Think Like A Freak: Discussion Questions
Book name is Think like a Freak by Stephen J. Dubner and Steven Levitt.
CHAPTER 3 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Explain why reframing the question can help you solve a problem.
2. Do you agree that when we discuss how well American children are doing in school, we should consider the role of parents as well as the role of teachers and schools? Explain your reasoning.
3. Is it always problematic to focus on the “noisy” part of the problem or issue? Describe incidences when it is beneficial and incidences when it is problematic to focus on the noisy part of the problem. Explain the factors that influence the part of the problem that people tend to focus on.
4. Explain how Kobi redefined the problem of competitive hotdog eating. How did redefining the problem help him solve his problem?
5. Describe the strategies that Kobi came up with that resulted from his redefined problem.
6. Describe the role that experimentation played in Kobi’s success.
7. Describe the two broad lessons that you learned from Kobi’s experience as a world famous hotdog-eating champion. Apply these lessons to a situation that you are currently facing.
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1 Reframing a question can help solve a problem because it gives different outlooks of the situation. In this case, other possibilities can be seen when a question is being turned and twisted. It is important to focus on a wider scope and to think and look outside the box. Focusing and analyzing only on the given situation does not guarantee a good outcome; this is where critical thinking must be observed.
2 When discussing how well American children are doing in school, it is really important to consider the role of parents, teachers, and school. The role of parents has a big part in nurturing young ones; their way of upbringing decides what kind of children they are raising. Teachers are said to be the second parents and their kind of prestige teaching can influence and motivate the children to strive and do good deeds in this lifetime. Lastly is how the school regulates the institution; if the school is conducive enough for learning and also has a kid-friendly environment, it motivates the students more.
3 Focusing on the noisy part of the problem can sometimes cause the rise of more problems from pre-existing problems. Although it is a fact that the noisy part of the problem gets more attention, it is also not right to disregard the whole situation, itself. Incidences like emergency require to be admitted first; this noisy part must ...