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

Entertaining and interesting but...

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Entertaining and interesting but not as good as some other choices in the behavioral economics category.

Interesting Insight

I know this is a controversial topic, but this book provides a great insight into human nature, and how we need to examine our everyday situations to find where our social norms come from, how to better our selves and others, and finally how we are exploited by those who have this insight.

If you like the works of Malcolm Gladwell you have a good chance to like this book because, just like Malcolm Gladwell's books, this book puts you into deep thought. After reading this book my life is more complete.

Question everything!

This is definitely a book that makes one question, even the small decisions one makes on a daily basis.

Really enjoyed this book!

I enjoyed all the experiments in the book! very well put together. will recommend for sure.

irrationality for thought

a delightfully thought provoking book on how irrational the human species is and how unaware we are of our true influences.

excellent experiences

A great book to get you thinking about how to think. when making logical decisions are not straight forward.

Interesting stuff and well explained

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book.
Each chapter describes an experiment that documents "predictably irrational" human behaviour. When each piece of research is described, you can "predict" fairly accurately the findings before you are given the results, but none the less, the results are fascinating.
What I also liked was the authors' attempt to explain the reasoning behind the behaviour and try to give us some tips and tools to avoid behaving "irrationally".
I also enjoyed the narration. A nice posh easy to understand voice that captured the moments of irony and sarcasm perfectly.

listen to the book, not the music

Good book, with plenty of studies, references and anecdotes to break up the claims. An insightful look into the myriad of ways we try to fool ourselves and others. I enjoyed listening to the book with the exception of random music pieces thrown in between different sections. not only are they unnecessary but they were quite annoying as they played over the narration while taking too long to fade out. Other than that, I enjoyed this book.

Truly interesting reminders of human imperfection

Overall: Interesting and informative without becoming a lifeless psych/sociology textbook through use of simple stories behind the findings.

Performance: Well read with solid subtle cues as to feeling

Story: Kept what could usage been a tedious academic journal/textbook entry into something with the creators personality.

A fun read but beware the liberal bias

I really enjoyed this book. Several times as Dan Ariely was setting up the test parameters, I would think that he was missing a key piece, but then he would further develop the test and include my concern. I found it to be personally enlightening (and personally frustrating, but that's personal).

I have one complaint. Dan Ariely is obviously a liberal, and also obviously a fan of government run programs, like national healthcare. At one point in the book, Dan has demonstrated, through scientific study that people are irrational. He then, without any scientific information, claims that because we are irrational, we need national healthcare. He took no steps to back the claim that the government is inherently more rational than we mere individuals. This particular issue was very short (like a paragraph, or even a single sentence) but it has forced me, when recommending the book to others, to clarify that he is a liberal and is pushing an agenda outside of his scientific evidence or study.