The book
Freakonomics sat atop the New York Times Best Seller list for an ungodly amount of time a year or two back and one of the Big 2.5 is looking to tap into the knowledge imparted by the author, Steven Levitt.
Levitt's thesis in the book was that the staid methods of analyzing data aren't always the best way of interpreting trends and the factors that contribute to the world we live in. Much of Freakonomics was an attack on conventional wisdom and, at times, common sense, which Levitt maintains can hamper the true meaning behind many of the developments that have affected everything from consumer choice to crime rates.
According to the author, his unique perspective has been utilized by one of Detroit's finest, with regard to plant productivity, marketing, healthcare and other day-to-day challenges that face this unnamed automaker. Levitt wouldn't reveal which particular exec he convened with, but he admits to meeting with a "visionary leader" within the industry.
Whether or not we'll be able to see the fruits of this union played out in the mystery manufacturer's business plans remains to be seen, but it reminds us of that friend in college that was insistent that whatever book he was reading at the time had all the answers to the world's ills. It wasn't true then, and we doubt anything has changed in the meantime.
[Source: Just-Auto.com – Sub. Req.]
