A Nudge on the funny bone
James Forsyth 2:37pm
You either love these snappily titled American social science books—The Tipping Point, Blink, Freaknomics, Th!Nk and the one that the Cameroons are all reading: Nudge—or you hate them. Having just read Anne McElvoy’s review of Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler’s Nudge in Standpoint, I can guess which camp Anne falls in. But even as a bit of sucker for these books, I have to admit that her conclusion is hilarious:
Hat Tip: Alice Fishburn at Comment CentralOf course, I could just stop carping, get with the programme and contribute some sequels. A new philosophy for the Blairmeronian centre ground, Sludge. For confused Liberal Democrats, Fudge. And for David Davis and his renegade Tory libertarians, Grudge. I really think I’m on to something.
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1524 Hollins Street
August 13th, 2008 3:30pmAs someone, who has heard Cass Sunstein -the 'Nudge' co-author- speak about his book, I am sceptical. Sunstein churns out a mass of books, invariably on the wrong side of the chosen issue. Nudging is a euphemism for nannying and libertarian paternalism is an oxymoron. I hope the Cameron crowd grows out of this.
I preferred 'Freakonomics', but this too was often meretricious.