Thinking, Fast and Slow

By: Daniel Kahneman

Narrated by: Patrick Egan

Length: 20 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

The guru to the gurus at last shares his knowledge with the rest of us. Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman's seminal studies in behavioral psychology, behavioral economics, and happiness studies have influenced numerous other authors, including Steven Pinker and Malcolm Gladwell. In Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman at last offers his own, first book for the general public. It is a lucid and enlightening summary of his life's work. It will change the way you think about thinking.

Two systems drive the way we think and make choices, Kahneman explains: System One is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System Two is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. Examining how both systems function within the mind, Kahneman exposes the extraordinary capabilities as well as the biases of fast thinking and the pervasive influence of intuitive impressions on our thoughts and our choices. Engaging the reader in a lively conversation about how we think, he shows where we can trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking, contrasting the two-system view of the mind with the standard model of the rational economic agent.

Kahneman's singularly influential work has transformed cognitive psychology and launched the new fields of behavioral economics and happiness studies. In this path-breaking book, Kahneman shows how the mind works, and offers practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in both our business and personal lives - and how we can guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2011 Daniel Kahneman (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A tour de force... Kahneman’s book is a must read for anyone interested in either human behavior or investing. He clearly shows that while we like to think of ourselves as rational in our decision making, the truth is we are subject to many biases. At least being aware of them will give you a better chance of avoiding them, or at least making fewer of them.” (Larry Swedroe, CBS News)

“A major intellectual event... The work of Kahneman and Tversky was a crucial pivot point in the way we see ourselves.” (David Brooks, The New York Times)

“[Thinking, Fast and Slow] is wonderful, of course. To anyone with the slightest interest in the workings of his own mind, it is so rich and fascinating that any summary would seem absurd.” (Michael Lewis, Vanity Fair)

Explains how you think.

Sometimes this gets to be a little monotonous, but there are plenty of examples to describe how the two systems of thinking occurs and how they work - both as independent brains as well as interdependent brains.

Narrator didn't do this book any favors

Would you try another book from Daniel Kahneman and/or Patrick Egan?

I liked the book and would read more by Kahneman, but the narrator was so pedantic that it was very difficult to keep listening. I really think that someone more dynamic could have really brought this book to life.

What did you like best about this story?

There were a number of insights into human nature and the way we think.

How could the performance have been better?

Oh my goodness...it was all that I could do to continue listening - 19 hours? I deserve a medal. I had to translate the book into someone else's voice to really enjoy what Kahneman was saying. Patrick Egan did his best to make this book boring.

Could you see Thinking, Fast and Slow being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Maybe a TV series similar to Neil deGrasse Tyson's. This is very interesting and insightful material.

Any additional comments?

Good back read by a poorly chosen narrator.

Good book! Recommend Listening on 1.5x Speed

Daniel Kahneman is a Nobel prize winner in Economics, even while being a psychologist. He has changed the field all-together, and he deserves all the credit he gets. Overall, he makes a lot of fascinating points, which readers won't all agree with, but even those make the reader think. Despite that, some people will find his writing style and demeanor to be somewhat pretentious, and automatically dismissing that others can be right, something which he admits later in the book. Those with weaker attention spans may want to use faster speeds, as each word sounds deliberate and slow; and Daniel Kahneman has a habit of repeating the same point several times. The reader will definitely leave with a lot of things to think about. Highly recommended.

Should be half as long.

This basically the long-winded autobiography of a neuroscientist who I suspect is slightly narissistic. I listen when I can't sleep. Works wonders. If t were half as long, you'd still get all you needed here. It's a play by play of how this guy made it to genius status. Try for the Cliff Notes.

By far, the most important book I read in 2018

By far most important, enlightening and enjoyable book that I "read" in 2018 ... maybe in the last 3 years. It's not an easy read becasue it presents key research findings and conclusions from decades of serious, Nobel Prize-winning social science research. These findings, conclusions and recommendations are presented in a clear organized fashion. The professional who "performs" the narration is perfect for the job. This book has had the most significant impact on "how" I think and how I make personal decisions. I will certainly read it again in a few years.

To Believe or Not, that is the question!

What did you love best about Thinking, Fast and Slow?

Well researched of what we are about and what we do.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Thinking, Fast and Slow?

That we are obstinate in our answers intuitively and refuse often to accept the facts.

Great compendium on two modes of thinking

Required reading for anyone that wants to understand how they make decisions using their left (slow) and right (fast) mode of thinking.

Intellectual but not just for academics

Enlightening... The book is strong from cover to cover. it is very insightful. I walked away with a better understanding of decision theory and the human mind.

Slow listen for fast thinkers

Any additional comments?

The information within this book is useful and easy to absorb. I listened to this book on a long car drive and found it to be slow and difficult to stay interested in. It may be an easier book to actually sit down and read. The author often repeats the same phrases and I finally had to stop listening because I was tired of hearing the reader continuously say "system 1 thinking" or "system 2 thinking". I may come back to this book and listen to it at a faster speed, or skip over some of it.

Great insight even if wrong sometimes

I have listened to a lot of audiobooks on behavioral economics and this one stands out in a few ways. There is definitely some new insights that I have never picked up anywhere else. I only have two complaints. First, he expresses a few simple conclusions that are flat out wrong. They are not necessary for his content so it is not a big deal but it is annoying. My second complaint is the number of hours of listening required. I would have preferred an abridged version.