Rhetoric in Freakomics.

The book Freaknomics was written on the basis that statistics can change accepted assumptions. People can believe that real estate agents work for the seller only or that sumo wrestling is without corruption, but by merely examining the data related to these issues, it becomes clear that these assumptions are not always the case. In order to prove these assumptions incorrect, data must be supplied, and lots of it. Because data is used so extensively throughout the book, it comes as no surprise that logos is the primary rhetorical device. It is somewhat difficult to convince a person that a beloved sport like sumo wrestling is wrought with corruption without giving hard data, although emotions could arise as a by-product of making these controversial claims. By citing all the data, the author's build their ethos with the reader and further convinces them of their claims. Honestly, if a person looked at the amount of data they do their head would explode. The amount of data combined with their conclusions from this data combine to create such a conclusive and airtight argument, that it becomes very difficult to refute the claims. The following passage is an example of how they use both logos and ethos create an argument.      

"If morality represents the way we would like the world to work and economics represents how it actually does work, then the story of Feldman's bagel business lies at the very intersection of morality and economics. Yes, a lot of people steal from him, but the vast majority even though no one is watching over them, do not. This outcome may surprise some people--including Feldman's economist friends, who counseled him twenty years ago that this honor system scheme would never work. But it would not have surprised Adam Smith. In fact, the theme of Smith's first book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments  was the innate honesty of mankind. 'How selfish soever man may be supposed,' Smith wrote 'there are evidently some principles in his nature,which interests him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it, except the pleasure of seeing it.'"

In this paragraph, the author draws a parallel between economics and morality through the use of mainly logos and ethos. The first part of the paragraph represents a heavy use of logos. The use of "if this is true...then this is also true" is a classic example of logos. The second part of the paragraph takes a much more ethical approach. First, the author puts a naysayer; giving a voice to the other side of the issue. What makes this a powerful point of ethos is that this naysayer or rather these naysayers are real people who have a personal relation to the person cited. Next the use of a quote is a very effective use of ethos, and quoting the world famous economist Adam Smith takes the argument to another level. By quoting the man whom people assume would disagree with the statement and having his quote agree with their argument, makes a persuasive argument.