Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions | Dan Ariely

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions | Dan Ariely | Nice to read but lacks depth

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Predictably Irrati...

	Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions Dan Ariely HarperCollins, 2008 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 120 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Enlightening as well as entertaining

Some books are engaging, easy to read and understand; others contain solid and rigorous empirical thinking. Often the most entertaining books contain dubious content and many with the best content can be deadly dense and boring. But a few books are both engaging and enlightening and Predictably Irrational clearly falls into this category. Ariely skillfully integrates the basics of experimental psychology with warm and personal accounts of the social context and significance of a series of systematic investigations of several intriguing questions. What he finds are things social psychologists might have guessed but it is nice to have the evidence to support our theorizing and speculation. I teach a Senior Research in Psychology at a small liberal arts college and will use many of the studies in the book in my class; I've already purchased a few extra copies and given them to students who will be taking the course next year. This is a great book for those interested in psychology and human decision making.

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Nice to read but lacks depth

I enjoyed reading this book a lot. A lot of nice research examples and it gives you a extra understanding in the buying behaviour of people. But I rather missed the scientific data behind all the examples (at least some extra tables with percentage would be nice). And the author is very focused on his own research. A lot of time I wondered if some of the behaviour he describes is more a cultural phenomenon or biological one. When finished with the book I was left with a lot of questions. I read Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins Business Essentials) before this book and would recommend it if you like this book.

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My Rational Decision: Read only the parts that don't start to sound like a textbook

Why do we make so many mistakes? This book provides many rational answers to that question. But some explanations of some of the experiments become too tedious. However, it is possible to skip over these parts and pick it up again when the tedium ends and miss out only on less than essential details about why we tend to so often cross our wires when making decisions.

Fun Facts in a NYT Best Seller Cover

A great introduction to behavioral economics. Light and fun reading that includes interesting thoughts on assumptions that shape our understanding of demand. Ariely is an intelligent, well connected individual who provides anecdotes in his conversational voice to deliver a distilled look at the blending area between psychology and economics. Perfect read for a 2008 summer!

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