Start the new year off right by learning how to ìThink Like a Freak.î Authors Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner addressed a myriad of world problems via an ìeconomic approachî in ìFreakonomicsî and ìSuperfreakonomics.î Now, they want to inspire us to ìretrain our brainsî so we can examine our world rationally.Their plan for a more productive and creative life includes a lot of common-sense advice. Along the way, they give stellar examples of successful people who learned to look at problems from every angle. All refused to let ìconventional wisdomî stand in the way of accomplishing their goals.Yet, oddly enough, the writers scream repeatedly that ìthis is not a self-help book.î Me thinks the authors doth protest too much!After all, they begin by encouraging us ìto put away your moral compassî when attempting to solve a problem. That statement appears worrisome, counterintuitive and impossible to achieve because our thought process is shaped by our culture, religion and political inclinations. However, the authors arenít asking us to disregard our moral code, just put it aside long enough to consider that these ìbiasesî often ìcolor your view of the world.îNext, we learn how fears can impede our progress. Levitt and Dubner claim ìthe three hardest wordsî for many adults to say are ìI donít know,î simply because we donít want to appear uninformed or stupid. But, unless we can admit what we donít know, we miss out on the opportunity to ask questions and learn. And there is an added bonus to saying, ìI donít know.î It stops us from looking exceptionally foolish when others notice weíve been bluffing.What I like best about this book is the range of stories the authors use to illustrate their points. There is useful information for parents, entrepreneurs, sport enthusiasts, members of the medical profession and even wannabe magicians.The writers then advise us to ìthink like a child.î Children constantly ask ìwhy.î Sadly, for many adults that habit diminishes with age. Yet, those adults who retain that childlike quality are the people who make a difference in this world.In 1981, Barry Marshall, ìa young Australian medical resident,î asked why he found bacteria living in 20 patientsí stomachs, when the conventional wisdom of the day claimed bacteria couldnít survive in the stomach because of its acidity. His question led to the discovery that ulcers are caused by bacteria, instead of stress or spicy food as once thought.Today, that one questioning researcher is responsible for a whole new field of medical study. Now, biologists understand that the role of microbes in the gut may be key to curing not only stomach disorders, but also multiple sclerosis, cancer, obesity, Parkinsonís disease and much more. Read about Thomas Borody, a gastroenterologist, whose research is based on Marshallís findings. Borody has already cured patients with ulcerative colitis ó once thought to be incurable. However, he said, ìThe list of aliments that may have a root cause living in the human gut is nearly endless.îBorody and other scientists are identifying the bacterial culprits and replacing those with beneficial gut bacteria. Unfortunately, how they accomplish that makes the average person more than a little squeamish. Yes, it would be a hard pill to swallow, but Borody claims to have successfully treated Parkinsonís and MS patients with this method. So, if sometime in the near future, it is a choice among chemotherapy, death, or a ìfecal transplantî in the form of a pill, most of us would swallow our pride along with the pill.Moving on to a less icky subject, Levitt and Dubner show how ìincentives rule our world.î The incentive doesnít have to be money, but in our culture it normally is. If you want your children to get better grades, try offering them a big cash incentive for every ìAî and a little less for ìB.î Years ago, I did this with my own children, and it sure beat yammering at them daily to do their homework and study. After the first payout, their grades increased dramatically.Zappos, the biggest online shoe company, also used an odd incentive to retain competent workers. The business spends a lot of its budget training new employees, who make about $11 an hour. Strangely, after training, Zappos offers them $2,000 to leave, if they will sign a document stating they ìsurrender their eligibility to be rehired at Zappos.î Read how that panned out, and youíll understand what the authors mean about incentives working.If you are a writer or public speaker, then Chapter 8 is a must-read. In it, Levitt and Dubner outline how to make a persuasive argument. You may have heard the same points in Communications 101, but many of us could use a refresher course in getting our points across, without resorting to name calling or using purely emotional arguments. Whether you are trying to persuade a relative to start living right, attempting to influence how a project will be completed at work or are speaking before a Congressional Committee, this chapter is helpful.Levittís and Dubnerís somewhat bizarre stories are always entertaining and enlightening. Somehow, the wacky stories stay with us longer, nudging us to ask questions and dig deeper into information we once accepted as ìfacts.î Find out why those Nigerian scam artists arenít afraid to say they are from Nigeria. Discover why magicians fear performing before children more than they do adults. Learn the odds of scoring a soccer penalty-goal with a kick ìstraight down the middleî and uncover the secrets of a skinny Japanese competitive eater.All right, it is 2015! The future is here. Embrace it by learning how to ìThink like a Freak.î
