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heidilreads's review against another edition
i liked the idea of this book, but sometimes missed the conclusions in the chapters. maybe i didn't have the attention span for it.
meginsanity's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed all but the last section of this book (about poker), which I thought fell flat and needed some more editing. It provides a lot of interesting anecdotes and reasoning, but I would have liked a little more detail about the experiments Lehrer used to illustrate some of his concepts. They felt somewhat simplified and I often found myself wondering about some potential problems in the experiments.
j15n's review against another edition
5.0
Really enjoyed it. I'm fascinated by behavioral psychology.
x0pherl's review against another edition
3.0
Fans of Dan Ariely or Daniel Pink's Drive will recognize the formula here. Some science-y stuff about the brain broken up with stories to illustrate. This book started a little slow for me, but it did pick up and get more interesting after a while.
I'd probably give it another 1/2 star if I could, and it might have been a 4 star if it didn't feel a bit formulaic to me.
I'd probably give it another 1/2 star if I could, and it might have been a 4 star if it didn't feel a bit formulaic to me.
what_is_daphne_reading's review against another edition
4.0
He uses a lot of pilot stories to show us the importance of quick decisions, which is nice but... I was reading this because I thought it would help me with my budding thesis on choice. But I'm thinking of the inherent reinforcing properties of choosing, not so much of the how and why we chose. Nevermind. Good book though. Quick read if you have the time.
kitkat962's review against another edition
2.0
Well, there is not much to say.
Get Thinking Fast and Slow instead.
Get Thinking Fast and Slow instead.
geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
A really interesting book about how we make decisions. It delves into the different areas of the brain to discuss their function during the decisions we make. One of the main questions raised asks if we make better decisions by being analytical or by using gut instinct. And the answer is a resounding yes.
Told with many examples, from pilots who saved airplanes, to all the decisions a quarterback has to make, to the best way to pick a strawberry jam, it's insightful, if perhaps not as conclusive as some might like. It turns out that our experience can inform decisions on a subconcious level, so while the situation or crisis we find ourselves in may not be familiar to us, our brain is already skewing our options and opinions. This had good and adverse consequences. Sometimes, our brain gets fooled, and we spend too much money or there are too many variables to choose from, so we pick irrationally.
This book confirms my theory that we won't have truly sentient computers in my lifetime. Sure, we can build a computer to beat humans at chess because the options are all analytical, but building one that could win at poker, where the options are analytical and bluffing, seems nigh impossible. An interesting afterword explains why statistics for airplane crashes are down. Our brains are really amazing and this book is very readable.
Told with many examples, from pilots who saved airplanes, to all the decisions a quarterback has to make, to the best way to pick a strawberry jam, it's insightful, if perhaps not as conclusive as some might like. It turns out that our experience can inform decisions on a subconcious level, so while the situation or crisis we find ourselves in may not be familiar to us, our brain is already skewing our options and opinions. This had good and adverse consequences. Sometimes, our brain gets fooled, and we spend too much money or there are too many variables to choose from, so we pick irrationally.
This book confirms my theory that we won't have truly sentient computers in my lifetime. Sure, we can build a computer to beat humans at chess because the options are all analytical, but building one that could win at poker, where the options are analytical and bluffing, seems nigh impossible. An interesting afterword explains why statistics for airplane crashes are down. Our brains are really amazing and this book is very readable.
tintinintibet's review against another edition
4.0
I read this entire genre of books, and Jonah Lehrer has done a commendable job in:
1. selecting really good examples (of course other writers can't help but choose some of these examples for their own books, but Lehrer has pulled together the most diverse and insightful examples in his book)
2. keeping the momentum of the book going
2a. his theme is something a reader can follow throughout (e.g. I did NOT find myself wondering why I was hearing about football or fire-fighting or whatever -- I either knew where Lehrer was going or I trusted that he'd explain shortly)
2b. his writing style is highly readable
If you're looking for ONE book in this genre to read, this is it -- save all those Predictably Irrational, Critical Mass, and their ilk for later.
1. selecting really good examples (of course other writers can't help but choose some of these examples for their own books, but Lehrer has pulled together the most diverse and insightful examples in his book)
2. keeping the momentum of the book going
2a. his theme is something a reader can follow throughout (e.g. I did NOT find myself wondering why I was hearing about football or fire-fighting or whatever -- I either knew where Lehrer was going or I trusted that he'd explain shortly)
2b. his writing style is highly readable
If you're looking for ONE book in this genre to read, this is it -- save all those Predictably Irrational, Critical Mass, and their ilk for later.
gfmatt's review against another edition
5.0
Possibly the best non-fiction book I've read so far this year (not that I've read that many).
amyeewing's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic read! Lehrer did an impressive job weaving together stories and scientific descriptions of decision processes from all sorts of aspects of life. It made me want to do what he advises--think about thinking. I feel as though I better understand how I think about the world for having read the book.
When I described the book to the dental hygienist the other day, she was a little intimidated, but that was entirely my fault. The science described in the book is exceptionally approachable and well organized. I have no background in the area and was never lost. It heled that Lehrer is clearly a gifted storyteller.
When I described the book to the dental hygienist the other day, she was a little intimidated, but that was entirely my fault. The science described in the book is exceptionally approachable and well organized. I have no background in the area and was never lost. It heled that Lehrer is clearly a gifted storyteller.