Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions - Softcover

Ariely, Dr Dan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0061353248 ISBN 13: 9780061353246

Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2010

Synopsis

"A marvelous book... thought provoking and highly entertaining."
--Jerome Groopman, New York Times bestselling author of How Doctors Think

"Ariely not only gives us a great read; he also makes us much wiser."
--George Akerlof, 2001 Nobel Laureate in Economics

"Revolutionary."
--New York Times Book Review

Why do our headaches persist after we take a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a fifty-cent aspirin? Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save twenty-five cents on a can of soup?

When it comes to making decisions in our lives, we think we're making smart, rational choices. But are we?

In this newly revised and expanded edition of the groundbreaking New York Times bestseller, Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. From drinking coffee to losing weight, from buying a car to choosing a romantic partner, we consistently overpay, underestimate, and procrastinate. Yet these misguided behaviors are neither random nor senseless. They're systematic and predictable--making us predictably irrational.

About this title

Review:

"A taxonomy of financial folly."--The New Yorker

"A marvelous book that is both thought provoking and highly entertaining, ranging from the power of placebos to the pleasures of Pepsi. Ariely unmasks the subtle but powerful tricks that our minds play on us, and shows us how we can prevent being fooled."--Jerome Groopman, New York Times bestselling author of How Doctors Think

"Predictably Irrational is an important book. Full of valuable and entertaining insights that will make an impact on your business, professional, and personal life."--Jack M Greenberg, Chairman, Western Union Company, Retired Chairman and CEO, McDonald's Corporation

"Ariely's book addresses some weighty issues . . . with an unexpected dash of humor."--Entertainment Weekly

"The most difficult part of investing is managing your emotions. Dan explains why that is so challenging for all of us, and how recognizing your built-in biases can help you avoid common mistakes."--Charles Schwab, Chairman and CEO, The Charles Schwab Corporation

"This is a wonderful, eye-opening book. Deep, readable, and providing refreshing evidence that there are domains and situations in which material incentives work in unexpected ways. We humans are humans, with qualities that can be destroyed by the introduction of economic gains. A must read!"--Nassim Nicholas Taleb, New York Times bestselling author of The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable

"A delightfully brilliant guide to our irrationality--and how to overcome it--in the marketplace and everyplace."--Geoffrey Moore, author of Crossing the Chasm and Dealing with Darwin

"Dan Ariely's ingenious experiments explore deeply how our economic behavior is influenced by irrational forces and social norms. In a charmingly informal style that makes it accessible to a wide audience, PREDICTABLY IRRATIONAL provides a standing criticism to the explanatory power of rational egotistic choice."--Kenneth Arrow, Nobel Prize in Economics 1972, Professor of Economics Stanford University

"PREDICTABLY IRRATIONAL is a charmer-filled with clever experiments, engaging ideas, and delightful anecdotes. Dan Ariely is a wise and amusing guide to the foibles, errors, and bloopers of everyday decision-making."--Daniel Gilbert, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University and author of Stumbling on Happiness

"In creative ways, author Dan Ariely puts rationality to the test. . . . New experiments and optimistic ideas tumble out of him, like water from a fountain."--Boston Globe

From the Back Cover:

Why do our headaches persist after we take a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a fifty-cent aspirin?

Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save twenty-five cents on a can of soup?

When it comes to making decisions in our lives, we think we're making smart, rational choices. But are we?

In this newly revised and expanded edition of the groundbreaking New York Times bestseller, Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. From drinking coffee to losing weight, from buying a car to choosing a romantic partner, we consistently overpay, underestimate, and procrastinate. Yet these misguided behaviors are neither random nor senseless. They're systematic and predictable--making us predictably irrational.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0061353248
• ISBN 13: 9780061353246
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384