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)

Fast and to the Point!

Would you listen to You Are Not So Smart again? Why?

I am listening to again right now so I can take notes and impress/annoy my friends with my new-found knowledge

Who was your favorite character and why?

Uhh.. wrong genre

What about Don Hagen’s performance did you like?

Was fine

If you could give You Are Not So Smart a new subtitle, what would it be?

The title is really poor- I would have called

Any additional comments?

One of my new favorite books! This was one of those rare times where I have ten books to read but as soon as I finished this one I had to put every other book on hold just so I could read this one a second time. The book is a long list of thinking errors that most or arguably all people use unconsciously. If you read these kinds of books a lot you will spot a lot of familiar studies and there is a lot borrowed from the book “How we Decide” but everything is explained in terms simple enough for a ten year old to understand. Long stories are shortened to a sentence or two and the overall tone of the book is very fun and fast. No more long drawn out life stories just to tell the brain damage story at the end- this book is dense with fun information that you can apply right away to your own life. One of the major themes of the book is that we tend to make decisions about things first and then come up with reasons to justify it- and the reasons are mostly garbage. First the movie is bad- then we might make up something about the director or unclear motivations but really that is all stuff we make up to justify the initial “confirmation bias” and the examples of this are stunning. Highly recommended for all ages and experience levels.

Yes, I Get It. I'm Dumb. Good Book Though.

I loved this book. I found the presentation of facts interesting and amusing. The author has a kind of tongue -in -cheek sense of humor (which I love). He uses this wit to convey an enormous amount of very useful information, all the while proving his point, that yes indeed I'm not that smart.

I enjoyed this book as much if not more than "The Power Of Habit". Both of these books were well worth the credits.

Great

To find a book that points out how bugged is your cognitive system without really annoying you is always a great find. Well written and very well presented.
However, if you are already familiar with some cognitive biases, heuristics and fallacies you will find some chapters "old news"... that is how exhaustive it is!

Great summary of years of research

Any additional comments?

This book is filled with great information about how we humans work based on many different researches throughout the world and the years. Some topics are covered by other books in greater depth, but I found that here you have just the right amount of explanation to understand what's going on and with a bit of humour to add to it.If you read other books on Human behavior and how the brain works, some info here may be repeated, but if not, I highly recommend you listen to this and you'll be surprised at how we deceive ourselves in so many different fronts.The only thing I wish there was is a PDF with a summary of the 46 chapters (maybe just the chapter name, even). It would greatly help remembering everything we learned.

A lot of great information....

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

it was a lot of good information and the narrator was easy to listen to

What about Don Hagen’s performance did you like?

his voice is smooth but not somatic

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

dont make a film of this book because it doesnt translate

Best book I have read in months.

I could give this man a hug for writing this book. Our world would be a better place if we all recognized our limitations as humans, and tried to overcome our own nature to improve our world.

Not So Keen

Hmmm didn't really like this book. It contained information I have read in other books and didn't offer anything new. They offered explanations for a number of different things such as the Kennedy & Lincoln coincidences and then write them off completely by saying look at all the things that aren't the same. Whilst this is true, it still doesn't alter the fact that there in many cases (not necessarily this one) there are unusual coincidences. On top of that I found it to be patronising and I really couldn't stand hearing the smug... "but you are not so smart"

The Genuine Article

Mankind ought to be proud . Very thoughtful. A superb masterpiece. Majestically represented. A line of though for the Ages !!!

Thought provoking and engaging

I was looking for something that would be easy to listen to while I was driving. This book was easy to listen to but, thought provoking. It was easy pick up listening, and restart, after I was in and out of my car. However, I also found myself wanting to go back and listen to previous chapters over again, to reflect on different studies and anecdotes. I would reflect on my own behaviors and beliefs after each chapter. I am planning on going back to listen to this book again, it's worth the time. I think it would also be a good book to listen to with a spouse or friend as I believe it will provoke good conversations!

Good solid listen

What did you like best about You Are Not So Smart? What did you like least?

This was an interesting story in the sense that it pointed out areas of cognitive dissonance. Some of the ways in which we misinterpret information were obvious (or previously known), but others were new and quite interesting. A useful guide to critical thinking.