Book Review: Superfreakonomics
SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner.
As with the first book, Freakonomics, I was fascinated by the economic mechanisms and quirky independent research that challenges our assumptions and that should be considered when making public policy. Remember the connection between the legalisation of abortion and the decline of crime in the 1990s?
Wildly entertaining, this book gives us great insight into the economic human psyche, but also gives us pause to wonder whether there is any altruistic fibre in the human body. Is it all (economic) self-interest?
Should this book be seen as mere entertainment? No. Particular in these times, alternative analyses and solutions should be part of the public debate. Yet, I doubt that any drugs online without prescription politician or bureaucrat has these books on their shelves as regular reference books. By putting the spotlight on all this research, the authors highlight that every measure in public administration must be thought through thoroughly. The problem is though that that thinking could be neverending. At some point a decision should be made. The main point is that public policy should take (more) into account the human psyche, group and other social dynamics and incentives.
Therefore, I highly recommend this book. And I will reread it too, just to keep me sharp.