New York York Times

Why do drug dealers live at home? Levitt (Economics/Univ. of Chicago) and Dubner (Confessions of a Hero Worshiper, 2003, etc.), who profiled Levitt for the New York Times, team up to demolish conventional wisdom. To call Levitt a "rogue economist" may be a tad hyperbolic. Certainly this epitome of antistyle ("his appearance is High Nerd: a plaid button-down shirt, nondescript khakis and a braided belt, brown sensible shoes") views the workaday world with different eyes; the young economist teases out meaning from juxtapositions that simply would not occur to other researchers. Consider this, for instance: in the mid-1990s, just when the Clinton administration projected it was about to skyrocket, crime in the U.S. fell markedly. And why? Because, Levitt hazarded a few years ago, of the emergent effects of the Roe v. Wade decision: legalized abortion prevented the births of millions of poor people who, beset by social adversity, were "much more likely than average to become criminals." The suggestion, Dubner writes, "managed to offend just about everyone," conservative and liberal alike, but it had high explanatory value. Levitt hasn't shied away from controversy in other realms, either, preferring to let the numbers speak for themselves: a young man named Jake will earn more job interviews than one with the same credentials named DeShawn; the TV game show The Weakest Link, like society as a whole, discriminates against the elderly and Hispanics; it is human nature to cheat, and the higher up in the organization a person rises, the more likely it is that he or she will cheat. Oh, yes, and street-level drug dealers live at home with their moms because they have to; most earn well belowminimum wage but accept the bad pay and dangerous conditions to get a shot at the big time, playing in what in effect is a tournament. "A crack gang works pretty much like the standard capitalist enterprise," Levitt and Dubner write, "you have to be near the top of the pyramid to make a big wage." An eye-opening, and most interesting, approach to the world.

The funkiest study of statistical mechanics ever by a world-renowned economist... Eye-opening and sometimes eye-popping” - Entertainment Weekly
“If Indiana Jones were an economist, he’d be Steven Levitt… Mr. Levitt is famous not as a master of dry technical arcana but as a maverick treasure hunter who relies for success on his wit, pluck and disregard for conventional wisdom. Mr. Levitt’s typical quarry is hidden not in some exotic locale but in a pile of data. His genius is to take a seemingly meaningless set of numbers, ferret out the telltale pattern and recognize what it means… Freakonomics reads like a detective novel… Economists, ever wary of devaluing their currency, tend to be stinting in their praise. I therefore tried hard to find something in this book that I could complain about. But I give up. Criticizing Freakonomics would be like criticizing a hot fudge sundae…. The cherry on top of the sundae is Mr. Levitt’s co-author, Stephen Dubner, a journalist who clearly understands what he is writing about and explains it in prose that has you chuckling one minute and gasping in amazement the next. Mr. Dubner is a treasure of the rarest sort; we are fortunate that Mr. Levitt managed to find him. I think I detect a pattern.” - Wall Street Journal
“A delight . . . fascinating. . . . It shows, in fact, what plain old-fashioned economics can do in the hands of a boundlessly curious and superbly skilled practitioner.” - The Economist
“Freakonomics was the ‘It’ book of 2005.” - Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“If Indiana Jones were an economist, he’d be Steven Levitt. . . . Mr. Levitt is famous not as a master of dry technical arcana but as a maverick treasure hunter who relies for success on his wit, pluck and disregard for conventional wisdom. His genius is to take a seemingly meaningless set of numbers, ferret out the telltale pattern and recognize what it means . . . Freakonomics reads like a detective novel. . . . Criticizing Freakonomics would be like criticizing a hot fudge sundae.” - Wall Street Journal
“An easy, funny read. Many unsolvable problems the Americans have could be solved with simple means.” - Business World
“Levitt employs statistical tools that are simple yet elegant. He cuts to the heart of a question and picks topics that are fascinating. All social scientists should ask themselves if the problems they are working on are as interesting or important as those in this superb work.” - Los Angeles Times Book Review
“Economics is not widely considered to be one of the sexier sciences.... Steven D. Levitt will change some minds.” - Amazon.com
“Principles of economics are used to examine daily life in this fun read.” - People: Great Reads
“Instructive and entertaining… the trivia alone is worth the cover price…. It might appear presumptuous of Steven Levitt to see himself as an all-purpose intellectual detective, fit to take on whatever puzzle of human behavior grabs his fancy. But on the evidence of Freakonomics, the presumption is earned.” - New York Times Book Review
“The trivia alone is worth the cover price.” - New York Times Book Review
“An econ tome for both freaks and geeks. . . . Armed with the attitude of a puzzle solver and the tools of statistical economics, Levitt finds different ways to get answers. . . . In his hands, economics, far from being a dismal science, is a tool for the curious.” - Fortune
“One of the decade’s most intelligent and provocative books.” - The Daily Standard
“Freakonomics challenges conventional wisdom and makes for fun reading.” - Book Sense Picks and Notables
“The guy is interesting!” - Washington Post Book World

Levitt is a number cruncher extraordinaire.

The guy is interesting!

Provocative… eye-popping.

If Indiana Jones were an economist, he’d be Steven Levitt… Criticizing Freakonomics would be like criticizing a hot fudge sundae.

Principles of economics are used to examine daily life in this fun read.

Levitt dissects complex real-world phenomena, e.g. baby-naming patterns and Sumo wrestling, with an economist’s laser.

Steven Levitt has the most interesting mind in America... Prepare to be dazzled.

The funkiest study of statistical mechanics ever by a world-renowned economist... Eye-opening and sometimes eye-popping

Levitt is one of the most notorious economists of our age.

Freakonomics is politically incorrect in the best, most essential way.... This is bracing fun of the highest order.

A showcase for Levitt’s intriguing explorations into a number of disparate topics…. There’s plenty of fun to be had.

Freakonomics challenges conventional wisdom and makes for fun reading.

The trivia alone is worth the cover price.

An easy, funny read. Many unsolvable problems the Americans have could be solved with simple means.

An unconventional economist defies conventional wisdom.

One of the decade’s most intelligent and provocative books.

Freakonomics was the ‘It’ book of 2005.

Levitt is one of the most notorious economists of our age.

If Indiana Jones were an economist, he’d be Steven Levitt… Criticizing Freakonomics would be like criticizing a hot fudge sundae.

An unconventional economist defies conventional wisdom.

"Principles of economics are used to examine daily life in this fun read."