Freakonomics. What kind of name is that for a book about entrepreneurship? It seems like a joke. I chose this book for the same reason I chose the other two I wrote essays about: I received it as a gift. Unfortunately this was the last book I received as a gift and it was also on the book list. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay This book was a pleasant surprise, I was expecting a childish and simple book, similar to Tribes. My expectations were blown out of the water and I'm happy about it. The book begins with a small introduction to the world of economics and why and how economics can explain everything that happens in the world. This is the general premise of the book and the rest is dedicated to showing numbers to demonstrate how much the economy determines our lives. First, we have the example of school teachers and sumo wrestlers, where the idea of ​​cheating is explored. Next, we learn how important information is with the example of the Ku Klux Klan (I love how the authors chose funny examples, it helps keep you hooked) and then we talk a little about perspective and how "common sense" is simply a fabrication based on convenience. Chapter 4 is really powerful because it describes a really powerful idea: the cause of an effect can be completely different from what we think it is, more on that later. The last two chapters are dedicated to social determinism and the success your name gives you (which was an amazing premise). Finally, we are brought back to earth with some examples of data versus randomness and how it is out of our control. It may not be fair, but I will compare this book to Tribes, by Seth Godin. It's way ahead in terms of content and ideas, although a little lacking in the readability section. What “Freakonomics” does very well is present the data: from the graphs they present every year from 2006 to 2011 to the links to real studies where they mention the sample size. The best part is that they interpret these results in unexpected ways, just as they did with the baby naming example. There are pacing issues however, where it feels like the chapters are disjointed from each other, giving "Tribes" the edge in the area of ​​structure. The language used in Steven's book is easy enough to understand and follow, but it's nothing compared to how simple Seth Godin's is, which makes it a little more difficult for new readers to learn. Overall, “Freakonomics” is a superior book and should be treated as such. As you read it, you should take notes, understanding the underlying circumstances, such as the time period and population in those years. An example that seemed really strong to me was the case of Ceausescu and his rules on abortion. In 1966, just a year after taking power, Nicolae Ceausescu declared abortion illegal, stating that “anyone who avoids having children is a deserter who abandons the laws of the national community” (which is obviously bullshit). He wanted to create the perfect race, the New Socialist Man, and increase productivity in the agricultural sector with this policy. Women were often subjected to pregnancy tests at work and if they repeatedly failed to conceive they were forced to pay a “stag tax”. This is madness! What the hell was wrong with us? His idea was ultimately his undoing, the generation he created was the one that brought him down. The demonstrators across the country were between 13 and 20 years old, practically the generation he created, the one who grew up in very.