There are some people who can see through the clutter of complexity and false assumptions and spot a truth that the rest of us have all failed to spot. I find Steve Levitt, the ‘rogue economist’, interesting for this reason.

He’s particularly good at spotting cheats. One of Levitt’s earliest papers, which brought him to the attention of the economics community, was on why and how Sumo wrestlers cheat. He worked it out simply by studying the win-lose statistics and seeing patterns no-one else saw.

“He does not rely on fancy statistical techniques but on lateral thinking,” says The FT’s Tim Harford. “After dealing with a series of estate agents, he realised that they maximised their commissions by selling houses cheaply and quickly, because they were paid a small commission on the wholesale price, rather than a large commission on the extra value they were able to generate. But how to prove it? Levitt simply contrasted sales for clients with sales of the agents’ own houses. They take more time and get a higher price when their own cash is on the line.

As a fellow economist observes, “That result about real estate agents was just sitting there for any of thousands of economists to find. But they didn’t see it.”

Labels: Freakonomics, pattern spotting, Steve Levitt

It's frustrating and scary, isn't it, seeing real leaders, unarmed, putting their lives on the line on the streets of Burma at the moment.

"Please use your liberty to help promote ours," said Aung San Suu Kyi. So, here are some things we can do to help. They may not feel like much, but better than doing nothing:

If you are in the UK

Three things we can do here

1. Send an email to the UK Prime Minister

2. Sign the 'Free Burma' petition

3. Donate to the free Burma campaign.

You can do all three on the link above.

If you are in the US, American websites expressing concern over Burma are recommending you email your congressmen and other representatives to ask them to step up pressure on the regime. The Burma Freedom Campaign has links allowing you to email President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice if you click here and then scroll down to the bottom of the page.

If you are elsewhere in the world, Google 'support Burma' to browse events you may want to take part in, such as candlelight vigils, demonstrations outside embassies...

The link above contains other courses of action if you want to support the people of Burma longer term as they try and take the lead, at such enormous risk to themselves, in freeing themselves. Anita (see below) would be shouting loudest right now in their support. In her absence, we need to shout louder ourselves.

Labels: Help Burma

Some nice tributes to Anita Roddick, whom I've long-admired as a leader, on her website, particularly from her children, who knew her best, of course. She once agreed to come and address The Inspired Leaders Network, when I worked there. I persuaded her to do so by explaining that the meeting was being held in the atrium of Bloomberg's HQ in central London (that's Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York and head of the Bloomberg financial information empire), and that she would be talking to some of the biggest moves and shakers within capitalism from within the very belly of the beast. She relished the challenge and got a standing ovation when she'd finished. She is much missed.

"The future lies in finding a broader bottom line to live by. First, you have to have fun. Second, you have to put love where your labor is. Third, you have to go in the opposite direction to everyone else.

We communicate with passion - and passion persuades. What we need is optimism, humanism, enthusiasm, intuition, curiosity, love, humour, magic, fun, and that secret ingredient... euphoria". - Anita Roddick

Capstone, which publishes my book The 60 Second Leader, just created this, which is quite fun. It might take a minute to load: