Character Analysis: Freakonomics

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Dear Mr. Levitt, “Nothing is more potent than information, especially when its power is abused.” (page XVII) Freakonomics as a whole has portrayed the conception that people use information as incentives to do one of two things—right or wrong. Chapters such as one, two, and three describe how incentives push people to make lamentable choices, and in contrast chapters four, five, and six expound incentives in a more positive matter. In chapter two, it verbalizes “Experts of every kind are in the impeccable position to exploit you,” (page 67) which is a common theme found throughout your novel. The previous verbal expression transmuted my perspective, by providing multiple examples of experts apostatizing uneducated and uninformed Samaritans. …show more content…

The expert’s incentive is more of a reward for themselves. There are many cases that stick out to me in today’s world, and one of them is how researchers are being pried for information they don’t have. When this occurs, there are times that they give out mendacious information that could harm society (Chapter three). Researchers are continuously rewarded for their data, but when they don’t have the data that is being seeked, they provide false information in best hope for self-interest. Thus, could be harmful to society if the data is medical, agricultural, or of any other field. One particular case that was very prominent to me was how parenting experts exaggerate scenarios, then require parents to meet certain criteria, such as how “breastfeeding is the only way your child is assured to be smart and healthy (chapter five page 147). Lastly in the first chapter “What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common,” (page 15) the school teacher’s incentives were to make themselves look like better teachers. The teachers transmuted their student’s

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