Like the bestselling Blink and Freakonomics, this lively narrative is a fresh view of the world, explaining the previously inexplicable and revealing hidden influences on human decision-making.
A Harvard Business School student pays over $200 for a $20 bill. Washington, DC commuters ignore a free subway concert by a violin prodigy. A veteran airline pilot attempts to take off without control tower clearance and collides with another plane on the runway. Why do we do the wildly irrational things we sometimes do?
Drawing on cutting-edge research from the fields of social psychology, behavioral economics, and organizational behavior, brothers Ori and Rom Brafman reveal the dynamic forces that act on us repeatedly over time, affecting nearly every aspect of our personal and business lives. They show how we are sabotaged by loss aversion (going to great lengths to avoid perceived losses), the diagnosis bias (ignoring evidence that contradicts our initial take on a person or situation), and commitment (even when a plan isn’t working, we are reluctant to change course). Weaving together colorful stories-- about dot-com millionaires, game show audiences, NBA coaches, and the US Supreme Court-- tours the flip side of reason and points us toward a more rational life.
Reviews
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Why do we cling to a strategy long after we know it's not working? How can an expert throw away years of experience in a single, terrible decision? Ori and Rom Brafman explore questions like these in their engaging and insightful look at the reasons why humans behave irrationally in their professional, personal, and financial lives. Actor John Apicella, a newcomer to audiobook narration, has a welcoming voice, and while his pacing is a tad slow, it does give the listener a chance to absorb and consider the Brafmans' compelling ideas. Apicella's phrasing falters occasionally--too often he sounds like he's self-consciously reading, as opposed to narrating--but his performance is strong enough that we'll likely be hearing more from him. D.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
About the Author
ORI BRAFMAN is the author of the critically acclaimed The Starfish and the Spider. A sought-after speaker, he has addressed Microsoft, Amazon, the Stanford Business School, UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, and the Harvard Business School. A lifelong entrepreneur who launched a network of more than 1,000 CEOs working for peace and economic development projects, he holds a BA in peace and conflict studies from Berkeley and an MBA from Stanford Business School.
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