You Are Not So Smart

Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself

By: David McRaney

Narrated by: Don Hagen

Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

An entertaining illumination of the stupid beliefs that make us feel wise.

You believe you are a rational, logical being who sees the world as it really is, but journalist David McRaney is here to tell you that you're as deluded as the rest of us. But that's OK - delusions keep us sane. You Are Not So Smart is a celebration of self-delusion. It's like a psychology class, with all the boring parts taken out, and with no homework.Based on the popular blog of the same name, You Are Not So Smart collects more than 46 of the lies we tell ourselves everyday, including:

• Dunbar's Number - Humans evolved to live in bands of roughly 150 individuals, the brain cannot handle more than that number. If you have more than 150 Facebook friends, they are surely not all real friends.
• Hindsight bias - When we learn something new, we reassure ourselves that we knew it all along.
• Confirmation bias - Our brains resist new ideas, instead paying attention only to findings that reinforce our preconceived notions.
• Brand loyalty - We reach for the same brand not because we trust its quality but because we want to reassure ourselves that we made a smart choice the last time we bought it.

©2011 David McRaney (P)2011 Gildan Media Corp

Critic reviews

"In an Idiocracy dominated by cable TV bobbleheads, government propagandists, and corporate spinmeisters, many of us know that mass ignorance is a huge problem. Now, thanks to David McRaney's mind-blowing book, we can finally see the scientific roots of that problem. Anybody still self-aware enough to wonder why society now worships willful stupidity should read this book." ( David Sirota, author of Back to Our Future: How the 1980s Explain the World We Live In Now)

interesting, but dry.

You are not so smart is a collection of interesting articles from the podcast of the same name. The books material is very interesting however, presented one right after the other it becomes a series of short monologues and quickly starts to feel very very dry and and less interesting than the topics themselves warrant. This would make a great bathroom book, one that you digest in small bites over a long period of time but misses its mark in the audio format when you're listening for long stretches.

Think your above average? Everyone does.

Would you consider the audio edition of You Are Not So Smart to be better than the print version?

I would consider the audio edition better. I can do other things at the same time.

What did you like best about this story?

It was in small segments. A perfect listening book. Even for someone above average, like me.

What does Don Hagen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I can't sound as "wise guyish" as he dose.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The June Beetle, Super Sexers.

Any additional comments?

This was such a fun book to listen to, ive listen to it about ten times. It answers so many quesitons. Even ones you didnt know you had.

Not Very Interesting

Although I enjoy these sort of books, I found this one to be lacking. A lot the studies were ones that I had heard about before, so I found this to not be new or engaging. Many of the "truths" were obvious. I was not eager to keep listening, but did so as the I did enjoy the tone of the writing (it was like having a conversation with a friend). I just wasn't all that impressed. There are other books in this genre that are much better.

This should be required reading for all humans

Where does You Are Not So Smart rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's a 10 of 10 for its type of book

What does Don Hagen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He was spot on perfect. Absolutely perfect inflection & tone.

can't wait to hear it again. great compilation

I felt ir was a great psychological compilation eff though if the author kept saying "but then again, you're not so smart"....

A good introspection into the self

What did you love best about You Are Not So Smart?

That every idea that he put forth was supported heavily in the scienctific community. It is nice to know that I in fact act am not as rational that I have thought.. In ways that I never have thought affect me seem to shape my world.

funny and deeply enlightening.

This is easily the most comprehensive book I've ever read on the human mental/psychological state.Superbly narrated with crystal clarity and loaded with compelling studies and references,this is one humbling piece of work.Excellent!!

A smart audible release!

The voice of Don Hagen fits the bill! The short chapters fits the format. It is a funny and informal and I became just a little smarter.

Outstanding

I really enjoyed this book it really got me to think and use my brain and to realize that what I know I might not know. This is a really fun book and I would highly recommend it I hope this helps your decision to read it.

Quick hits on the confusing way your mind works

Good starting point with these ideas. All the information is available in more depth elsewhere. The narration dry and slow.