Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 153.83
EAN: 9780061353239
Format: Roughcut
ISBN: 006135323X
Label: HarperCollins
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 304
Publication Date: 2008-02-19
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: 2008-02-19
Studio: HarperCollins

Editorial Review:

Product Description

Why do our headaches persist after taking a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a 50-cent aspirin?

Why does recalling the Ten Commandments reduce our tendency to lie, even when we couldn't possibly be caught?

Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save twenty-five cents on a can of soup?

Why do we go back for second helpings at the unlimited buffet, even when our stomachs are already full?

And how did we ever start spending $4.15 on a cup of coffee when, just a few years ago, we used to pay less than a dollar?

When it comes to making decisions in our lives, we think we're in control. We think we're making smart, rational choices. But are we?

In a series of illuminating, often surprising experiments, MIT behavioral economist Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. Blending everyday experience with groundbreaking research, Ariely explains how expectations, emotions, social norms, and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities.

Not only do we make astonishingly simple mistakes every day, but we make the same types of mistakes, Ariely discovers. We consistently overpay, underestimate, and procrastinate. We fail to understand the profound effects of our emotions on what we want, and we overvalue what we already own. Yet these misguided behaviors are neither random nor senseless. They're systematic and predictable—making us predictably irrational.

From drinking coffee to losing weight, from buying a car to choosing a romantic partner, Ariely explains how to break through these systematic patterns of thought to make better decisions. Predictably Irrational will change the way we interact with the world—one small decision at a time.

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- Amazing read
This book is awesome. Basically distills a number of fields and ideas that most will already have had exposure with via living, school, etc - but does so with wit and great craftsmanship. Points out our shared irrationality in a novel, entertaining and education fashion.

Rating:

- Factual yet Entertaining
This is such a great book that explains how predictable our mind works and despite so we often are irrational in making decision.
I really enjoy reading the book and I am sure you definitely will as somehow those irrationalities mentioned in this book were hardwired into our DNA.

Rating:

- Predictably monotone
The premise is interesting, but the writing style didn't capture my interest. A lot of repetition. Yielded some useful insight. Overall, worth reading, even in a cursory manner.

Rating:

- Why do we think that way???!!!
This was an excellent read. It was entertaining and moved very fast. He provided a lot of information about how we thought and the ways we thought. If you are even remotely interested in how the human mind works, this is an excellent read. We are not the rational animals that we think we are and this book points out all of our lovable quirks.

Rating:

- Delightful
This book does a wonderful job of exploring the irrational decisions that we make and then giving thoughtful explanations for why we make them!

- flatpqnel
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Yeah and I'm in love too

CLLCT - The Collective Family An online community of indipendent musicians who have made their music free to download. No, it's not myspace.
(disclaimer: I have a profile there too, but nothing that I haven’t also posted on mefi.music. Apart from that I have nothing else to do with running or maintaining the site.)

Originally the 001collective, cllct is a community (or a collective if you will) of musicians dedicated to giving away their music for free on the internet. I randomly found the original 001 site while looking for online communities to post my own home recordings to. Not long after I signed up, the site changed to its current format under the new name cllct.

There is some phenomenal music to be found there, from the cuteness overload of Shelby Sifers, to the mature stylings of Generous Alzir, and even the off-kilter experiments of the Secret Owl Society (who is also the man behind the entire site).

Some other favourites of mine include:
21 love songs – a tribute to Magnetic Fields
Fire in the Mountains – James Eric
Pinecones – The Uggamuggas
Macondo – Fox Paws

I hope you enjoy the music!

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Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

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