This reviewer doesn't know if it was the first of its genre, but this is the oldest book she has of the "everyday economics" ilk, predating Steven Levitt and Tim Harford by more than a decade. And its as good as those if not better, and it's a shame it took Landsburg so long to write another ("More Sex is Safer Sex") but that does not disappoint either.

What might come over as harcore free-market libertarianism (sometimes) is--mostly--more like refreshing intellectual honesty about costs, benefits and incentives (the rest being commentary as per the book's first line). At least most of the time. The last chapter, "Why I am not an environmentalist" is one that seems likely to polarise the opinions of readers about whether Landsburg is insightful or a clueless idealogue.

A review of what's in between the first line and last chapter is hard to write without it sounding like trite cover-quotese . . . so it's "packed with thought provoking, often controversial and counter-intuitive observations on everyday human-interest issues, problems and situations" and so on, like the cover quotes probably say.

Landburg sticks the closest of any author this reviewer knows to the concept of incentives, and repeatedly says that he does so as well. This is a defining marker, if there is one. His writing style is very non-academic and non-technical too, as those familiar with his (too infrequent) "Slate" articles will know

Francesca ( )

Two chapters into this book, and I already had a beef with the author. Landsburg seems to me to be one of those economists who don’t live enough in the real world. His arguments sound much like the economist who won’t stoop to pick up a $100 bill on the ground because if the $100 were real, someone else would already have picked it up. He doesn’t say that specifically (at least so far) but his arguments sounds very much like one who would.

(Full review at my blog) ( )

I can barley remember reading this book. But from what I do remember it was pretty good. Better than the undercover economist but not as good as freakonomics

A great book for getting people to see economics as more than the study of how to make money. ( )

An entertaining look at the economic approach to everyday problems. (Like an in-depth version of Landsburg's column in Slate.) A great supplement to an introductory economics course, but also accessible to the lay reader. ( )