Predictably Irrational

The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

By: Dan Ariely

Narrated by: Simon Jones

Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Why do our headaches persist after taking a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a 50-cent aspirin? Why does recalling the 10 Commandments reduce our tendency to lie, even when we couldn't possibly be caught? Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save 25 cents on a can of soup? Why do we go back for second helpings at the unlimited buffet, even when our stomachs are already full? And how did we ever start spending $4.15 on a cup of coffee when, just a few years ago, we used to pay less than a dollar?

When it comes to making decisions in our lives, we think we're in control. We think we're making smart, rational choices. But are we? In a series of illuminating, often surprising experiments, MIT behavioral economist Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. Blending everyday experience with groundbreaking research, Ariely explains how expectations, emotions, social norms, and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities.

Not only do we make astonishingly simple mistakes every day, but we make the same types of mistakes, Ariely discovers. We consistently overpay, underestimate, and procrastinate. We fail to understand the profound effects of our emotions on what we want, and we overvalue what we already own. Yet these misguided behaviors are neither random nor senseless. They're systematic and predictable - making us predictably irrational.

From drinking coffee to losing weight, from buying a car to choosing a romantic partner, Ariely explains how to break through these systematic patterns of thought to make better decisions. Predictably Irrational will change the way we interact with the world - one small decision at a time.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2008 Dan Ariely (P)2008 HarperCollins Publishers

Wow!

What a spectacular book.
Recomend to everyone who’s interested to dig a bit deeper and understand our behaviour and why we do things the way we do and to realize - we’re not really the decision makers of our own decisions.

If you want to understand other than listen here

This is a foundational book for understanding human behavior. A must listen for those wanting to be more persuasive.

loved the book all the way

Very fun and informative with lots of data to for back up. Content is eye opening and narration is great. Im on to the next book The Upside of Irrationality!

Predictably Irrational is a jewel!

This author is amazing, the way in which he explain the human interactions comes from studying our behavior and motivations in deep. I am favorably surprised, and thankful.

Awesome

amazing stuff I have not heard anywhere else. Loved this book! would listen to it again!

very insightful and interesting listen

really enjoyed listening to this at any time of day. Lots of thought provoking information that felt more like a conversation than a lecture.

a book for everyone.

if you like this, read Misbehaving and Thinking Fast and Slow. it's interesting and informative subject.

Insightful and thought-provoking

Dan Ariely introduces you to a very interesting subject through a set of experiments that provide context to his theories. His delivery is measured and easy to listen to while keeping the reader engaged. A very solid effort all around.

backed up by data!

What made the experience of listening to Predictably Irrational the most enjoyable?

All the information was backed by data and experiments! This made the book so much more interesting and reliable. There were a lot of experiments that were pretty intuitive - but - the underlying psychology, how we are affected by them in our day-today lives, how to use it for business - was not!

The narration could have been better, it never was a problem - but neither a delight!

Really good read.

Any additional comments?

It is a very nice book. Just wished it was read by the author instead of Simon Jones. Simon is fair enough and audio quality is very good, but once you have heard Dan talking it is hard to hear the book on someone else's voice, specially because the in the book Dan talks about his personal life and what led him to do research.