When to Rob a Bank: ...and 131 More Warped Suggestions and Well-Intended Rants

by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J Dubner

Overview

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 Freakonomics.com. 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. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062392725
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/26/2015
Edition description:	Large Print
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Steven D. Levitt, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, was awarded the John Bates Clark Medal, given to the most influential American economist under forty. He is also a founder of The Greatest Good, which applies Freakonomics-style thinking to business and philanthropy.

Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning journalist and radio and TV personality, has worked for the New York Times and published three non-Freakonomics books. He is the host of Freakonomics Radio and Tell Me Something I Don't Know.

Stephen J. Dubner is an award-winning author, journalist, and radio and TV personality. He quit his first career—as an almost rock star—to become a writer. He has since taught English at Columbia, worked for The New York Times, and published three non-Freakonomics books.

Table of Contents

What Do Blogs and Bottled Water Have in Common? 1

1 We Were Only Trying to Help 6

2 Limberhand the Masturbator and the Perils of Wayne 42

3 Hurray for High Gas Prices! 54

4 Contested 100

5 How to Be Scared of the Wrong Thing 110

6 If You're Not Cheating, You're Not Trying 148

7 But Is It Good for the Planet? 182

8 Hit on 21 206

9 When to Rob a Bank 248

10 More Sex Please, We're Economists 285

11 Kaleidoscopia 302

12 When You're a Jet… 337

The Highest Praise Anyone Could Ever Give 391

Acknowledgments 393

Notes 396

Editorial Reviews

Lively, self-deprecating writing ensures an entertaining read for fans and new readers alike.” — Publishers Weekly

“[A] kooky and counterintuitive collection of economic analysis. ... Plenty to revel in.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Levitt and Dubner... return with more of their signature humor and economic perspective on everyday life. ... Will be a hit with fans of Freakonomics.” — Library Journal

Praise for the Freakonomics Books: “Genius... has you gasping in amazement.” — Wall Street Journal

“We are all Freakonomists now.” — Washington Post

“An afternoon with Levitt and Dubner’s book will transform you into the most interesting person in the room that evening.” — National Public Radio

“A splendid book, full of unlikely but arresting historical details that distinguish the authors from the run of pop social scientists.” — New York Times

“An addictive, irresistible crash course in the populist application of economics.” — The A.V. Club

“Good ideas ... expressed with panache.” — Financial Times

From the Publisher

Praise for the Freakonomics Books: “Genius... has you gasping in amazement.

Wall Street Journal

A splendid book, full of unlikely but arresting historical details that distinguish the authors from the run of pop social scientists.

New York Times

An addictive, irresistible crash course in the populist application of economics.

The A.V. Club

Good ideas ... expressed with panache.

Financial Times

An afternoon with Levitt and Dubner’s book will transform you into the most interesting person in the room that evening.

National Public Radio

We are all Freakonomists now.

Washington Post

We are all Freakonomists now.

Washington Post

Praise for the Freakonomics Books: “Genius... has you gasping in amazement.

Wall Street Journal

Good ideas ... expressed with panache.

Financial Times

An afternoon with Levitt and Dubner’s book will transform you into the most interesting person in the room that evening.

National Public Radio

12/01/2014
Levitt, William B. Ogden Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago, and award-winning journalist Dubner hit pay dirt with Freakonomics, SuperFreakonomics, and Think Like a Freak—all international best sellers. Here's a carefully culled collection from their popular blog.

Library Journal