The Logic of Life: The Rational Economics of an Irrational World by Tim Harford
|
Book Summary Author: Tim Harford Edition: Hardcover Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published) Published: 2008-01-15 ISBN: 1400066425 Number of pages: 272 Publisher: Random House |
| Used | blueridgebook | Used, mint Great Buy!! Like New Book...5 Star Seller!! Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $7.91 | |
| Used | dtownbooks2 | Used, mint Fine in fine dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 272 p. Audience: General/trade. Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $11.95 | |
| Used | sellingtales | Used, verygood ONLY READ ONCE - PAGES IN LIKE NEW CONDITION - I SHIP FAST - Hardcover with Dust Jacket - light shelfwear to Dust Jacket - Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $11.98 | |
| Used | striking_images | Used, verygood Very Nice Hardcover Book ~ Excellent inside and out ~ Light signs of previous use * Ships USPS Media Mail in Padded Envelope. Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $11.99 | |
| Used | audreys-books | Used, mint Used: Like New/Like New; Clean copy! No highlighting or underlining! Gently read once! This book really opened my eyes! SHIPS IMMEDIATELY with USPS Delivery Confirmation! Go EXPEDITED for Fastest Delivery! Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $11.99 | |
| Used | copperfieldsseb | Used, mint Light shelf wear. A bright, clean copy. Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $12.00 | |
| Used | chroniclesbookstore | Used, mint LIKE NEW - Looks almost new, tight and solid, has very light shelfwear. Hardcover. 100% Money Back Guarantee on all Items. We ship DAILY with free delivery confirmation. Choose expedited for FAST delivery. We believe in providing accurate grading on used books and excellent customer service. Five Star Seller with thousands of satisfied customers... buy with confidence. Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $12.35 | |
| New | bphipps777 | New NEW. NO remainder markings. In a nice dj as well. Brand new book perfect inside and out. Purchase and help a youth pastor with three daughters. Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $12.45 | |
| New | grovespot | New Brand New Hard Cover. Very Informative. Ships Fast! GS Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $12.45 | |
| Used | pvldfriends | Used, mint Gift quality. All proceeds benefit local libraries. Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $12.47 |
Your purchase is protected by the A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee. Amazon.com automatically transfers your payment to the merchant so you'll never need to pay a merchant directly. Amazon.com A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee covers both the delivery of your item and its condition upon receipt.
Book Reviews of the The Logic of Life: The Rational Economics of an Irrational World
Customer Review: pretty thin gruel
Summary: 2 Stars
"Logic" may be 270 pages, but it feels more like seventy. If you have the vaguest experience with behavioral economics -- e.g., from reading Dubner and Leavitt's "Freakonomics" columns in the New York Times -- a lot of the background will seem very familiar and a lot of the "gosh-wow" that Harford tries to generate will seem a little forced. Indeed, quite a few of Harford's central pieces have already appeared in the popular press -- e.g., the material on pacific islands and economic growth as a function of when they were colonized.
There is a real "factoid" quality to the book. The various chapters, on sexual behavior and AIDS, game theory and poker, racial discrimination, CEO pay, and the role of cities and legal systems (I think I got them all) seems strung together with no overriding theme beyond the kind of "gee-whiz" factor of applying economics to social issues. The weakest parts come near the end, where the summaries of research begin to be overwhelmed by anecdote and story. I was left without a clear idea, for example, why Harford considered it self-evident that cities would remain centers of the information economy.
Since "Freakonomics", the bar has been set a little higher for these kinds of books. Vague popularizations of other people's research studies are fine for a New York Times article or blog post, but really can't sustain a book. If you look -- as I do -- for the author to make some kind of larger point, you'll do so in vain; what larger points he does make are a bit evident (everyone behaving rationally can lead to horrible social consequences -- tragedy of the commons or the voter's paradox, anyone? These are hardly new discoveries!)
One interesting avenue to examine -- looking at the arguments of those who consider the field to be a bit overblown in its claims, or putting the field in a larger context -- goes mostly untouched. Discussion of Malthus is pretty bare, and what Harford marshals in response is really thin and poorly argued; in general, this really is another "random walk" through the literature.
I'm sure the book will sell well; it's a good airplane read (but it won't last you longer than a four-hour flight at most.) The market for these books is new and there are still plenty of people who will be amused and surprised to see what Harford has to report from the "field." But those looking for a more sustained performance, with deeper intellectual engagement with the fascinating issues that economics raises for the social and human sciences, will have to look elsewhere.