• Rock Breaks Scissors

  • A Practical Guide to Outguessing and Outwitting Almost Everybody
  • By: William Poundstone
  • Narrated by: Joel Richards
  • Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (99 ratings)

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Rock Breaks Scissors  By  cover art

Rock Breaks Scissors

By: William Poundstone
Narrated by: Joel Richards
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Publisher's summary

A practical guide to outguessing everything from multiple-choice tests to the office football pool to the stock market. People are predictable even when they try not to be. William Poundstone demonstrates how to turn this fact to personal advantage in scores of everyday situations, from playing the lottery to buying a home. Rock Breaks Scissors is mind-reading for real life.

Will the next tennis serve go right or left? Will the market go up or down? Most people are poor at that kind of predicting. We are hard-wired to make bum bets on "trends" and "winning streaks" that are illusions. Yet ultimately we're all in the business of anticipating the actions of others. Poundstone reveals how to overcome the errors and improve the accuracy of your own outguessing. Rock Breaks Scissors is a hands-on guide to turning life's odds in your favor.

©2014 William Poundsstone (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Rock Breaks Scissors

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very dry but worth the read

Any additional comments?

This book may prove a struggle to stick with. Given the topics, the author has done well. There are a few annoying "look at this graph" references but you aren't completely lost without being able to see them. There are some little gems of useful information and some scary stuff too (for example, the chapter on passwords). Definitely not for everyone, but some unique information in this books makes it worth the buy.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Repetitive and Boring

What would have made Rock Breaks Scissors better?

More interesting content

Would you ever listen to anything by William Poundstone again?

Never

How could the performance have been better?

Performance was fine, content was terrible

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Rock Breaks Scissors?

I would have never published the book.

Any additional comments?

Only made it through 25% - mind numbingly boring.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Strong start but loses its way in the middle.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Nothing here that a good editor couldn't make better

Would you be willing to try another book from William Poundstone? Why or why not?

I would but only if he stays on the topic

Was Rock Breaks Scissors worth the listening time?

Yes

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars

could have been better

Overall an interesting book. I did not like that it was trying to appeal to people who want to outwit others. I would have preferred a presentation of established research.

Mr Richards did not know the correct pronunciation of many words and names.

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