The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic atWork and at Home - Hardcover

Ariely, Dan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0007354762 ISBN 13: 9780007354764

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2010

Synopsis

Behavioral economist and New York Times bestselling author of Predictably Irrational Dan Ariely returns to offer a much-needed take on the irrational decisions that influence our dating lives, our workplace experiences, and our general behaviour, up close and personal.

In The Upside of Irrationality, behavioral economist Dan Ariely will explore the many ways in which our behaviour often leads us astray in terms of our romantic relationships, our experiences in the workplace, and our temptations to cheat. Blending everyday experience with groundbreaking research, Ariely explains how expectations, emotions, social norms and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities.

Among the topics Dan explores are:
· What we think will make us happy and what really makes us happy;
· How we learn to love the ones we are with;
· Why online dating doesn’t work, and how we can improve on it;
· Why learning more about people make us like them less;
· Why large bonuses can make CEOs less productive;
· How to really motivate people at work;
· Why bad directions can help us;
· How we fall in love with our ideas;
· How we are motivated by revenge; and
· What motivates us to cheat.

Drawing on the same experimental methods that made Predictably Irrational such a hit, Dan will emphasize the important role that irrationality plays in our day-to-day decisionmaking―not just in our financial marketplace, but in the most hidden aspects of our lives.

About this title

Review:

Praise for Predictably Irrational:

'For anyone interested in marketing – either as a practioner or victim – this is unmissable reading. If only more researchers could write like this, the world would be a better place.' Financial Times

From the Back Cover:

The provocative follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Predictably Irrational

• Why can large bonuses make CEOs less productive?
• How can confusing directions actually help us?
• Why is revenge so important to us?
• Why is there such a big difference between what we think will make us happy and whatreally makes us happy?

In his groundbreaking book Predictably Irrational, social scientist Dan Ariely revealed the multiple biases that lead us into making unwise decisions. Now, inThe Upside of Irrationality, he exposes the surprising negative and positive effects irrationality can have on our lives. Focusing on our behaviors at work and in relationships, he offers new insights and eye-opening truths about what really motivates us on the job, how one unwise action can become a long-term habit, how we learn to love the ones we're with, and more.

Drawing on the same experimental methods that made Predictably Irrational one of the most talked-about bestsellers of the past few years, Ariely uses data from his own original and entertaining experiments to draw arresting conclusions about how—and why—we behave the way we do. From our office attitudes, to our romantic relationships, to our search for purpose in life, Ariely explains how to break through our negative patterns of thought and behavior to make better decisions.The Upside of Irrationality will change the way we see ourselves at work and at home—and cast our irrational behaviors in a more nuanced light.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0007354762
• ISBN 13: 9780007354764
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 352