My Review on Goodreads
This is perhaps the 3rd time that I have re-read this book and writing its review now. Initially I was of the belief that this book intends to make you "ask questions", "think about the questions and seek answers to it" and "probe into the details and alternative views to get answers".
This reading after more than a decade again made me do all this and I have come to a realization that the authors are smart/diplomatic enough to raise their dissenting voices on the experts views on various subjects but not make a conclusive decision on the causes of the matter. You see, that is the hardest part and such is life that it invariable has many dimensions to it, that statistically speaking old school regression model of decoding the causation is hardly sufficient.
I now do also see the authors bias for things and constructing it through their narration of their thesis in this book. Take the case of "gun-control laws in the US" that they seem to be so dead against which they bring out in their straw-man arguments against it in their points. As case in point, he supports the author of the book titled, "More Guns, Less Crime", with an argument that a mugger wouldn't attack a lady if he believes she is armed. Really? Why should he not kill her supposing that she is armed? Also, citing that the number of guns in the black market is so much than the population, that this law is ineffective is poor argument. Shouldn't the argument be such that the law needs to be so strong and effective by making the governance strong that the governments takes responsibility for public safety and do whatever it takes so that its citizens not worry about it at all? Isn't this the heart and soul of Democratic Governments?
The key take away for me is that any expert findings is at best an informed opinion based on limited knowledge and experience; and not a definitive silver bullet. This is what any reader of this book should come to a conclusion and get into the habit of deliberate practice and see what works for him/her. You are not right and wrong always and it is important that you keep learning to get better and better by the days to come. At least, I have come to this level of maturity fighting my own bias from time to time. This sticks with my initial take aways that I stated in the beginning to the point where I could take a dig even at the author's point of view. Eureka!