Think Like A Freak
By Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
211 pages
<span “font-size:7.5pt;font-family:”arial”,”sans-serif”;=”” mso-fareast-font-family:”times=”” roman”;color:#222222″=””>Think Like a Freak by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
<span “font-size:7.5pt;font-family:”arial”,”sans-serif”;=”” mso-fareast-font-family:”times=”” roman”;color:#222222″=””>W<span “font-size:7.5pt;font-family:”arial”,”sans-serif”;=”” mso-fareast-font-family:”times=”” roman”;color:#222222″=””>hat’s it about?
<span “font-size:7.5pt;font-family:”arial”,”sans-serif”;=”” mso-fareast-font-family:”times=”” roman”;color:#222222;mso-bidi-font-weight:=”” bold”=””>This book challenges you to think differently-“ like a freak”. Much of the book seems obvious and yet the suggestions are difficult to put into practice. Some concrete suggestions resonated with me and I will try to incorporate them into my thinking. Say “I don’t know” more often. Ask basic questions, much like a child, and do not rely on what you think you know. Lastly, if you must engage in a disagreement (avoid these as you are probably not going to convince anyone of anything) then use stories to help convince others of your point of view.
<span “font-size:7.5pt;font-family:”arial”,”sans-serif”;=”” mso-fareast-font-family:”times=”” roman”;color:#222222″=””>What did it make me think about?
<span “font-size:7.5pt;font-family:”arial”,”sans-serif”;=”” mso-fareast-font-family:”times=”” roman”;color:#222222″=””>It did make me think about being more open to possibilities. Not always relying so heavily on what I already know, as it will color my thinking. I can think of a few people that might benefit from this book….
<span “font-size:7.5pt;font-family:”arial”,”sans-serif”;=”” mso-fareast-font-family:”times=”” roman”;color:#222222″=””>Should I read it?
<span “font-size:7.5pt;font-family:”arial”,”sans-serif”;=”” mso-fareast-font-family:”times=”” roman”;color:#222222″=””>It was quick and entertaining, but most of the information could have been shared in a long magazine article. I will go back and read “Freakonomics”. The two authors have a great writing style and what they have to say is really interesting.
<span “font-size:7.5pt;font-family:”arial”,”sans-serif”;=”” mso-fareast-font-family:”times=”” roman”;color:#222222″=””>Quote-
<span “font-family:”arial”,”sans-serif”;=”” mso-fareast-font-family:”times=”” roman”;color:#222222″=””>“But let’s say you are excellent at a given thing, a true master of your domain, like Thomas Sargent. Does this mean you are also more likely to excel in a different domain?
<span “font-family:”arial”,”sans-serif”;=”” mso-fareast-font-family:”times=”” roman”;color:#222222″=””>A sizable body of research says the answer is no. The takeaway here is simple but powerful: just because you’re great at something doesn’t mean you’re good at everything. Unfortunately, this fact is routinely ignored by those who engage in –take a deep breath- ultracrepidarianism, or ‘the habit of giving opinions and advice on matters outside of one’s knowledge or competence’.
<span “font-family:”arial”,”sans-serif”;=”” mso-fareast-font-family:”times=”” roman”;color:#222222″=””>Making grandiose assumptions about your abilities and failing to acknowledge what you don’t know can lead, unsurprisingly , to disaster.”
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