Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Registered by SKingList of New York City, New York USA on 3/30/2006
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11 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by SKingList from New York City, New York USA on Thursday, March 30, 2006
Bought...I don't know, couple weeks ago. Passed it along to Ute to read first and she gave it back to me today.

Actually had a copy a few months ago but only got to skim it because it was too big so will be nice to get to read this time ;)

Journal Entry 2 by SKingList from New York City, New York USA on Monday, May 1, 2006
Yay. What a wonderful read this was. Nice to hear from an economist who realises it's not all about the numbers. Econometrics and the idea of spending my life in numbers is what turned me away from pursuing more economics study after graduation but I've always loved the theory so this was a great read.

Some thoughts:

-Loved the mention of the Listerine not so much revolutionizing mouthwash but bad breath. Is something that's made me laugh from the getgo. So many things are 'issues' only because society has made it so.

-Enjoyed the chapter on the street gang, put it in terms we can all understand.

-The section on causes and non-causes of crime were interesting. It's yet another side to the abortion and gun control issues. Really enjoyed the level-headed tone he presented.

-Chapter on the names was very interesting. I've seen adults going round with some of these odd names and you can't help but wonder why some choose to keep them while others realise the detriment.

Overall a good quick read. As this is a small copy with itty bitty print, I'm going to circulate it as a ring seeing as it's on 45 wishlists.

Journal Entry 3 by SKingList from New York City, New York USA on Monday, May 1, 2006
International Ring. Always open pending shipping prefs. PM me or leave a comment with location and shipping prefs if you want to join.


Sabavana + 1 - NSW (Prefers Aust Only)
catsalive - NSW (Prefers Aust Only)
kangu - NSW (Int'l OK)
Miss-Owl - NSW (Prefers Aust Only)
bookfairy65 - NSW (Aust Only)
cathyinoz - VIC - (Aust Only)

piemunga - Sydney (Aust Only)
angelbird72 - NSW (Int'l OK)
froggirlwendy - Brisbane, Australia (Int'l OK)
xoddam - Australia (Int'l OK)

molekilby - UK (Int'l OK)
pustefix - UK (Europe postage OK)
cats-eye - UK (ship anywhere)
ariuca - Spain (prefers EU)
-BookHaven- - Portugal (Int'l OK)

randomelement - US (Int'l OK)
Quez45 - US (Prefers US, Int'l OK)
tobysrus - US (US Only)
Luintaurien - US (Int'l OK)
monkeyflower - US (Int'l OK)
KarinAlyssa - Canada (Prefers US, Int'l)
KarenZero - NY, US (Prefers US Only)
rebeccaljames - US (US Only)
cosmicflurk - US
Karenlea - US (Prefers US Only)
Anatra - US (US Only)
jag624 - US (US Only)
bluehawaii218 - Washington DC (US Only)

scorpiomama - US

Removed:
LyzzyBee - UK (Int'l OK)
Matth3w - UK (Int'l OK)

Journal Entry 4 by SKingList at bookring in bookring, Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, May 9, 2006

Released 17 yrs ago (5/8/2006 UTC) at bookring in bookring, Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Into the care of JapanPost.

Small packet rate, assuming 5-7 days to Sydney. Happy reading, Sabavana!

Journal Entry 5 by Sabavana from Abermain, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Yay I got it!! I've already read the first chapter (out of Ring order too, bad Sabavana!), and I love it. It really makes sense, even though it's talking about American economics not Australian. Can't be that different I guess.
I have another book ahead of this but will get to it ASAP, OH will probably read it while I'm on my other book. Thanks SKingList for sharing and for the little extra surprise :-)

Journal Entry 6 by Sabavana from Abermain, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, June 15, 2006
Wow I loved this book! I kinda feel like I know what's going on in the economy now, which is scary - usually I have no idea about this sort of stuff. The great thing about this book is that it's written in a way that makes it easy for people like me to understand seemingly complicated stuff like ecomonics. I have absolutely no background in the area but found myself talking about it the other day - pretty much directly quoting from this book! The only reason why it didn't score a 10 from me was that it wasn't long enough - I wanted to know more! OH will be having a quick read before I send it on to catsalive, thanks skinglist for sharing :-)

Journal Entry 7 by Sabavana from Abermain, New South Wales Australia on Friday, June 30, 2006
*Finally* sent this book on to catsalive today... so sorry for the delay!

Journal Entry 8 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, July 4, 2006
LOL! With all the bookrings I have do you really think I'd missed it? Thanks, Sabavana. If time co-operates I'll get to this soon-ish.

Journal Entry 9 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, July 23, 2006
Fascinating stuff and easy to understand. The Listerine section gave me a chuckle too - no halitosis until mouthwash was marketed. I found the section on "do parents matter?" the most interesting, I think.

Thanks, SKingList. I'll get this off to kangu once I receive an address. Posted 25/7/6.

Journal Entry 10 by kangu from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, July 30, 2006
CAUGHT IT!!!
I picked it up from my PO box this satdae and am alreadt half way thru it... its soo interesting pretty basic language thou.. feel like its a alain botton version but thru an economists eyes... will most definately finish it tonight and be ready to send it off at the end of the week with the rest of my pile!
thankyou!
ju/ AKA kangu

aug 4th
AWSOME book im not very maths inclined but huge sociology buff so a great read! PMd the next in line on ring to keep it travelling..

Journal Entry 11 by Miss-Owl on Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Now with me! Looks like a tantalising read - &, I'll admit, just a little bit daunting to someone who has never studied a 'money' subject...

Journal Entry 12 by Miss-Owl on Friday, September 15, 2006
A most enjoyable read - very accessible & not too brain-straining (although I must admit it wasn't a great bedtime read). My favourite bit was Venkatesh's section, I think - the discrepancy between the two halves of his life was fascinating!

Just a nitpick - I would have preferred this book without the NYT magazine snippets - Levitt's publicity precedes him anyway & I'd rather he just spoke for himself.

Overall, thank you for sharing & sending. Loved having my brain stretched in some different directions.

Sending on to bookfairy65 when I receive the address. Thanks SKingList for putting us Aussies at the start!

Journal Entry 13 by bookfairy65 from Yass, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Received in today's post. I can't wait to get into this one. Thanks to Skinglist for sending this book out on a ring; and to Miss-Owl for posting it to me and who is NOT a stalker (hee hee).

Journal Entry 14 by bookfairy65 from Yass, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, September 30, 2006
Loved it! What a fab book - I think I'll keep my eye out for a copy for myself. It's not at all like economics (not the type I studied anyway), but he does certainly address issues with an economist's perspective. The use of regressional analysis and correlation to determine the cause of the falling crime rate was interesting and demonstrated to me the purpose of studying statistics!!!! I actually did enjoy studying stats but know that alot of people don't; perhaps if the lecturer's used this example it would arouse alot more interest among students.

The chapter on names at the end of the book was interesting. I know this sounds a bit mean but there is a woman in my town who annoys me no end, and it gave me great pleasure to see both her daughters names in the top 5 most common "low-end" white girls names list. (page 201).

Will get this off to cathyinoz ASAP.

Journal Entry 15 by rem_BBS-540553 on Friday, October 6, 2006
arrived today in the post. This looks sooo interesting. I've just finished a big assignment in my Lib/Info Science course so this arrived as my 'reward'. I can start it tonight!

Journal Entry 16 by rem_BBS-540553 on Friday, October 27, 2006
I'm on the last few pages of this book and have found it absolutely fascinating. Like a big spider's web, connected from here...to here... I especially enjoyed the findings on parenting (I'm a teacher at a small alternative school)and will probably never use mouthwash again.

I'd read about the crime rate drop somewhere before. Obviously quoting from Levitt.

Thanks for sharing, I'd better get it in the post, it's got a long ways to go!

Journal Entry 17 by rem_BBS-540553 on Thursday, November 9, 2006
Posted to piemunga today -- sorry for the postal delay.

Journal Entry 18 by piemunga from Marrickville, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, November 14, 2006
hurrah! looking forward to this one. it arrived yesterday.

i have 2 or 3 to read in front of it, but i'll be quick as i can!

Journal Entry 19 by piemunga from Marrickville, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, December 5, 2006
i've just started reading this, but i've decided it's not really what i'm in the mood for at the moment. since the bookring list is so long i thought i'd better send it on.

from what i've read it's very entertaining, and cleverly written; but i'm more in a fiction-mood of late...

i must try and get a hold of a copy later :)

Journal Entry 20 by piemunga at Postal Release in -- Controlled Release, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, January 21, 2007

Released 17 yrs ago (1/22/2007 UTC) at Postal Release in -- Controlled Release, New South Wales Australia

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

posting off on tuesday. sorry about the delay!

Journal Entry 21 by angelbird72 from Newcastle, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, January 31, 2007
This little book appeared safe and sound in the post yesturday. I can't wait to read it.

Journal Entry 22 by angelbird72 from Newcastle, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, February 11, 2007
Wow, I enjoyed this book so much more than I expected to.

I especially liked the part about baby names. I don't know why but I find the idea of a person's name, where it comes from and what it represents really interesting. I just count myself lucky that my mother wasn't as sadistic as some out there!

All in all, an excellant, LOGICAL book. You can see the logic in the way the cases in this book are put forward. Reading it, what they say makes perfect sense.

My only objection was that the book wasn't longer! : P

Journal Entry 23 by SKingList from New York City, New York USA on Thursday, January 3, 2008
This ring is unfortunately DOA. However it has been rescued by LyzzyBee and will continue. Thanks so much!

If this one ever surfaces, please feel free to pass it on however you wish.

Journal Entry 24 by xoddam from Springwood, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, July 15, 2008
An unopened envelope was unearthed amongst a family member's large boxes of horrifying miscellaneous junk. Addressed to me, at another relative's address. Inside was another envelope, addressed to me at an employer's address where I ceased to work about 18 months ago.

And inside that was Freakonomics.

My sincere apologies for the book's long internment. I'm not personally responsible, but in the BC world I'm the one on the spot. I should really have replaced the bookring myself, but it seems LyzzyBee has done that in my place.

Thanks to SKingList, angelbird72 and everyone else. I'll read it shortly and work out what to do with it.

Journal Entry 25 by xoddam from Springwood, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, February 3, 2009
This is a good, thought-provoking book, though I'd be happier if it felt more "solid".

Lateral thinking and considered statistical analysis of interesting (but *real*) data are useful in any field of endeavour -- it's not clear to me why, particularly, the studies here are considered "economic" cases.

Whenever you're working on a problem, in any field, it always pays to assume as little as possible and rely on actual measurements -- data that represent the real world, not the one you think you're in or would like to be in -- to infer relationships or make decisions.

I've heard politicians talk of "evidence-based policy" and it's clear this is what they're referring to, though generally in the heat of the public eye they fall back on publicity-based populism.

I've PM'd Cari to see if she has a preference for the book, but I'm not sure when I'll hear from her, perhaps like me she is a less-active bookcrosser than she once was. In the meantime I'm setting it to "available".

Thankyou so much everyone for sharing this book for me, and apologies once more for having misplaced it for so long.

Journal Entry 26 by xoddam at Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Friday, April 11, 2014
Just for information's sake I feel I should add these articles to the now-outdated information provided in the book, on the subject of juvenile crime and demographics. If you don't want "spoilers", don't follow the links until you've read the book :-)

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/01/lead-crime-link-gasoline

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/07/violent-crime-lead-poisoning-british-export

By-the-by, the book is now travelling on its way to Banyantree in India, via Young, NSW, Australia.

Journal Entry 27 by banyantree at Chennai, Tamil Nadu India on Friday, September 5, 2014
Received

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