Author:Dan Ariely Binding: Hardcover Published: 2008-02-19 ISBN: 006135323X Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
"Well written, can't put it down!"
"Amazing wouldn't begin to describe this book"
"Worth $700 Billion, at least..."
"Get a tremendous ROI with this book!"
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Editorial Review:
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.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Well written, can't put it down! One of the best books I've read. Easy to relate to whether you're a marketing professional, or just the average consumer. The patterns are true and the book does a great job illustrating the research and coming up with lots of great real world examples. I pulled off the expectations stunt with a friend right after reading the book. He came over and wanted some scotch on the rocks. I poured it, handed to him, and he asked what it was. Told him it was 21-year Glenlivet (does that even exist?). He drank... more info
Amazing wouldn't begin to describe this book At 270 pages (including TOC, Indices etc), this book is packed with an absolutely mindblowing amount of insight. I say that b/c most of the things described are things most of us seldom if ever consider. Yet they are far from trivial. All in all, this is about the most excellent book I've read. It's interesting, relevant, compelling and important. Each chapter made me rethink things about my life that to date, have been axiomatic as far as I was concerned - and all the changes are for the better. Dan... more info
Worth $700 Billion, at least... Predictably Irrational is fascinating; Predictably Irrational is informative; and Predictably Irrational is important. It will raise your awareness of all the cognitive glitches that make us do really stupid things-- even if we are otherwise really smart (or at least think we are...) Its fundamental principles have been discussed in other reviews, so I will hold back from repeating them, but make no mistake, they are worth reading for yourself. I wish that this book were not only included among standard... more info
Get a tremendous ROI with this book! One of the most incite raising books I've ever read. I bought copies for my sons, boss, and co-workers. It will pay back in greenbacks.
