Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

By: Dan Ariely  

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Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5

• 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.

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: 2008-02-19

Customer Review: 1 out of 5
harmfull - this books contains a lot of advice that is harmful

like the health advice,

i recommend reading good calories and bad calories,

for rationality blink is in okay book(not without flaws of course)

i recommend to skip this book

Customer Review: 4 out of 5
I made it - I picked up this book thinking it would be as entertaining as freakonomics. It wasn't but it had it's own merits. I finished the book with a lot of useless knowledge and a new found fascination with behavioral studies. It was worth the read.

Customer Review: 4 out of 5
A good place to start - This book is a fun read. Ariely is insightful and intelligent. If you listen to his segments on NPR's Marketplace you will have hear a lot of what he covers in the book. As an academic and business writer, I found his bibliography helpful in furthering my research. The comparison between social and market transactions is a particularly useful concept for marketers as is his assertion that "expectations can alter subjective and even objective experiences.

Customer Review: 5 out of 5
Valuable Insights into Human Irrationality - The author presents some new insights that can help one gain a deeper understanding of irrational behavior in daily life. A key concept is that of relativity. Most human decisions are based on comparisons, and different conclusions are arrived at depending on what we choose to compare to.

What if there's nothing available for comparison? People will find an arbitrary "anchor" to compare to. The author demonstrates that people will even use their social security numbers as anchors to determine what they will pay for something. Another example of relativity and anchoring is when the first bread making machine was introduced, people viewed it as too expensive (they had nothing similar to compare it to). The product didn't sell until the same firm introduced a deluxe, higher priced machine. Then the original model started selling (because the original model was now a bargain compared to the deluxe version).

A second major concept is that human decisions made in an aroused, emotional state (caused by desire, fear, or anger) are different from those made in a cold, rational state. Thus, it is to our advantage to stay in a cold, rational state when making important decisions. On the other hand, when selling a product or idea, we will be more successful if we can appropriately arouse the buyer. The author provides examples demonstrating that people are irrationally aroused when offered something for FREE.

In summary, this book is a valuable tool in understanding the irrational nature of human decision making.

Customer Review: 5 out of 5
Predictably Irrational - This is a great book. If your in business or if you study behavior you will love this book. It's very helpful to understand why people so many of the irrational things we do.

This also explains why free is such a powerful word and how our expecptations influence the results we experience. A powerful book!

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

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