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A review by headrook
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
3.0
Too often great books are made merely good books by simply padding it with useless information. I'm sorry to say that this book is such a case. It certainly starts off strong from chapters 1–4, but from then on it peters off into obvious conclusions that have been rehashed over and over. To sum up, the mind can subconsciously influence our subjective experiences and judgements. How do our expectations, placebos, high prices, and so on affect our resulting experiences? I think you can guess the answers.
In contrast, the beginning chapters were fascinating in covering retailers' strategies in setting prices so that you are manipulated into buying the product with the highest markup. Also, the chapter on the value of social exchange versus market exchange was very insightful. Ariely's writing style makes the information both fun and interesting, it's too bad the book wasn't about nine chapters shorter.
In contrast, the beginning chapters were fascinating in covering retailers' strategies in setting prices so that you are manipulated into buying the product with the highest markup. Also, the chapter on the value of social exchange versus market exchange was very insightful. Ariely's writing style makes the information both fun and interesting, it's too bad the book wasn't about nine chapters shorter.