RATING: 3 out of 5 STARS
THOUGHTS:
Superfreakonomics is the sequel to Freakonomics (2005). I read the first book last year and really enjoyed it. (4 stars) While I felt engaged enough in this book to finish it, I did feel like it was just a second edition of the first. The tone and type of book are the same. They are both non-fiction books about microeconomics, the economics of small everyday happenings. I enjoyed the first book better than the second and would be more likely to recommend it.
Superfreakonomics is basically pointing out that there have always been seemingly large, unsolveable problems that mankind faces. The tendancy of government and the general population is too find very complicated solutions for these problems and resist the simple solutions, but usually simple solutions work best.
To show this the authors point out examples like the resistance that doctors have to washing their hands, even though there are countless deaths each year in hospitals due to cross contamination. There is also a surprising chapter on seatbelts and car seats. You'll be interested to read that car seats are no safer than a normal seatbelt for a child over 2 years!
One of the most interesting chapters was about global warming. There are brilliant scientists with very simple ideas of how to stop it or slow it, but their ideas have been rejected in favor of less effective, but trendier ideas of reducing carbon emmissions.
I felt like I did learn new things from this book and it was interesting to hear different viewpoints than the general media.
My biggest warning about the book is that the first chapter is about the economics of prostitution. I skipped it because I didn't feel like slogging through the muck to learn something.
All in all an interesting read, although it felt incredibly similar to the prequel and included a chapter I would skip.
