2 of 2 copies available
But Tim Harford, award-winning journalist and author, likes to spring surprises. In this deftly reasoned audiobook, Harford argues that life is logical after all. Under the surface of everyday insanity, hidden incentives are at work, and Harford shows these incentives emerging in the most unlikely places. THE LOGIC OF LIFE is the first book to map out the astonishing insights and frustrating blind spots of a new economics in a way that anyone can enjoy.
THE LOGIC OF LIFE presents an X-ray image of human life, stripping away the surface to show us a picture that is revealing, enthralling, and sometimes disturbing. The stories that emerge are not about data or equations but about people. Once you’ve listened to this addictive audiobook, life will never look the same again.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
January 15, 2008 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781415947906
- File size: 258248 KB
- Duration: 08:58:00
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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As Tim Harford covers topics as diverse as prostitutes in Brazil and oral sex in high schools, narrator John Lee keeps up with the Harford's energetic argument for including economics in everyday life. The author also uses game theory and statistics to understand human behavior. In addition to his sharp, crisp delivery, Lee's hint of a British accent makes the material sound even more cerebral. Especially important, his quick pace helps focus the listener's attention as the author playfully reveals examples of modern-day life--such as mate selection and poker playing--that appear to be chance events but that are really dependent upon economic principles. M.R. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine -
The spry narration of L.J. Ganser keeps this audiobook moving as author Tim Harford, a British economist, seeks to prove how cold-hearted economic concerns permeate myriad aspects of life. That topic would be dull in the hands of a lesser writer, but Harford favors examples that catch the imagination, such as a classroom experiment that shed light on how racism can arise "rationally." Harford is British, and half his examples involve London, so a British narrator would have been appropriate. But Ganser, an American, was a fine choice. His self-assured, energetic, and occasionally bemused delivery is a good match for Harford's breezy writing style. E.D.R. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
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December 24, 2007
Financial Times
and Slate.com columnist Harford (The Undercover Economist)
provides an entertaining and provocative look at the logic behind the seemingly irrational. Arguing that rational behavior is more widespread than most people expect, Harford uses economic principles to draw forth the rational elements of gambling, the teenage oral sex craze, crime and other supposedly illogical behaviors to illustrate his larger point. Utilizing John von Neumann and Thomas Schelling's conceptions of game theory, Harford applies their approach to a multitude of arenas, including marriage, the workplace and racism. Contrarily, he also shows that individual rational behavior doesn't always lead to socially desired outcomes. Harford concludes with how to apply this thinking on an even bigger scale, showing how rational behavior shapes cities, politics and the entire history of human civilization. Well-written with highly engaging stories and examples, this book will be of great interest to Freakonomics
and Blink
fans as well as anyone interested in the psychology of human behavior.
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