Title: Great theme, horrible execution
Product review: The idea of an economic analysis of the quotidian bits of life is a great one; and it is easy to understand why Levitt is as highly regarded as he is. Unfortunately, this book is such a complete mismash of stylistic inconsistency, vague writing and studious avoidance of detail that it undermines itself.The book's theme seems to be that the economic toolkit is well suited to assessing (and debunking if appropriate) the conventional wisdom. But instead of actually seeing the economist's toolkit put to use, we are given a list of conclusions.The book is shallow -- and doesn't add much to the profile of Levitt that was in the NY Times Magazine a couple of years ago.Rather than reading this book, go to Levitt's U of Chicago homepage and read the papers that he has posted there.
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