Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition
Subtitle: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Published: August 15, 2010
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 384
ISBN-13: 9780061353246
Subjects: Business & Investing -- Marketing & Sales -- Consumer Behavior; Business & Investing -- Popular Economics; Health, Mind & Body -- Psychology & Counseling -- By Topic -- Decision-Making; Health, Mind & Body -- Psychology & Counseling -- Social Psychology & Interactions; Professional & Technical -- Professional Science -- Behavioral Sciences -- Cognitive Psychology; Professional & Technical -- Professional Science -- Behavioral Sciences -- Cognitive Science; Science -- Behavioral Sciences -- Cognitive Psychology
Description: Why do smart people make irrational decisions every day? The answers will surprise you. This book is a look at why we all make illogical decisions. Why can a 50-cent aspirin do what a penny aspirin can't? If an item is "free" it must be a bargain, right? Why is everything relative, even when it shouldn't be? How do our expectations influence our actual opinions and decisions? In this book, the author, a behavioral economist cuts to the heart of our strange behaviour, demonstrating how irrationality often supplants rational thought and that the reason for this is embedded in the very structure of our minds. This book blends everyday experiences with a series of illuminating and often surprising experiments, that will change the understanding of human behaviour. And, by recognizing these patterns, the author shows that we can make better decisions in business, in matters of collective welfare, and in our everyday lives from drinking coffee to losing weight, buying a car to choosing a romantic partner.