Reading Group --- Day 1
Freakonomics Reading Group at President Garner's house. Everyone has their books and are ready to start.
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Cornell students with Becker and Murphy
Cornell Students, President and Katrina Garner, Jim McWethy with Gary Becker and Kevin Murphy
Discussing a book with the author!
Author Steven Levitt talking to students about his book, Freakonomics
Discussing rogue economics
President Garner listens as student Chelsea Coyne discusses her thoughts on the book
Wow, great chapter!
Veronica and Mehrdad discussing their favorite passages in the book
Amber Fricke with Steven Levitt
Students arrive at the University of Chicago
At the Becker Center's conference on Economics in Chicago and meeting with Steven Levitt
Audrey Saunders talking with Nobel Laureate Gary Becker
Saunders asks Becker what made him get into the field of economics
Audrey Saunders with Steven Levitt
Ben Sebers discussing his favorite quote of the chapter
Bus time!
Students getting ready for the bus ride to Chicago to meet with author Steven Levitt
Chelsea Coyne with Steven Levitt
Students talking with Gary Becker and Kevin Murphy
Following lunch at the conference, students talk to two distinguished economists
Students get ready to meet with Levitt
Leslie Tweeton, Veronica Czastkiewicz, and Maggie Rudick have front row seats
Students get cozy in a Becker Center classroom
Heather, Audrey, Cody, Amber, Oscar, and Chelsea Coyne are prepared
Ready for Levitt
Cody Peterson with Steven Levitt
Dali Cao with Steven Levitt
Getting ready to ride up to meet with Levitt
Students, Jim McWethy, Les and Katrina Garner going to meet with Levitt
Heather Roth with Steven Levitt
Leslie Tweeton with Steven Levitt
Favorite quotes?
Lucas, Leslie, and Heather discussing the book
Conference thoughts
Lucas, Veronica, President Garner, and Jim McWethy
Lucas Jorgensen with Steven Levitt
Lunch, table 1
Lunch time at the Becker Center for Price Theory
Lunch, table 2
Lunch time at the Becker Center for Price Theory
Maggie Rudick with Steven Levitt
Breakfast time
Getting a little breakfast before arriving in Chicago
Mehrdad Zarifkar with Steven Levitt
Oscar Rojas with Steven Levitt
Wow, great chapter!
Veronica Czastkiewicz and Mehrdad Zarifkar
Veronica Czastkiewicz with Steven Levitt
Spring 2007 Reading Group
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economicst Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Eighteen students joined President Les Garner, his wife Katrina, and professor of mathematics, Ann Cannon in his home for discussions on Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. Students questioned topics such as "why do drug dealers still live at home with their moms and how the Ku Klux Klan is like a group of real estate agents." Following their conversations, the group traveled to Chicago to meet coauthor Steven D. Levitt, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago and director of The Becker Center on Chicago Price Theory. Students participated in a Becker Center conference lecture, attended a lunch with Levitt as the keynote speaker, and held a 90-minute private meeting with him about his book.
Says Garner, "Leading the Freakonomics Reading Group was a wonderful experience for me and (I believe) the students. Freakonomics is a provocative book, and it provoked active debate and dialogue within the reading group. One of my objectives was to give the students the opportunity to think critically about complicated issues and to probe analysis of those issues in order to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the analysis. The students excelled, and when they had the chance to discuss their views with Steve Levitt, the author, I admires the clarity of their thinking and the articulate way they presented their ideas."
