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 and laugh out loud funny

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

This book really made me think and rethink and begin to understand the stupidity of certainty.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The narrators deadpan conversational style made the concepts sneak up and bite you when you least expect it.

Which scene was your favorite?

The explanations and concepts. (In particular the cognative psychology side.)Also the examples of the stream of constant lies we tell ourselves so we can appear to have control in a real world that has little or no control.It's scary but almost a relief to hear someone say out loud what we all suspected intuitively but couldn't annuciate. It's like coming out of the Matrix.

Any additional comments?

Great book. Definitely worth a relisten and probably a hardcopy.

Made so many things about the mind clear

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

I think so...

What did you like best about this story?

The chapters are perfect to listen and understand.

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

I dont know

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Know your mind, and become smarter.

Any additional comments?

Thanks

Very good philosophical piece

I learned and thought of many new things becauae of this book. Would really recommend whether your looking to learn, unwind, or have something to listen to on your way to work; maybe even spark a conversation.

Surprisingly interesting book

What made the experience of listening to You Are Not So Smart the most enjoyable?

I did this title on an impulse and I was surprised at how I was unable to stop listening to it. The studies and social experiments mentioned in this book were very current and some I'd never heard before.

What did you like best about this story?

It pushed me a bit. I found some content uncomfortably graphic but also contextual so it was ok.

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

I enjoy the tone set by the reader

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I was torn whenever I had to stop.

Any additional comments?

Not sure about this book? It will be something you quote in your next conversation.

Great book!

Perfect way to read about and learn psychology. Perfect real life examples. I love it.

Fun to listen to

I like the fact that the language is modern and hip. It makes it more entertaining to listen to. It is funny and inspires self-reflection. I also like that he finishes each chapter with a little snippet of self-help; emphasizing that we are not slaves to the autocratic parts of our brains.

Makes psychology fun to learn

Any additional comments?

This is a well done book that makes you think of how you think. I recommend it to anyone that wants to learn and understand human nature.

Writes about critical thinking but lacks it

I feel torn about this book.

Opinion 1:

Every living organism with a human brain needs to read this book. If we were all more aware of our heuristics, it would be a win for the human race. There is scarcely a more important subject for the masses to digest and understand. It would certainly help us communicate with one another in more effective ways. I loved examining at all of my faulty wiring. This book is especially great for people capable of self-reflection. I always think of the adage, the brain is the most outstanding organ in the world.... according to the brain. It is really fun to think about how flawed every single brain is, regardless of how educated a brain can be.

Opinion 2
I feel shock, utter shock, that someone who wrote an entire book about critical thinking is often, too often, not capable of critical thought. Some of the studies McRaney included were incredible. Some were not. Regardless of the study's methods, McRaney seemed wholly unaware of the potential problems with various studies (are you measuring what you think you are measuring, are the methods of the study sound, etc). He failed to even raise a red flag for David Buss' studies that look at current behaviors and very probably create just so stories about evolution. Zimbardo was one of the most unethical researchers and his methods were extremely flawed, which make his findings flawed. Yet, McRaney seems captivated by both Buss and Zimbardo; so much so, that he cannot even include a few words of caution. I do not know what to say about that, except it makes me sad. I loved his book so much, but his failure to understand the many heuristics that aided people like Buss, Zimbardo, and others to reach their conclusions really affected the credibility of his book. It is absolutely necessary to include these heuristics in a book about heuristics.

excellent book and a must read

this is a must read about flaws in how we think. it's based on rigorous research that it references but told in a hilarious manner. whether for every day decision making or setting up formal decision frameworks that improve the chance of success.

Great!

Wonderful audiobook! Listened to the entire book on two flights. Eye-opening to say the least! Loved it a lot!