Freakonomics!
So, I got this awesome job with a news channel. I joined and started out with an average performance. But within a month, my performance skyrocketed. I became a favorite at the office and my ideas began to revolutionize the channel.
What happened?
What happened?
Freakonomics happened.
While I was still a fresher, a trainee in the corporate world, I was given some time to observe the workings of the office. Lot of free time, to kill which, a friend gave me this book. What was in this book? “Incentives” she said. That’s it.
Must be some high end economics book, but something’s better than nothing, so I set out to read it.
It was awesome! Out of the box application of economic principles focused on one assumption- people react to incentives, positively or negatively. You can solve any question, yup, ANY question using a correctly created algorithm and finding the correct data. That’s what the book tries to say. People don’t react to incentives in a predicable manner, there might be very different reasons behind some actions that people take rather than what we think must be the obvious reasons. Anyway, I was intrigued by the book and had a new motto.
If no work, do Freakonomics.
However, my workload rose before I got around to finishing the book. Now I was transferred to the video editing section and my colleague though it would be a lot better if I read some technical stuff rather than this freak-book. First he tried to persuade me into giving up Freakonomics but no. it was too late. I was addicted to it. The book just took me over.
As soon as I found free time, I sank into the book till somebody shook me out of it. My boss D’Souza was now as concerned with my mental health as a rehab worker with that of a drug addict. But I was busy wondering how could i observe the world as minutely as the authors of the book did?
According to him, I was on the verge of losing my sanity due to the book. Impressed by the language in the book, I had begun to change the language of the stories wrecking havoc in the sub editing section! As if that was not enough, i met the reporters and demanded more thoroughly researched reports, taking the air out of their reports by asking very pointed questions.
There was a reporter working on the police-drug lords nexus case and he brought in quality stories. Based on my newly learnt assumption that reasons behind certain things are not what they appear, I put forth an idea to him. From what I knew, the Russian and the Israeli mafia are fighting to capture the drug market in Goa. All the people arrested by the police in relation to drug paddling are Israelis. Is it really the police or are the Russians getting Israelis arrested to make their business secure?
“So go get me an interview of a Russian” I commanded.
The guy went white as a ghost hearing the word Russian. No locals dare walk on the coast sprawling with foreigners especially drug dealers after dark. “You are mad.” He whispered. I am not giving any more drug stories!”
Must be some high end economics book, but something’s better than nothing, so I set out to read it.
It was awesome! Out of the box application of economic principles focused on one assumption- people react to incentives, positively or negatively. You can solve any question, yup, ANY question using a correctly created algorithm and finding the correct data. That’s what the book tries to say. People don’t react to incentives in a predicable manner, there might be very different reasons behind some actions that people take rather than what we think must be the obvious reasons. Anyway, I was intrigued by the book and had a new motto.
If no work, do Freakonomics.
However, my workload rose before I got around to finishing the book. Now I was transferred to the video editing section and my colleague though it would be a lot better if I read some technical stuff rather than this freak-book. First he tried to persuade me into giving up Freakonomics but no. it was too late. I was addicted to it. The book just took me over.
As soon as I found free time, I sank into the book till somebody shook me out of it. My boss D’Souza was now as concerned with my mental health as a rehab worker with that of a drug addict. But I was busy wondering how could i observe the world as minutely as the authors of the book did?
According to him, I was on the verge of losing my sanity due to the book. Impressed by the language in the book, I had begun to change the language of the stories wrecking havoc in the sub editing section! As if that was not enough, i met the reporters and demanded more thoroughly researched reports, taking the air out of their reports by asking very pointed questions.
There was a reporter working on the police-drug lords nexus case and he brought in quality stories. Based on my newly learnt assumption that reasons behind certain things are not what they appear, I put forth an idea to him. From what I knew, the Russian and the Israeli mafia are fighting to capture the drug market in Goa. All the people arrested by the police in relation to drug paddling are Israelis. Is it really the police or are the Russians getting Israelis arrested to make their business secure?
“So go get me an interview of a Russian” I commanded.
The guy went white as a ghost hearing the word Russian. No locals dare walk on the coast sprawling with foreigners especially drug dealers after dark. “You are mad.” He whispered. I am not giving any more drug stories!”
The steady stream of drug related news to our channel thus died down. “Who told you to go do hula-hula with the reporters?” Thundered the Czar of video editing section Mr. D Souza. "Now don’t leave the videoediting desk. EVER.”
Fine! It only made me happier as I could utilize the time till a story came from the reporters to the sub editing desk and from there to the video editing table, to read Freakonomics! And so it was. Me and my book, peacefully huddled in a corner. I did not disturb my colleagues. Forget talking, I didn’t even have time to look at them-not even the girls! “The guy is insane” they complained. The moment these complaints reached Mr. Dsouza, he decided to end the game once and for all. He just hid the goddamned book.
The next day, I was as restless as an angry bull. Just when I was about to read how real estate agents cheat people into selling their houses for less than the actual cost, the book disappeared. I craved the book like an insomniac craves sleeping pills.
Drug dealers they say have some extra secret stocks stored separately to keep the market running in case of a police raid. I had a copy of freakonomics e book for just such an emergency. Someone found and deleted that too. But hey, they didn’t know who they were up against. Now I drew out my secret weapon- Freakonomics blog
Fine! It only made me happier as I could utilize the time till a story came from the reporters to the sub editing desk and from there to the video editing table, to read Freakonomics! And so it was. Me and my book, peacefully huddled in a corner. I did not disturb my colleagues. Forget talking, I didn’t even have time to look at them-not even the girls! “The guy is insane” they complained. The moment these complaints reached Mr. Dsouza, he decided to end the game once and for all. He just hid the goddamned book.
The next day, I was as restless as an angry bull. Just when I was about to read how real estate agents cheat people into selling their houses for less than the actual cost, the book disappeared. I craved the book like an insomniac craves sleeping pills.
Drug dealers they say have some extra secret stocks stored separately to keep the market running in case of a police raid. I had a copy of freakonomics e book for just such an emergency. Someone found and deleted that too. But hey, they didn’t know who they were up against. Now I drew out my secret weapon- Freakonomics blog
To my pleasant surprise the blog turned out to be even more interesting. Ironically the first post I read on the blog was about the value of public commitments. Yet here was I, refusing to commit to anything but freakonomics. But you know what, techies are smart. Video editors are techies. They just blocked the blog.
Then, I found Freakonomics radio!
Aware that the video editors might do something freaky again, I came to the sub editing section and sat quietly with headphones on my ears. Looking at my face full of contentment like an ascetic who just gained salvation, a sub-editor looked onto the computer screen.
“What are you listening to?” “Freakonomics radio.” I offered him a headphone. It was a podcast about how can incentives be used to improve the American education system. “Hmm. This thing is good man.” He was really getting interested. Seizing the opportunity to spread the knowledge, I told him that there was a book named freakonomics too.
“Ok, let’s see what’s in the book” he said. The next day, he became a freakonomics man. I on the other hand, went and sat on another computer near another sub-editor’s desk. He asked “what are you listening to”, I told him about the book and he was hooked on to it. Within days, the whole sub editing section was discussing how terrorists can be caught using economics to create a perfect algorithm, thanks to Superfreakonomics- the sequel to Freakonomics.
The language of the news reports now matched that of the book and reporters were being pressed for more details and faced questions they never even thought of from the sub editors. The video editors were now asked to make some graphs or pie charts because the S.E. (sub editing) section demanded that the stories become more knowledgeable and not just explicit and explosive.
In a bid to understand what had caused such upheavals in the SE section, some of the video editors caught the air of the book. Understanding that it is not just economic incentives that drive workers performance, the video editors began to demand small perks like better chairs in the office and some music for a better work environment because they had learnt that even smallest of the small incentives can lead to totally unintended reactions from different individuals.
When the language used in the news reports suddenly became awesome, Mr. D’Souza suspected I was doing all the stories. But no, when he found that the whole sub-editing section had ‘freaked out’ he decided to take the matter to the editor. The editor, having heard rumors of some addictive economics book had haunted his staff decided to see for himself what the book was all about. He would announce his verdict at the monthly staff evaluation meeting.
The next day, all visitors to his cabin were greeted by the sign DO NOT DISTURB.
At the end of the month, the monthly meeting was held to review the performance of the staff.
“I have noticed that there is this book which has virtually taken over our office” the editor proclaimed. Mr D’Souza nodded in approval. The staff would now be taken to task for diverting their mind to this trivial book. “After going through the book, the management has finally come to a decision.”
“The book is so motivating that we suggest entire staff read it. It will help us try new ideas and improve the quality of our channel.” Mr. D’Souza’s jaw fell out.
The next day, my missing copy of Freakonomics was back on the table and Mr. D Souza was deeply absorbed in his own copy, too busy to check my reading :)
Then, I found Freakonomics radio!
Aware that the video editors might do something freaky again, I came to the sub editing section and sat quietly with headphones on my ears. Looking at my face full of contentment like an ascetic who just gained salvation, a sub-editor looked onto the computer screen.
“What are you listening to?” “Freakonomics radio.” I offered him a headphone. It was a podcast about how can incentives be used to improve the American education system. “Hmm. This thing is good man.” He was really getting interested. Seizing the opportunity to spread the knowledge, I told him that there was a book named freakonomics too.
“Ok, let’s see what’s in the book” he said. The next day, he became a freakonomics man. I on the other hand, went and sat on another computer near another sub-editor’s desk. He asked “what are you listening to”, I told him about the book and he was hooked on to it. Within days, the whole sub editing section was discussing how terrorists can be caught using economics to create a perfect algorithm, thanks to Superfreakonomics- the sequel to Freakonomics.
The language of the news reports now matched that of the book and reporters were being pressed for more details and faced questions they never even thought of from the sub editors. The video editors were now asked to make some graphs or pie charts because the S.E. (sub editing) section demanded that the stories become more knowledgeable and not just explicit and explosive.
In a bid to understand what had caused such upheavals in the SE section, some of the video editors caught the air of the book. Understanding that it is not just economic incentives that drive workers performance, the video editors began to demand small perks like better chairs in the office and some music for a better work environment because they had learnt that even smallest of the small incentives can lead to totally unintended reactions from different individuals.
When the language used in the news reports suddenly became awesome, Mr. D’Souza suspected I was doing all the stories. But no, when he found that the whole sub-editing section had ‘freaked out’ he decided to take the matter to the editor. The editor, having heard rumors of some addictive economics book had haunted his staff decided to see for himself what the book was all about. He would announce his verdict at the monthly staff evaluation meeting.
The next day, all visitors to his cabin were greeted by the sign DO NOT DISTURB.
At the end of the month, the monthly meeting was held to review the performance of the staff.
“I have noticed that there is this book which has virtually taken over our office” the editor proclaimed. Mr D’Souza nodded in approval. The staff would now be taken to task for diverting their mind to this trivial book. “After going through the book, the management has finally come to a decision.”
“The book is so motivating that we suggest entire staff read it. It will help us try new ideas and improve the quality of our channel.” Mr. D’Souza’s jaw fell out.
The next day, my missing copy of Freakonomics was back on the table and Mr. D Souza was deeply absorbed in his own copy, too busy to check my reading :)
Story completely fictional
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