Think Like a Freak audiobook cover - Find the unconvential yet brilliant ideas hidden in data

Think Like a Freak

Find the unconvential yet brilliant ideas hidden in data

Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

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Categories:
CreativityPsychologyEconomics

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Think Like a Freak
Defying Conventional Wisdom+
The Power of Ignorance+
Problem Solving Strategies+
Thinking Like a Child+
Incentives and Behavior+
The Art of Persuasion+
The Upside of Quitting+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9
Why do soccer players rarely aim penalty kicks at the center of the goal, despite it being statistically the most successful strategy?
  • A. It requires a specific technical skill set that most players lack.
  • B. Goalkeepers anticipate center kicks more often than corner kicks.
  • C. Missing a center kick carries a high risk of losing the fans' respect due to violating convention.
  • D. The ball loses momentum when kicked straight, making it easier to catch.
Question 2 of 9
According to the book, why should you be cautious about blindly trusting the predictions of experts?
  • A. Experts rely entirely on historical data rather than analyzing current, evolving trends.
  • B. Experts are highly motivated to bluff because bold, accurate predictions are celebrated while wrong ones are easily forgotten.
  • C. Experts deliberately mislead the public in order to manipulate markets for their own financial gain.
  • D. Experts are usually forced by media outlets to make premature statements before they have gathered all the facts.
Question 3 of 9
How did Kobi, the slim Japanese student, manage to double the world record in the hotdog-eating championship?
  • A. He trained his stomach to expand by drinking gallons of water before the contest.
  • B. He redefined the problem from 'how to eat more' to 'how to make hotdogs easier to eat.'
  • C. He analyzed his competitors' weaknesses and paced himself to eat faster in the final minutes.
  • D. He focused exclusively on eating the sausages and ignored the buns until the very end of the competition.
Question 4 of 9
According to the authors, what is the actual root cause of persistent poverty and famine in poor regions?
  • A. A fundamental lack of food production and financial resources.
  • B. The failure of international aid groups to distribute resources evenly.
  • C. Overpopulation combined with severe climate change effects.
  • D. The absence of a workable economy and credible political, social, and legal institutions.
Question 5 of 9
Why are children generally harder for magicians to deceive than adults?
  • A. Children have shorter attention spans, making it hard for magicians to set up complex tricks.
  • B. Adults' ability to intensely focus makes them vulnerable to misdirection, whereas curious kids look from different angles.
  • C. Children are naturally skeptical and assume every adult is actively trying to trick them.
  • D. Adults willingly suspend their disbelief to be entertained, while kids actively want to ruin the trick.
Question 6 of 9
In Robert Cialdini's experiment on energy conservation, which incentive actually proved to be the most effective in changing people's behavior?
  • A. Protecting the environment.
  • B. Saving money on their energy bills.
  • C. Benefiting society as a whole.
  • D. Knowing that other people in their neighborhood were doing it.
Question 7 of 9
What was the true strategic purpose behind rock band Van Halen's famous demand for a bowl of M&M's with 'absolutely no brown ones'?
  • A. It was a psychological tactic to assert dominance over local concert promoters.
  • B. It was a quick way to check if promoters had thoroughly read the strict safety instructions in their contract.
  • C. The lead singer had a severe allergy to the specific food coloring used in brown M&M's.
  • D. It was a publicity stunt designed to generate media attention and controversy.
Question 8 of 9
When attempting to persuade someone who holds a different worldview, what approach do the authors recommend?
  • A. Presenting overwhelming statistical evidence to prove that their argument is objectively flawed.
  • B. Pretending your argument is completely watertight to project absolute confidence.
  • C. Pointing out their lack of scientific literacy to make them question their assumptions.
  • D. Acknowledging the strengths of their argument and telling them a catchy story.
Question 9 of 9
What is the 'Concorde Fallacy' an example of?
  • A. The tendency to overlook the opportunity costs of a decision.
  • B. The reluctance to quit a failing project because of the time or money already invested in it.
  • C. The social pressure that labels quitting as a sign of weakness.
  • D. The mistaken belief that a winner never quits and a quitter never wins.

Think Like a Freak — Full Chapter Overview

Think Like a Freak Summary & Overview

Think Like A Freak is a blueprint for thinking unconventionally and creatively. It demonstrates the benefits of letting go of conventional wisdoms, and teaches you to dig deeper to find out how things really work. By learning to think like a "freak", you’ll gain access to an entirely new way of solving problems and making sense of the world.

Who Should Listen to Think Like a Freak?

  • Anyone who likes to challenge conventional beliefs
  • Anyone interested in how statistics can help solve problems
  • Anyone who wants to learn how to think more creatively and unconventionally

About the Author: Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Steven D. Levitt is a professor at the University of Chicago. He was awarded with the John Bates Clark medal, one of the most prestigious awards in the field of economics, second only to the Nobel Prize.

Stephen J. Dubner is an award-winning journalist who has worked for the New York Times.

As a team, Levitt and Dubner have written two bestselling books: Freakonomics and its sequel, SuperFreakonomics.

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