Leigh REALLY likes randomized testing. In this book, he explores how it has changed politics, philanthropy, and even grocery stores.
The book is a bit dense and took me a long time to get through. The premise was interesting for a few chapters at a time and the stories were interesting but it got a bit repetitive. And Leigh seemed a little skeptical of any other kind of testing. I mean, random testing is great, maybe the best of all testing, but other methods are equally valid.

Three stars
This book came out October 9, 2018
Audible book
Opinions are my own

Solid and thorough account of experimental research and the use of randomised control trials. Handles a huge amount of material thoroughly but (in my opinion) could have been condensed further. Unlikely to convince the casual reader.

Randomistas by Andrew Leigh is about the history and use of randomised trials in different areas and the importance of objective evidence.

Fascinating, but at times rather heavy going. I enjoyed reading about the early results of random trials, trying to find a cure for scurvey e.g. and the concept is very interesting but personally I felt the book lost its momentum part way through.

This book was eye opening for me, as I did not realize how many different areas were impacted by the randomized trials being performed. They are used in so many areas, such as teaching, crime solving, etc. The author wrote in a way that anyone can read this and understand it, which I appreciated since I do not work in this field.

Very interesting!
I couldn't help but request to read this book when I came across it on NetGalley because one it's talking about radical research and two it promises to highlight the pros and cons of randomized trials. I love research and I've worked in the field for a while, so this book's ability to share insights into some of the trials that I'd only heard of or read about like Australia's "The Journey to Social Inclusion Program," was insightful.
The language is simple, more like talking to someone over a cup of coffee but learning lots of stuff while at it.
I'd recommend it to anyone who's also working on Design challenges and seeks innovative solutions to challenges.