Think Like A Freak by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner
”Think Like A Freak” is the third instalment of the popular Freakonomics series that claims to explore the hidden side of everything while getting readers to think out of the box. ’like a freak’ as the title suggests. If you have not read the first two books, don’t worry as it is perfectly all right to read this as a standalone. Despite being rather short in length at 211 pages, it explores a variety of ideas.
Using interesting stories and real-life examples to illustrate the points, the book covers crucial, practical advice like learning to admit ”I don’t know”, asking the right questions, knowing when to quit, thinking like children meaning responding to questions and investigating your interests without regard to what others may think, and more. You also learn some interesting nuggets of information that you probably never thought about questioning, like how you can eat 50 hotdogs in 10 minutes and why Nigerian email scammers say they are from Nigeria.
The writing style is easy to understand, light-hearted and entertaining, making it a fun read. While it is thought- provoking, and encourages one to think differently, don’t expect it to change your life after a few reads, because that would of course require work on your own part. Being able to adopt its central values, however, would undoubtedly make your life a lot more interesting.
Holes by Louis Sachar
Stanley is a preteen who has been falsely accused of stealing. Between the options of jail and Camp Green Lake, Stanley picks the latter, having never been well-off enough to go to a camp. Unfortunately, Camp Green Lake is not the usual camp he had in mind. As part of ‘character building’, campers, usually juvenile delinquents are made to dig holes measuring five feet tall and five feet wide everyday under the hot sun. He must also learn to get along with the other boys around him. He falls into various adventures in unexpected ways.
”Holes” tells the realistic learning journey of dealing with harsh conditions, tragedy and failure. There are no rewards or promised success for doing good, but the protagonist chooses the right choices simply because they are right, even if he is subject to unfair treatment. It is a children’s book, but with a youthful yet mature sentiment, talking to, instead of talking down to children.
The writer weaves back and forth between the protagonist’s past and his ancestors, to the present. Often, the outcome is presented to the reader before the cause and process. However, it is not confusing to read and at times has the added advantage of provoking thought and engagement as the reader fervently turns pages wanting to know how something came about.
It is written in easy to read format where sentences and ideas are presented in short lengths. The narration is light-hearted and relaxing; in the face of unpleasant circumstances, the protagonist remains calm and maintains his sense of humour. Even children who do not usually like reading should find this book likeable enough.
This is an interesting and inspirational book for children and also adults looking for a quick entertaining read. Parents and teachers are encouraged to read this book with their young charges; many useful lessons can be imparted from analysing the storyline.
– These book reviews first appeared in a lifestyle magazine
