"Freakonomics"

[Figleaf]

Since there's no economics forum, I guess I'll post this here...

I just read this book, "Freakonomics". In case anyone is thinking of getting it, I'll tell you what I thought:

Superficial. Obvious. Over-written and under-thought. Self-congratulatory. Repetitive. Misrepresented (more sociology than economics). Lacking rigor. Disappointing.

[jdobbin]

Since there's no economics forum, I guess I'll post this here...

I just read this book, "Freakonomics". In case anyone is thinking of getting it, I'll tell you what I thought:

Superficial. Obvious. Over-written and under-thought. Self-congratulatory. Repetitive. Misrepresented (more sociology than economics). Lacking rigor. Disappointing.

It has been discussed but not as a topic unto itself. I raised it in the context of abortion being cited as helping to reduce crime. I know some demographers have said that an aging population has helped reduce crime. Perhaps Levitt thinks abortion has helped prevent an aged population from getting younger.

[Figleaf]

Since there's no economics forum, I guess I'll post this here...

I just read this book, "Freakonomics". In case anyone is thinking of getting it, I'll tell you what I thought:

Superficial. Obvious. Over-written and under-thought. Self-congratulatory. Repetitive. Misrepresented (more sociology than economics). Lacking rigor. Disappointing.

It has been discussed but not as a topic unto itself. I raised it in the context of abortion being cited as helping to reduce crime. I know some demographers have said that an aging population has helped reduce crime. Perhaps Levitt thinks abortion has helped prevent an aged population from getting younger.

His thoughts on abortion and crime are about 1/6 - 1/8 of the book and represent the only original thought therein. He su gests that crime dropped due to increased abortions being

most frequent among the socio-economic classes most prone to criminality.

[geoffrey]

Eugenics would work just as well. Find the more crime focused populations, prevent them from reproducing. Next, take all the poor people, preven them from reproducing. Then take the rich, smart people, and issue licenses to only the most qualified to have kids and raise them appropriately.

And your left with... not much unfortunately.

Abortion as a social planning tool isn't only wrong on pro-life grounds, but wrong on every other possible level. I suggest you start with killing the handicapped first if you actually believed in that crap.

Personally, I think people left to do their own thing, and reach their own potential, generally do ok. If we prevented poors from having kids, think of all the heros and leaders our society would be lacking.

[jdobbin]

Eugenics would work just as well. Find the more crime focused populations, prevent them from reproducing. Next, take all the poor people, preven them from reproducing. Then take the rich, smart people, and issue licenses to only the most qualified to have kids and raise them appropriately.

Never suggested it as a strategy myself. I was summarizing one of the basic tenets of the book.

I do believe that an aging population is probably responsible for a portion of reduced crime but I'm not a demographer or a statistician. I have no idea if that is whole story. Some say increased police presence has helped. However, that argument is not wholly true either because in some places crime was already going down when police numbers were increased.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

I just have to say something on this thread. We are being lead down a path by zealots and scientists. Our society is leaning toward a demographics approach to politics. Instead of having real leaders speak toward their personal vision we are having government by opinion polls. Our societry is becoming luke warm and spurred by popular opinion.

[Figleaf]

Just for clarity ... Levitt didn't recommend abortion as a way to reduce crime, he postulated that abortion was the explanation for observed reduction in crime.