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A review by fbroom
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
4.0
Dan Ariely describes different experiments in this book to show how we are very irrational and can be influenced easily by the immediate environment. Each chapter describes a certain influence/force that can affect our behavior in different situations. I wish this book was shorter. Some interesting ideas but long and repetitive sometimes. (yet I’m giving it 4 stars because I haven’t read something similar to it)
One of the interesting ideas mentioned in chapter one is about how irrational we are when decide between three choices where two of them are easily comparable. Between Paris (P), Rome (R) and another Room trip with a free breakfast (R+), you would favor Rome with the free breakfast because you would unconsciously compare it to the other Rome trip.
In another experiment from chapter two, students were asked to write the last two digits of their social security numbers on a sheet and then write whether they were willing to pay that number for some items listed in the sheet. After that students were asked to bid on those items. Students with a higher social security number bid higher.
More ideas in the book revolved around how how free cost more, the high price of ownership (over valuing objects only when we own them), how dealing with cash can make us more honest, and more. I would read more books by the same author. Definitely entertaining.
One of the interesting ideas mentioned in chapter one is about how irrational we are when decide between three choices where two of them are easily comparable. Between Paris (P), Rome (R) and another Room trip with a free breakfast (R+), you would favor Rome with the free breakfast because you would unconsciously compare it to the other Rome trip.
In another experiment from chapter two, students were asked to write the last two digits of their social security numbers on a sheet and then write whether they were willing to pay that number for some items listed in the sheet. After that students were asked to bid on those items. Students with a higher social security number bid higher.
More ideas in the book revolved around how how free cost more, the high price of ownership (over valuing objects only when we own them), how dealing with cash can make us more honest, and more. I would read more books by the same author. Definitely entertaining.