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)

Eye Opening

Would you listen to Thinking, Fast and Slow again? Why?

Still listening. Sometimes the chapters have to be rewound. Brimming with insights. As the argument progresses, one sometimes needs to stop, slow-think in system 2, and then restart. The work cannot be praised enough. At every other turn one is reminded of Socrates, whose premise was that the ideas exist in us. They just need to be drawn out by proper application of the mind. This book is brimming with ideas so well presented that once understood, they very easily become system 1 (with some practice of course). Amazing.

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

Learning the tools by which to understand and apply the book. This would be the first two hours. One moment is hard to pinpoint in such non-fiction as this.

What three words best describe Patrick Egan’s voice?

The narrator could be better. But its ok. The work is very powerful, and the narrator is good enough. This could be something subjective as well so I don't want to judge harshly. I am enjoying the audio book very much. Thank you.

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

No. Several sittings.

Any additional comments?

Very refreshing, original work. Excellent. A tour de force.

thinking : intuitive and deliberate

how to you win the nobel prize in economics ?
you'd think that it would help to be an economist
not so if you're as wise and smart as dan kahneman

can you deflate a theory that has been around for 2 centuries ?
if you do, you might expect some push back and a few enemies
dan kahneman is more than up to the task in his great book

the text is often dense and didactic and academic
it's built to survive the scrutiny of his enemies
he wants to tell you the truth more than make you laugh

people are relentlessly complex,feeble and paradoxical
dan kahneman's life taught him this at an early age
he then applied that wisdom to experimental psychology

all the jargon and descriptions of experiments can be a bit much
cognitive / thoughtful VS. intuitive / perceptive
remembering self VS. experiencing self
slow / effortful VS. fast / automatic
type 2 thinking VS. type 1 thinking
what you don't know VS. what you can see
cognitive strain VS. cognitive ease

lately m. gladwell et. al. have ripped off kahneman's ideas
my bet is that this doesn't bother him too much
he's more focused on the truth and what makes him happy

it takes some type 2 thinking to get through this book
the strain however is more that worth it
the text will likely be the foundation of our policies and lives

G.B. Shaw "... if you are going to tell people the truth - you
better make them laugh - otherwise they will kill you ..."

Keats Concept of Negative Capability "... man is capable of
being in uncertainties, mysteries, and doubts without any
irritable reaching after facts and reason ..."

Honestly a little slow and repetitive

For me it definitely had some good ideas and explanations but like a movie that was too long it could have been half as long

PROBABILITY VS POSSIBILITY

This is a great book for anyone interested in the difference between intuition and logical thinking and why few people find it easy to make the distinction in their own thinking processes.

Average

Is there anything you would change about this book?

While there is good information, I found I lost focus a number of times. The book wasn't as engaging as some others I've listened to from this genre.

Life changing listen for anyone who makes decisions

If you have any interest at all in psychology, behavior and economics, this book is absolutely for you! Honestly, i found myself pausing and bookmarking portions of this book every 3-5 minutes just cause of how jam packed with information this book is. All held together by the very calming and authoritative voice of the narrator. Only downside is that this book required my full attention and is so long that it took me 10 months to finish! But super worth it! 5 stars all around!!!

Interesting topic, but the reader out me to sleep.

Buehler, Buehler, Buehler. Nonfiction is often very dry, so it's up to the reader to keep it engaging. I thought this book was very interesting, but the reader almost killed it. I saw Kahneman's Ted Talk and he is a pretty dynamic speaker. it's too bad he didn't narrate his own book.

Very interesting and use full

Any additional comments?

Some parts rather theoretical but still in the favor of delivering the points and insights.
If you have read the book Nudge, this is a very nice supplement to understanding the mechanisms and theories which lies behind

An epic work showing the very shape of our world.

If you could sum up Thinking, Fast and Slow in three words, what would they be?

EvocativeScientificPervasive

Were the concepts of this book easy to follow, or were they too technical?

The concepts were easy to follow. They were just technical enough that they didn't feel completely for the layman.

Have you listened to any of Patrick Egan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I was a huge fan of this reader. I haven't listened to any of his previous work, but I would be more than happy to hear him read other books, he is better than most people who read in scientific fields.

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

I did want to listen to it all at once, but it's not a small book. I listened while I was driving mostly. But I enjoyed it so much that I bought the actual book for when I was not driving.

Any additional comments?

Amazing book. It was strange hearing from the man who's work is so quoted in other peoples work. But it was amazingly freeing. Just to demonstrate how pervasive his work really is: I have yet to listen to a book that deals with psychology of decisions/economics/general psychological motivations that have not quoted his work. He was also quoted in a book on Mathematics by Leonard Mlodinow and a book on Neurological Research by Michael Gazzaniga. And they aren't even dealing directly with Psychology or Economics.

Requires your full attention

I listened to this book mostly on my daily commute and it took almost a month to do so.

the principles on the book are important, but it is a very scholarly work that requires your careful attention while you listen.