In this book, Levitt and Dubner use a direct tone in order to be direct to readers and push them to think a certain way. When talking about finding the real facts, they say, “Don’t listen to what people say; watch what they do.” In order to convey their point that what people say they do does not necessarily reflect what they really do, they are very direct to the reader. They command the reader by saying “Don’t do this but do that.” This addresses the reader directly, which is something that is important in this style of book. Because Levitt and Dubner are try to teach a different way of thinking, they must speak right to the reader in order to be explicit with what they want the readers to do.
They also use controversy in order to promote this different way of thinking. When talking about problem solving, they say, “When it comes to solving problems, one of the best ways to start is by putting away your moral compass.” What they are trying to say is in order to find the true facts about things that would help you solve a problem, you must refrain from trying to determine what is morally right from what is morally wrong and you need to try to determine what is factually right from what is factually wrong. Many people would unconsciously use their morals when trying to solve problems, which is restrictive. The authors are teaching something that many might not want to hear since morals play a huge role in life. Yet, what they are saying is very rational, which fuels the controversy.
Overall, Levitt and Dubner are very successful by using their foundation of rationality to teach things in a direct and controversial way.
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