Mirage

Life is almost never as it seems.

Mirage: Why What Seems Right Goes Dead Wrong

Why do smart people make spectacularly bad decisions?
Why do good intentions backfire?
Why do ideas that feel perfectly right end up painfully wrong?

Mirage is a tour through the illusions that shape modern life—how individuals, corporations, experts, governments, and even entire crowds get fooled by what looks like truth but turns out to be shimmering, deceptive air. Drawing from psychology, economics, history, leadership research, and real-life stories, this book uncovers why our minds chase things that seem right and reveals the patterns behind some of the biggest misjudgments of our age.

From New Coke to Kodak… from the housing crisis to failed poverty programs… from the brilliance of crowds to the blindness of Groupthink… from confident leaders who couldn’t admit doubt to everyday people who trusted the wrong signals—Mirage explores the forces that distort our thinking and the surprising principles that help us see clearly.

Inside, you’ll discover:

• Why confidence can be more dangerous than ignorance
• How crowds can be remarkably smart—and shockingly wrong
• Why experts get trapped by their own certainty
• How overconfidence, fear of dissent, and the desire to belong distort our judgment
• Why good intentions aren’t enough
• The practices that help people and organizations see reality before it’s too late
• How humility, curiosity, feedback, and independent thinking sharpen our vision

At the heart of the book is a timeless warning:
There is a way that seems right, but ends up dead wrong.

But Mirage is ultimately hopeful. It shows how individuals and groups can learn to see through illusions, avoid avoidable disasters, and walk with greater clarity and wisdom through a world full of tempting half-truths.

If you enjoy books on decision-making, leadership, psychology, or human behavior, Mirage will give you a fresh, gripping, and eye-opening perspective on why we get fooled—and how to stop falling for mirages.