SuperFreakonomics

Whether buoyed by overconfidence or driven by pressure to replicate Freakonomics' impact, the authors were too ambitious. The book's subtitle perhaps indicates the former; it seems like Levitt and Dubner tried hard to find sensational topics to examine, but in doing so, were unable to properly analyze them to make gripping conclusions.

The parts on altruism and cheap fixes to big problems are better, offering up a few interesting facts such as how something simple, like doctors and nurses washing their hands, led to a drastic drop in infant deaths in the 18th century.

The most fanciful idea featured in the book has to be a project by former Microsoft chief of technology Nathan Myhrvold that purports to solve global warming by creating a structure to pipe sulphur into the stratosphere. The authors have received a significant amount of criticism over this section for their supposed misleading and inaccurate arguments , including from one of the scientists mentioned in the chapter, Ken Caldeira. Dubner and Levitt seem to have a lot of faith in Myhrvold's wacky idea, belittling global warming advocates and deeming Myhrvold a genius ahead of his time.

SuperFreakonomics is still a decent book that is quite enjoyable. But a more modest approach by the authors, and more time spent writing, might have made it better and not so disappointing.

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