Freakonomics

1. Freakonomics

2. “Incentives are the cornerstone of modern life.” “The conventional wisdom is often wrong.” “Dramatic effects often have distant, even subtle, causes.” “’Experts’– from criminologists to real-estate agents – use their informational advantage to serve their own agenda.” “Knowing what to measure and how to measure it makes a complicated world much less so.”

3. Crime Rates In new york city, 1990, the number of murders was 2,245. In 2003, the number of murders in nychad decreased to 596. Why was there such a Big drop? New laws? Gun control? New policy strategies?

4. Here’s the kicker From 1970-1973, Norma mccorvey, a.k.ajane roe, fought to legalize abortion due to her two previous and recently third child who were all adopted. In 1973, abortion was legalized.

5. Why is this relevant? “Not all children are born equal…a child born into an adverse family environment is more likely to become a criminal.” Decades after abortion was legalized, crime rates dramatically dropped because the children described above were never born.

6. or Would you vote for who spends the most money campaigning or for the candidate who appeals to you the most? Free stuff now or a good future later?

7. Why does the money matter? “In a typical election period that includes campaigns for the presidency, Senate, and House of Representatives, about $1 billion is spent per year…it is the same amount for instance, that Americans spend every year on chewing gum.” It doesn’t.

8. The Rest of Freakonomics… Third person out of body experiences begin with the asking of simple unasked questions. “What do sumo wrestlers and school teachers have in common?”

9. P.S. drinking eight glasses of water a day has never actually been proven to do anything for your health.