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geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
A really interesting book about how we make decisions. It delves into the different areas of the brain to discuss their function during the decisions we make. One of the main questions raised asks if we make better decisions by being analytical or by using gut instinct. And the answer is a resounding yes.
Told with many examples, from pilots who saved airplanes, to all the decisions a quarterback has to make, to the best way to pick a strawberry jam, it's insightful, if perhaps not as conclusive as some might like. It turns out that our experience can inform decisions on a subconcious level, so while the situation or crisis we find ourselves in may not be familiar to us, our brain is already skewing our options and opinions. This had good and adverse consequences. Sometimes, our brain gets fooled, and we spend too much money or there are too many variables to choose from, so we pick irrationally.
This book confirms my theory that we won't have truly sentient computers in my lifetime. Sure, we can build a computer to beat humans at chess because the options are all analytical, but building one that could win at poker, where the options are analytical and bluffing, seems nigh impossible. An interesting afterword explains why statistics for airplane crashes are down. Our brains are really amazing and this book is very readable.
Told with many examples, from pilots who saved airplanes, to all the decisions a quarterback has to make, to the best way to pick a strawberry jam, it's insightful, if perhaps not as conclusive as some might like. It turns out that our experience can inform decisions on a subconcious level, so while the situation or crisis we find ourselves in may not be familiar to us, our brain is already skewing our options and opinions. This had good and adverse consequences. Sometimes, our brain gets fooled, and we spend too much money or there are too many variables to choose from, so we pick irrationally.
This book confirms my theory that we won't have truly sentient computers in my lifetime. Sure, we can build a computer to beat humans at chess because the options are all analytical, but building one that could win at poker, where the options are analytical and bluffing, seems nigh impossible. An interesting afterword explains why statistics for airplane crashes are down. Our brains are really amazing and this book is very readable.
tintinintibet's review against another edition
4.0
I read this entire genre of books, and Jonah Lehrer has done a commendable job in:
1. selecting really good examples (of course other writers can't help but choose some of these examples for their own books, but Lehrer has pulled together the most diverse and insightful examples in his book)
2. keeping the momentum of the book going
2a. his theme is something a reader can follow throughout (e.g. I did NOT find myself wondering why I was hearing about football or fire-fighting or whatever -- I either knew where Lehrer was going or I trusted that he'd explain shortly)
2b. his writing style is highly readable
If you're looking for ONE book in this genre to read, this is it -- save all those Predictably Irrational, Critical Mass, and their ilk for later.
1. selecting really good examples (of course other writers can't help but choose some of these examples for their own books, but Lehrer has pulled together the most diverse and insightful examples in his book)
2. keeping the momentum of the book going
2a. his theme is something a reader can follow throughout (e.g. I did NOT find myself wondering why I was hearing about football or fire-fighting or whatever -- I either knew where Lehrer was going or I trusted that he'd explain shortly)
2b. his writing style is highly readable
If you're looking for ONE book in this genre to read, this is it -- save all those Predictably Irrational, Critical Mass, and their ilk for later.
gfmatt's review against another edition
5.0
Possibly the best non-fiction book I've read so far this year (not that I've read that many).
amyeewing's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic read! Lehrer did an impressive job weaving together stories and scientific descriptions of decision processes from all sorts of aspects of life. It made me want to do what he advises--think about thinking. I feel as though I better understand how I think about the world for having read the book.
When I described the book to the dental hygienist the other day, she was a little intimidated, but that was entirely my fault. The science described in the book is exceptionally approachable and well organized. I have no background in the area and was never lost. It heled that Lehrer is clearly a gifted storyteller.
When I described the book to the dental hygienist the other day, she was a little intimidated, but that was entirely my fault. The science described in the book is exceptionally approachable and well organized. I have no background in the area and was never lost. It heled that Lehrer is clearly a gifted storyteller.
seclement's review against another edition
5.0
I bought this book on a whim when I was browsing in the psychology section, mainly because this was the only book (besides Kahneman's most recent) in that section that was not a ridiculous self-help book. I'm not sure what's happening to the psychology section of book stores, but I do know that this was an excellent impulse buy. I really liked the way this book was organised. Each chapter built on the previous one, taking the reader through a really compelling narrative about how we decide - exactly as advertised. He does an excellent job of weaving personal narratives with the research, which really made the information about the way the brain works easier to understand and absolutely fascinating. One of the things I enjoyed most about the book was that he has restored some of my faith in my brain! This may sound a bit odd, but after reading books like Mistakes Were Made and Invisible Gorilla, you start to get a bit flustered with just how wrong you can be. This book was a good counterbalance to the effect of reading those. Although he does discuss the weaknesses of the way our brain regions interact when making a decision, he also discusses many of the strengths and provides really clear, tangible ways that we can protect ourselves from errors and play on those strengths. It's not an academic work, so the referencing is not very good (just a Bibliography and no in-text citations or footnotes). It didn't bother me that much, but because I read books like this for the curiosity factor, it does make it difficult to follow up on particular passages that piqued my interest. I imagine that if you were in this field of research, the lack of referencing would annoy you, but I'd say this book isn't directed at you, rather it's for the curious layman who wants to know more about what's happening inside his/her head when making decisions.
tigerknitting's review against another edition
3.0
Nonfiction books often make for fascinating reading. You can read someone's life story, learn about different cultures, or learn more about how things work.
In the learn about how things work category is the book How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer. This is a book about how the brain works, in particular, how we make decisions. Lehrer makes the current research on the brain accessible to lay readers.
For many years philosophers and scientists thought that we either decided through logical processes or by using feelings. Now, scientists are beginning to understand that the process is not that simple. It is a balancing act between gut feelings and thought out decisions. They are also finding that both types of decision making have their place. Learning when to make thought out decisions and when to trust your gut is the trick to making the best decisions.
Some key take-aways (at least in my opinion) are: its ok to make mistakes...that is how our brains learn to make better decisions, sometimes complicated decisions are best made with our emotional brains (too much information can overwhelm the logical brain), our dopamine receptors like to be happy, the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed in teenagers so they are going to make mistakes (it helps their brains learn, after all!), sleeping on it can actually work, and learn to think outside the box.
This book is written for non-scientists, so don't be afraid to read a "science" book. It is entertaining and enlightening.
In the learn about how things work category is the book How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer. This is a book about how the brain works, in particular, how we make decisions. Lehrer makes the current research on the brain accessible to lay readers.
For many years philosophers and scientists thought that we either decided through logical processes or by using feelings. Now, scientists are beginning to understand that the process is not that simple. It is a balancing act between gut feelings and thought out decisions. They are also finding that both types of decision making have their place. Learning when to make thought out decisions and when to trust your gut is the trick to making the best decisions.
Some key take-aways (at least in my opinion) are: its ok to make mistakes...that is how our brains learn to make better decisions, sometimes complicated decisions are best made with our emotional brains (too much information can overwhelm the logical brain), our dopamine receptors like to be happy, the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed in teenagers so they are going to make mistakes (it helps their brains learn, after all!), sleeping on it can actually work, and learn to think outside the box.
This book is written for non-scientists, so don't be afraid to read a "science" book. It is entertaining and enlightening.
leenah24's review against another edition
5.0
This book was SPLENDID! I admit that it took me a considerably long time to finish reading this book, but that was not due to boredom. This book is one of the very limited non-fiction books I've read and the first ever scientific one, so I felt the need to go slow and digest everything.
How We Decide was not too scientific and complicated, or simple to the degree of childishness. The scientific information is made easier to understand by the striking examples Jonah Lehrer uses, which vary from strawberry jam to war tactics to flying a plane. The examples are so diverse - there are ones from sports, simple surveys, experiments, TV shows, hobbies, politics, and even criminals' actions!- and right to the point that you find yourself absolutely intrigued. Not only are the writing style and examples used in this book flawless, but the book also addresses a very important and interesting issue. From it's name, How We Decide explains the decision process in details, answering these fundamental questions: Do emotions interfere with decisions? In a beneficial or a devastating way? When do we use our emotions when we decide and when do we block them out? Can we actually over-think a decision? How do we avoid over-thinking without deciding haphazardly and irrationally? And finally, after it piles up all the information together, the book answers the most important question of all : How can we make better decisions?
This book will prove to be a very interesting and useful read, and it will certainly satisfy your need for bragging that you are so smart you read, and understand, scientific books ;)
How We Decide was not too scientific and complicated, or simple to the degree of childishness. The scientific information is made easier to understand by the striking examples Jonah Lehrer uses, which vary from strawberry jam to war tactics to flying a plane. The examples are so diverse - there are ones from sports, simple surveys, experiments, TV shows, hobbies, politics, and even criminals' actions!- and right to the point that you find yourself absolutely intrigued. Not only are the writing style and examples used in this book flawless, but the book also addresses a very important and interesting issue. From it's name, How We Decide explains the decision process in details, answering these fundamental questions: Do emotions interfere with decisions? In a beneficial or a devastating way? When do we use our emotions when we decide and when do we block them out? Can we actually over-think a decision? How do we avoid over-thinking without deciding haphazardly and irrationally? And finally, after it piles up all the information together, the book answers the most important question of all : How can we make better decisions?
This book will prove to be a very interesting and useful read, and it will certainly satisfy your need for bragging that you are so smart you read, and understand, scientific books ;)
literarylover37's review against another edition
3.0
I am still disappointed that I have to question the legitimacy of the facts presented in this book but the topic was interesting and it was well written.
rgmattson's review against another edition
4.0
Jonah Lehrer is no slouch when it comes to providing an engaging narrative through a complicated subject. The only reason I delayed in getting into, and then finishing, this book was due to my own poor decision making -- too many assumptions, too much emotion, not enough rational analysis. But I think I've retrained my brain enough to help make a better decision next time.