Think Like A Freak
By Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6/10
271 pages
Think Like a Freak by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
What’s it about?
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.
What did it make me think about?
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….
Should I read it?
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.
A passage I marked
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? 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’. Making grandiose assumptions about your abilities and failing to acknowledge what you don’t know can lead, unsurprisingly , to disaster.
