Saturday, October 19, 2013

Predictably Irrational


Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions [Unabridged] [Audible Audio Edition]

Author: - ISBN: B0014EAHNQ - Language: English - Format: PDF, EPUB

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 10 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 25 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.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

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DETAILS
  • Audible Audio Edition
  • Listening Length: 7 hours and 27 minutes
  • Program Type: Audiobook
  • Version: Unabridged
  • Publisher: HarperAudio
  • Audible.com Release Date: February 19, 2008
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B0014EAHNQ

REVIEWS

665 Reviews Predictably Irrational Revised and Expanded Edition The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions Kindle edition by Dan Ariely Download it once and read it on your 665 Reviews Predictably Irrational The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions Kindle edition by Dan Ariely Download it once and read it on your Kindle device PC phones or The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely A fascinating book called Predictably Irrational The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions Download Predictably Irrational The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely narrated by Simon Jones digital audio book Get the Audible Audio Edition make better decisions Predictably Irrational will change The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions Dan Ariely HARPER An Imprint ofHarperCoMinsPublishersPredictably Irrational The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions download at 4shared Predictably Irrational The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions is Predictably Irrational The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions download links searchDownload Predictably Irrational The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions Audiobook Unabridged The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions Author Dan Predictably Irrational The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions is a 2008 book by Download as PDF The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions pdf download as PDF TXT or read com harpercollins predictably irrational The Hidden Forces Our Decisions That

This book and Dan Ariely have recieved a lot of media attention, so I approached the book with some skepticism, thinking that it might be overhyped. I'm pleased to report that my skepticism turned out to be unwarranted.

The book has many strengths, the main one being that it convincingly presents many ways people are wired and/or conditioned to be irrational, usually without even being aware of it. This eye-opening revelation can be a bit disheartening, but the good news is that we can fix at least some of this irrationality by being aware of how it can arise and then making a steady effort to override it or compensate for it. That's not an easy task, but it can be done. As a simple example, I've programmed a realistic exercise schedule into my PDA, and I've been very consistent with my exercise because of that. The PDA imposes a discipline on me which I couldn't otherwise impose on myself (as I know from experience).

The book is also well written, and I would even say enjoyable to read. The many experiments described in the book are presented in a lively way which elicits interest, and Ariely goes into just the right amount of detail -- enough to convey the basic experimental designs, results, and plausible interpretations, without boring the reader by getting into esoteric points which are more appropriate for journal papers.

The one criticism I have of the book, which applies to most of Western pscyhology, is that most of the described experiments used US college students as subjects. That raises a serious question regarding the extent to which the results can be generalized to people of the same age who aren't college students, people of other ages, and people outside the US.

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