Meretricious claptrap
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Another dismal potboiler from the underwhelming Landsburg. To my mind three quotes from the book tell you all you need to know:
page 174: "... Early in this century, the eminent economist Alfred Marshall offered this advice to his colleagues: when confronted with an economic problem, first translate into mathematics, then solve the problem, then translate back into English and burn the mathematics. I am a devotee of Marshall and frequently follow his advice ..."
If you burn the mathematics, none of your readers has a clear idea of what your assumptions and premises are - which leaves you free to adopt an arrogant, glib and superficial style that obfuscates more than it enlightens.
page 245: "... Terri Schiavo, a woman attached to a ventilator and believed to be in a permanent state of unconsciousness tantamount to death, became a cause celebre when her husband and parents could not agree on whether to unplug her. ... The Schiavo battle was over control of a resource, namely Ms. Schiavo's body, and was well within the purview of economic analysis ..."
Regarding people's bodies as an economic resource was an approach once advocated by a certain Adolf Eichmann. The Jewish Landsburg might do well to reflect soberly upon that fact.
page 19: "... The principle of comparative advantage explains why some people become medical doctors, while other, different, people go into fields (such as economics) that require at least a minimal ability to think logically ..."
It also explains why some people become economists, while other, different, people go into fields (such as mathematics) that require an exceptional ability to think logically.
I can see three uses for this book (1) It provides useful illustrations of sloppy thinking whence students may learn not to reason without an accompanying sanity check. (2) The Appendix contains references to the original literature where readers may find better-written discussions of the material. (3) Readers who follow up the original references can subsequently separate the book's 275 pages and hang them on hooks next to lavatories.
The tragedy of this book is the opportunity cost of the woodpulp that went into its production. Fortunately, however, used toilet tissue can be composted.
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More counterintuitive economics from Landsburg
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Following on from 'the armchair economist' Steven Landsburg has released this book. It's in a similar vein to 'Freakonomics' and the 'Undercover Economist' so if you enjoyed those you'll probably like this (but I'm sure Amazon has probably already worked that out and told you). Landsburg tends to more closely focus on what could be termed 'traditional economics' supply demand etc than Freakonomics, but he takes the same counterintuitive lines of argument which have you gripped by the frustration of being certain his conclusion should be wrong but knowing that his logic is right. There are occasional lapses where you see an underlying falacy poking through but they didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. After all, thinking that some of the arguments are disprovable and trying to do so is probably half the fun. Would recommend to any Economics students or armchair economists as proof that there is indeed more to the dismal science than meets the eye.
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Unconventional wisdom (with the emphasis on 'wisdom')
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Maverick author Steven E. Landsburg cannot be thanked enough for writing this book. Confrontations with Doreen over my frequent late nights 'at the allotment' were becoming a trifle annoying. Her recent visit to my patch (during which she discovered that the allotments have yielded relatively little produce since building-work began on the Tesco Superstore over four years ago) did little to ease her silly nagging. Thank Icke that the author has given me some backup! Doreen's claim that I am guilty of 'serial indiscretion' is a thoroughly unjust description of my covert heroics. I, Wayne Redhart, have undertaken a one-man campaign to promote carnal safety to as many women as possible (and, sufficient intoxication permitting, the odd man). She isn't fully won over yet but, thanks to this book, I feel it is only a matter of time before she comes to look upon me as a towering beacon in the noble crusade against STDs.
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