Re: The Dismal Science's Freaky Side?

[Kuni Tetsu]

On Sat, Mar 11, 2006 at 09:40:50AM -0800, Kuni Tetsu wrote:
> Um. That is not the sum total. Freakonomics is hardly real science, let alone
> good data. Yes, I have read it. I have also read what real economists thing
> about it. That is a whole other thread and I will not bring it in here.

Here is something you will not see much on the Internet...

I spoke out of turn on Freakonomics. It is data, and certainly entertainingly
presented. It is not always complete but certainly puts new spins on some
subjects. There are factors that were not taken into account on many of the
conclusions made, which was the point I was trying to make and bungled badly.

A number of economists have pointed out flaws in the Abortion related
conclusions you used.

"Mr. Foote, 40, taught in Harvard's economics department between 1996 and 2002;
served stints as an economist on the Council of Economic Advisers in 1994,
1995, 2002 and 2003; and served as an economic adviser to the Coalition
Provisional Authority in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2003 and 2004."

"Economists John Lott and John Whitley questioned Levitt’s data and his
conclusions. Steve Sailer, following their lead, argued that legalized abortion
actually raised the number of unwanted conceptions (thus canceling Roe’s
impact on unwanted live births)..."

But this is all for another list.

Cheers!


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The Dismal Science's Freaky Side?

[Jeff Kinz]

On Sat, Mar 11, 2006 at 09:40:50AM -0800, Kuni Tetsu wrote:
> Um. That is not the sum total. Freakonomics is hardly real science, let alone
> good data. Yes, I have read it. I have also read what real economists thing
> about it. That is a whole other thread and I will not bring it in here.

Quoted:

Being human, economists tend to envy those in their profession who
achieve internal fame, but roll their eyes and mutter about those who
try to communicate with non-economists. Especially galling are
economists who write bestsellers (with or without help). Steven Levitt
need not fear such criticisms, as his career is already quite successful
and his future well-assured. He is a tenured professor at the storied
economics department of the University of Chicago, and the 2003 winner
of the John Bates Clark medal, biennially awarded to the nation's best
young economist by the American Economics Association. Governments,
politicians, and corporations routinely seek his advice. But as this
book makes clear, Levitt is not your typical economic Titan. For one
thing, he freely admits to mathematical deficiencies that would cripple
the careers of other economists. For another, he seems to like spending
time in the real world, analyzing actual problems as opposed to purely
theoretical ones. Finally, he communicates those findings not only to
his colleagues but to the general public. I suppose this is a bit
strange for an economist, but I'm glad he does it, because someone has
to.

From: http://libertyunbound.com/archive/2005_07/formaini-freaky.html

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything,"
by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. William Morrow, 2005, 242
pages.

    The Dismal Science's Freaky Side?

by Robert Formaini
#



-- 
Jeff Kinz, Emergent Research, Hudson, MA.
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