The Logic of Life: Uncovering The New Economics of Everything by Tim Harford

The Logic of Life: Uncovering The New Economics of Everything by Tim Harford

The website http://timharford.com/logicoflife/



Table of Contents:-
Introduction
Chapter One: Introducing the Logic of Life
Chapter Two: Las Vegas
Chapter Three: Is Divorce Underrated?
Chapter Four: Why Your Boss is Overpaid
Chapter Five: In the Neighborhood
Chapter Six: The Dangers of Rational Racism
Chapter Seven: The World is Spiky
Chapter Eight: Rational Revolutions
Chapter Nine: A Million Years of Logic
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index

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About the Book



“Life often seems to defy logic. When a prostitute agrees to unprotected sex, or a teenage criminal embarks on a burglary, or a smoker lights another cigarette, we seem to be a million miles from what we would call rational behaviour. None of this makes sense – or does it? Tim Harford thinks it does. And by weaving stories from locations as diverse as a Las Vegas casino and a Soho speed-date together with insights from an ingenious new breed of economist, he aims to persuade you that we are all, in fact, surprisingly logical. Reading this book, you’ll discover that the unlikeliest of people – racists, drug addicts, revolutionaries and rats – comply with economic logic, always taking account of future costs and benefits, even if they don’t quite realise it. It even explains why your boss is overpaid…”

The Logic of Life was named a 2008 book of the year by both The Economist and The Financial Times.


Other Reviews

Financial Times and Slate.com columnist Harford (The Undercover Economist) provides an entertaining and provocative look at the logic behind the seemingly irrational. Arguing that rational behavior is more widespread than most people expect, Harford uses economic principles to draw forth the rational elements of gambling, the teenage oral sex craze, crime and other supposedly illogical behaviors to illustrate his larger point. Utilizing John von Neumann and Thomas Schelling's conceptions of game theory, Harford applies their approach to a multitude of arenas, including marriage, the workplace and racism. Contrarily, he also shows that individual rational behavior doesn't always lead to socially desired outcomes. Harford concludes with how to apply this thinking on an even bigger scale, showing how rational behavior shapes cities, politics and the entire history of human civilization. Well-written with highly engaging stories and examples, this book will be of great interest to Freakonomics and Blink fans as well as anyone interested in the psychology of human behavior. (Feb.)
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