Freakonomics

Martin Seligman started with a brief history of psychology. The last half century, psychology worked inside the disease model. Some successes include: making fourteen of the disorders treatable and two are curable. In addition, the science of mental illness concepts developed and psychologists invented drug treatments to solve certain mental disorders. Unfortunately, psychology made three critical mistakes: psychologists and psychiatrists became victimologist forgetting people had freewill;…

The American Dream: A False Hope My parents came to this country in search of a better life, and better opportunities for their children. The jobless days and food restrictions of post-war communist Vietnam was too much for my father, and as a result, he fled from the country in the 80s, on a journey to America. America was the land of opportunity, hopes and dreams. Many others like him fled from the poor standards of living of their country, seeking the American Dream that radiated its…

It seems absurd to think that someone ever said the Earth was flat or that the Earth was the center of the universe. However, as I go back and reflect on my thoughts, it is easy to say that I would never believe such things now, because someone has already challenged the conventional wisdom for me. But let’s just say that the Flat Earth Theory was still accepted to this day, would I go against the social norm and decide to challenge the beliefs of many well-known scholars? I think John Kenneth…

Prostitution investigations often involve joint task forces from multiple agencies with city, county, and state officials. In addition, many of these investigations are also coordinated with various federal authorities such as the FBI, ATF, and the Department of Homeland Security. Yes, your tax dollars pay for undercover police officers and federal agents to sit in massage parlors and seedy strip clubs, for months at a time, ordering drinks and lap dances. Ultimately, the only constructive…

resources, and classes—as well. UChicago’s renowned economics program is celebrated historically for housing Milton Friedman and Gary Becker amongst other laureates of the School of Economics. This acclaimed roster, featuring Steven Levitt of Freakonomics, offers a level of rigor that cannot be found at other peer institutions. What differentiates UChicago from other institutions, however, is the accessibility of recognized economists. The Friedman Forum, a series of informal economic…

the only “rule” people have to follow as a society. No matter if one grew up with religion or spiritual belief, they all learn the differences between right and wrong. Cheating, for example, is not a good thing to do. In an article and video by Freakonomics , it discusses teachers cheating on their kids’ tests. Teachers are changing their students’ answers in order to get a better score for the student and keep…

Ahmad Darweesh About the Reading Analysis of “Where Have All the Criminals Gone?” From Leavitt and Dubner’s Freakonomic Executive Summary This chapter has discussed about personal view of writer on the decreasing rate of crime in America. The document provides the reader with a number of occasions for critical thinking. In this chapter the author argues about the data exposed that state the current crime rate; stating that the basic reason for the plummeting crime rates in the US in the time…

article to deflect the opponents’ view by stating, “If you lift the ban, less people will be injured from alcohol related events.” Dunbar, Stephen. "Can Selling Beer Help College Fans Drink Less?" Can Selling Beer Help College Fans Drink Less? Freakonomics, 4 Sept. 2012. Web. 30 Sept. 2015. This article delves into a case study of West Virginia University, a school that has recently lifted the college drinking ban at stadiums. It states that by selling more expensive beer at college games,…

Since the repeal of prohibition, alcohol quickly became an integral part of the U.S. economy. In 1933, after the repeal was passed FDR said, “What America needs now is a drink.” And indeed we drank! We drank during birthdays, bar mitzvahs and weddings. It is almost impossible to think of a celebratory occasion in which we are not taking advantage of rich libations. Alcohol has become synonymous with professional sports. Who could resist the savory, smooth and satisfying taste of a cold beer…

With Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely contributes to the growing list of books (Blink, Nudge, Freakonomics, Thinking, Fast and Slow) meant to challenge preconceptions of human rationality. Ariely’s book first begged the question about Israel’s proclivity for producing behavioral economists. Recognizing an insufficient sample size to justify that generalization and loath to assume more research in my waning days at the War College, I cast aside that thought to find lessons in Predictably…