Steven D. Levitt
Steven D. Levitt
Full Name and Common Aliases
Steven D. Levitt is a renowned American economist, author, and academic.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on June 29, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois, USA, Steven D. Levitt is still alive.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Levitt holds dual citizenship of the United States and Canada. He is primarily known for his work as an economist, but he has also gained fame as a popular author and podcast host.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in a middle-class family in Chicago's North Shore, Levitt developed an interest in economics at an early age. His father, a lawyer, encouraged his curiosity about the world around him. Levitt attended New Trier Township High School, where he excelled academically and was particularly drawn to math and science.
Major Accomplishments
Levitt's academic career has been marked by numerous achievements:
Ph.D. in Economics: Levitt earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1994.
Academic Posts: He has held various positions at the University of Chicago, including the William W. and Edythe B. MacLean Chair in Capitalism.
Notable Works or Actions
Some of Levitt's most notable works include:
"Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" (2005): This bestselling book applies economic principles to unusual topics, such as crime and cheating. The book was a huge success and has been translated into over 35 languages.
"SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance" (2009): This follow-up book explores more unconventional subjects, including global warming and the economics of terrorism.
Impact and Legacy
Levitt's work has had a significant impact on various fields:
Economics: His innovative approach to applying economic principles to everyday life has influenced a new generation of economists.
Popular Culture: Levitt's books have been widely read and discussed, making economics more accessible to the general public.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Levitt is widely quoted and remembered for his:
Innovative Approach: His ability to make complex economic concepts engaging and relatable has made him a leading figure in popular economics.
Bestselling Books: The success of "Freakonomics" and its sequel has cemented Levitt's status as a prominent author and economist.
Quotes by Steven D. Levitt
Whatever problem you’re trying to solve, make sure you’re not just attacking the noisy part of the problem that happens to capture your attention.
Poverty is a symptom – of the absence of a workable economy built on credible political, social, and legal institutions.
Married people, for instance, are demonstrably happier than single people; does this mean that marriage causes happiness? Not necessarily. The data suggest that happy people are more likely to get married in the first place.
Isaac Bashevis Singer, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature, wrote across many genres, including children’s books. In an essay called “Why I Write for Children,” he explained the appeal. “Children read books, not reviews,” he wrote. “They don’t give a hoot about the critics.” And: “When a book is boring, they yawn openly, without any shame or fear of authority.” Best of all – and to the relief of authors everywhere – children “don’t expect their beloved writer to redeem humanity.
The growth of the Internet will slow drastically, as the flaw in ‘Metcalfe’s law’ – which states that the number of potential connections in a network is proportional to the square of the number of participants – becomes apparent: most people have nothing to say to each other! By 2005 or so, it will become clear that the Internet’s impact on the economy has been no greater than the fax machine’s.
Know that some people will do everything they can to game the system, finding ways to win that you never could have imagined. If only to keep yourself sane, try to applaud their ingenuity rather than curse their greed.
People are complicated creatures, with a nuanced set of private and public incentives, and that our behavior is enormously influenced by circumstances.
If it takes a lot of courage to admit you don’t know all the answers, just imagine how hard it is to admit you don’t even know the right question.
It is well and good to opine or theorize about a subject, as humankind is wont to do, but when moral posturing is replaced by an honest assessment of the data, the result is often a new, surprising insight.
Were writing Freakonomics, we had grave doubts that anyone would actually read it – and we certainly never envisioned the need for this revised and expanded edition.