What is the main message of Freakonomics?

The main message of Freakonomics is that the world can be understood through the lens of economics and incentives.

Who is the author of Freakonomics?

The authors of Freakonomics are Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.

Economics

Freakonomics Book Summary - Freakonomics Book explained in key points

Listen to the Intro

00:00

Freakonomics summary

Name: Freakonomics
Rating: 4.3 (629 reviews)
Author: Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Steven D. Levitt Stephen J. Dubner

A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

4.3 (629 ratings)

21 mins

Brief summary

Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner explores the unexpected, hidden side of economics. Through data analysis, it uncovers surprising insights into the motives behind human behavior in everyday contexts.

Topics

General Knowledge

Table of Contents

Freakonomics
Summary of 10 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 10

Incentives can affect your wallet, your pride or your conscience.

At this very moment, there are probably countless people who wish to affect your behavior: politicians, police, your doctor, your boss, your parents or your spouse, to name just a few. Although the tactics used may vary from threats and bribes to charm and deceit, all attempts have something in common: they rely on incentives.

An incentive is simply a means of urging people to do more of a good thing or less of a bad thing.

Incentives fall into three general categories: economic, social and moral. Most successful incentives – the ones that attain the desired change in behavior – combine all three types.

One area where incentives are crucial is in the field of crime. People regularly have opportunities to cheat, steal and defraud, so it’s interesting to examine what incentives keep them from doing so.

The risk of going to prison and the related loss of employment, house and freedom are all essentially economic in nature, and certainly form a strong incentive against crime.

There is also a strong moral incentive, as people don’t want to do something that they feel is wrong.

And finally there is a strong social incentive, as people do not want to be seen by others as doing something wrong. Often, depending on the crime, this can be a stronger incentive than economic penalties.

It is this combination of all three types of incentives that encourage most people to refrain from crime.

Incentives can affect your wallet, your pride or your conscience.

Introducing incentives can often have unintended consequences on people’s behavior.

We are all familiar with attempts to incentivize behavior. Whether it is parents offering small treats to their children for doing schoolwork or companies paying bonuses to employees who hit their sales targets, everyone has had incentives dangled in front of them.

However, influencing behavior by adding incentives is often a more complicated affair than it might first seem. Incentives often operate in an environment where small changes can have a dramatic impact, and not always in the way those initiating the changes would hope.

Incentives are context dependent: what works when it’s sunny might not when it’s raining.

Have you ever robbed a bank? Probably not, since there are a variety of disincentives (e.g., prison, loss of social stature, a guilty conscience) that keep you from trying. And yet, some people do rob banks even though they face the same disincentives. Why?

Because different people react differently to the same incentives.

Experts can use their informational advantage to exploit laypeople for economic benefit.

Everyone needs the advice of an expert from time to time. Whether you are having something repaired, making a big purchase or dealing with a legal issue, you rely on someone with specialist knowledge to help you navigate through unfamiliar territory.

Experts have access to a wealth of information that the layperson does not, meaning an information asymmetry exists. Although the experts are usually paid a fee or commission for their expertise, they can also use their informational advantage to cheat laypeople for additional gain.

Experts can use fear and anxiety to cheat laypeople.

The unknown can be pretty scary. In any transaction in an area you have little knowledge or information about, you will likely be worried and anxious. Experts frequently leverage this fear for financial gain.

This can happen in a number of ways: A car salesman can convince you not to buy a cheaper model by instilling the fear that it is unsafe. A real estate agent can play on your fear of missing out on your dream house to get you to put in a higher bid. A stockbroker can tell you that if you don’t invest in a certain stock now, you’ll miss the boat and have to live with the regret for the rest of your life.

The Internet has greatly helped reduce the informational advantage of experts.

In the 1990s, the price of life insurance fell dramatically. There was no similar trend in other forms of insurance, or any significant shifts in the life insurance business or customer base itself. So, why this sudden drop in prices?

The answer lies with the emergence of the Internet, or more specifically of price comparison websites. These websites enabled customers to compare insurance prices offered by dozens of different companies in mere seconds. Price information that had been extremely time-consuming to gather just a few years earlier was available at the click of a mouse. As the policies were fairly similar in nature, the more expensive companies had no choice but to lower their prices, driving down the overall price of the policies.

When sellers leave out information, customers often penalize them by assuming the worst.

One of the side effects of a culture of information asymmetry is that even a lack of information – real or perceived – can have a powerful effect.

For example, it is commonly understood that once a new car is bought it will instantly lose as much as a quarter of its value. Someone who had paid $20,000 for a car yesterday can expect to get less than $15,000 for it today.

People worry disproportionately about risks that are particularly prominent or over which they have little control.

When it comes to assessing risks, we are far less rational than we would like to believe.

One factor that disproportionately influences our assessment is how readily we can imagine the risk in question. Although they are in fact quite rare, we can easily imagine plane crashes, gun crime or terrorist attacks occurring due to their excessive coverage in the media. This leads us to over-assess the risk of these threats.

We often incorrectly assume that just because two things happen simultaneously, one is causing the other.

Despite having similar populations, the city of Washington DC has three times the number of police officers as Denver and eight times the number of homicides. Would you assume that the additional officers are causing the higher rate of homicide?

When we see that an increase in a certain factor, X, corresponds with an increase in another factor, Y, it is tempting to think that the relationship is causal and that the increase in X caused the increase in Y. This is a human tendency: we assume causality when in fact there may only be correlation.

When attributing causality, we tend to overlook remote causes in favor of more immediate ones.

In addition to jumping to conclusions about causality between two events, we also tend to look for that causality in the most immediate and obvious places, ignoring more distant or indirect causes.

Consider crime: At the end of 1989 in the United States, crime figures seemed to be going through the roof. Violent crime had increased by 80% over the previous 15 years, and experts were predicting the situation would only get worse. So it came as something of a surprise when crime figures suddenly and dramatically dropped in the early 1990s.

Want to see all full key ideas from Freakonomics?

Key ideas in Freakonomics

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

What is Freakonomics about?

Freakonomics (2005) applies rational economic analysis to everyday situations, from online dating to buying a house. The book reveals why the way we make decisions is often irrational, why conventional wisdom is frequently wrong, and how and why we are incentivized to do what we do.

Freakonomics Review

Freakonomics (2005) takes a fascinating dive into the hidden side of economics and explores the unexpected connections that shape our world. Here's why this book is definitely worth reading:

With its unconventional approach and thought-provoking analysis, it challenges conventional wisdom and encourages readers to question their assumptions about how the world works.
By using real-life examples and data-driven insights, the book uncovers the underlying economic incentives that drive human behavior, offering unique perspectives on various topics.
Its engaging storytelling style and ability to unravel complex concepts in a clear and accessible manner make it a compelling read for anyone interested in understanding the hidden forces shaping our society.

Who should read Freakonomics?

Anyone interested in human decision-making.
Managers with an interest in the impact of incentives and risk analysis
Economists looking for a more creative approach to using the tools of economics

About the Author

Steven D. Levitt teaches economics at the University of Chicago. His unorthodox approach of using the tools of economics to reveal hidden aspects of everyday decisions has triggered debate in the media and academic circles.

Stephen J. Dubner is a former writer and editor at the New York Times Magazine. He is also the author of Turbulent Souls, Confessions of a Hero-Worshiper, and the children's book The Boy with Two Belly Buttons.

Categories with Freakonomics

Economics

Book summaries like Freakonomics

The Black Swan

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

The Impact of the Highly Improbable

18 min

4.3

The Paradox of Choice

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and the Markets

A Flaw in Human Judgment

An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

Sharpen Your Message and Make Your Words Matter

16 min

4.2

Antifragile

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Things That Gain from Disorder

20 min

4.5

SuperFreakonomics

Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance

19 min

4.1

The Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith

The most influential economic book of all time

11 min

4.3

Skin in the Game

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life

Ten Dangerous Trends That Imperil Our Future, and How to Survive Them

16 min

3.9

How the World Really Works

Vaclav Smil

The Science of Our Past, Present and Future

22 min

4.4

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Dale Carnegie

Basic rules for how to make a good first impression

18 min

4.5

Nudge

Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein

Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth and Happiness

A Brief History of Tomorrow

How Constant Innovation Creates Radically Successful Businesses

18 min

4.6

Think Like a Freak

Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Find the unconvential yet brilliant ideas hidden in data

21 min

4.3

How to Finish Everything You Start

Jan Yager

Habits to Transform Your Life

17 min

4.3

Predictably Irrational

Dan Ariely

The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

21 min

4.5

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Bill Bryson

A journey into the most intriguing and intractable questions that science seeks to answer

38 min

4.5

Buffett and Munger Unscripted

Warren E. Buffett

Insights from Decades of Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meetings

The Fall of Big Data and the Rise of the Blockchain Economy

23 min

3.9

How Economics Explains the World

Andrew Leigh

A Short History of Humanity

How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

A Common Sense Guide to the Economy

A Guide to Overcoming Fear and Self-Doubt

18 min

4.8

The Hidden Power of the Five Hearts

Kimberly Snyder

Empower Your Thoughts, Balance Your Emotions, and Unlock Vibrant Health and Abundance

How Existential Psychology Can Help Us Build Meaningful Lives in Absurd Times

How Conflict and Repair Build Intimacy, Resilience, and Trust

Communicate with Confidence, Influence and Authority

20 min

4.4

Never Split the Difference

Chris Voss and Tahl Raz

Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It

19 min

4.4

The Art of Talking with Children

Rebecca Rolland

Nurturing Kindness, Creativity, and Confidence in Kids

26 min

4.2

The Richest Man in Babylon

George S. Clason

Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century

17 min

4.3

This Is Your Brain on Food

Uma Naidoo

A Guide to the Foods that Fight Depression, Anxiety, and More

17 min

4.4

Do Breathe

Michael Townsend Williams

Calm Your Mind. Find Focus. Get Stuff Done.

How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living

The Mind Management Program for Confidence, Success and Happiness

Critical Thinking in the Information Age

12 min

3.7

A Brief History of Time

Stephen Hawking

From the Big Bang to Black Holes

27 min

4.5

The End of Alzheimer's Program

Dale Bredesen

The First Protocol to Enhance Cognition and Reverse Decline at Any Age

21 min

4.2

The Science of Rapid Skill Acquisition

Peter Hollins

Advanced Methods to Learn, Remember, and Master New Skills and Information

Five Secrets to Create Connection and Cultivate Passion

Fortune Favors the Brave

Work Less, Worry Less, Succeed More, Enjoy More

366 Meditations on Power, Seduction, Mastery, Strategy, and Human Nature

30 min

4.4

The Power of Writing It Down

Allison Fallon

A Simple Habit to Unlock Your Brain and Reimagine Your Life

21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time

The Evolution of Human Sexuality

How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge

19 min

Ikigai

Hector Garcia Puigcerver & Francesc Miralles

The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

20 min

4.6

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.