A review by luluwoohoo
How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer

challenging hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer 
☀️☀️☀️☀️

▪️An insightful, thought-provoking (ha) book that breaks down our brain's decision making processes 
▪️Lehrer walks a skillful tightrope between entertaining side stories and the scientific research that defines their relevance, choosing a variety of topics that best exhibit the intricate nature of our very complex brain
▪️The details of our warring rational and emotional sides was given via balanced observations, showing the strengths and weaknesses of relying too heavily on one side. The takeaway from this research is obvious: we must use both effectively in conjunction with each other
▪️The recommendations on handling different scales or levels of choice, from buying jam to a brand new car, goes against all instinct but is, according to the research, backed up by science 
▪️I found this to be a quick, fulfilling and intelligent read that has made me think about thinking more than I think I have before!


"When evolution was building the brain, it didn't bother to replace all of those emotional processes with new operations under explicit, conscious control. If something isn't broken, then natural selection isn't going to fix it. The mind is made out of used parts, engineered by a blind watchmaker. The result is that the uniquely human areas of the mind depend on the primitive mind underneath." 

"From the perspective of the brain, new ideas are merely several old thoughts that occur at the exact same time."