SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance by Steven Levitt, Stephen Dubner

Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance by Steven Levitt is a provocative book that forces readers to think outside the box and reevaluate the conventional wisdom about a variety of topics—from global warming to prostitution. Using his trademark combination of hard facts, economic analysis, and storytelling, Steven Levitt and co-author Stephen Dubner seek to challenge the existing attitudes toward economics and the world around us.

In Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance, Levitt and Dubner examine a range of topics related to economics, from global warming to prostitution. The authors look at global warming, suggesting that the emphasis on reducing carbon emissions may be misplaced.They argue that a better solution might be “geoengineering,” or intervening in the atmosphere to artificially cool the planet, reducing the effects of global warming. They also analyze the often-overlooked economic incentives that drive prostitution. They suggest that prostitution could be made safer and more beneficial to prostitutes by treating them with respect and giving them economic incentives to work.

The authors also look at some unconventional economic problems, such as why suicide bombers might engage in such acts of violence. Levitt and Dubner draw surprising parallels between suicide bombers and business executives, noting that suicide bombers—like executives—must weigh their actions against potential rewards and costs. The authors suggest that suicide bombers could better protect their families by purchasing life insurance policies; this would both protect their families and shift the focus of their motives from religious conviction to economic gain.

Throughout the book, Levitt and Dubner demonstrate how economic analysis can often illuminate issues that are usually discussed primarily through non-economic, emotional terms. This provocative approach gives readers insight into problems from a new angle and makes considering all sides of an issue more important than ever.

In Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance, Levitt and Dubner challenge readers to consider the economic implications of controversial issues. This is a must-read book if you want to broaden your economic understanding and consider the implications of the economic incentives that influence how we live our lives. With a combination of hard facts, economic analysis, and storytelling, this book is sure to revolutionize the way you think about the world around you.