<![CDATA[The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less]]>

false <![CDATA[The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166254436m/10639.jpg 10639 6 In the spirit of Alvin Toffler's Future Shock, a social critique of our obsession with choice, and how it contributes to anxiety, dissatisfaction and regret. This paperback includes a new P.S. section with author interviews, insights, features, suggested readings, and more. Whether weᱥ buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long–distance carrier, applying to college, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions––both big and small––have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented. We assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. But beware of excessive choice: choice overload can make you question the decisions you make before you even make them, it can set you up for unrealistically high expectations, and it can make you blame yourself for any and all failures. In the long run, this can lead to decision–making paralysis, anxiety, and perpetual stress. And, in a culture that tells us that there is no excuse for falling short of perfection when your options are limitless, too much choice can lead to clinical depression. In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains at what point choice––the hallmark of individual freedom and self–determination that we so cherish––becomes detrimental to our psychological and emotional well–being. In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, Schwartz shows how the dramatic explosion in choice––from the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career, family, and individual needs––has paradoxically become a problem instead of a solution. Schwartz also shows how our obsession with choice encourages us to seek that which makes us feel worse. By synthesizing current research in the social sciences, Schwartz makes the counterintuitive case that eliminating choices can greatly reduce the stress, anxiety, and busyness of our lives. He offers eleven practical steps on how to limit choices to a manageable number, have the discipline to focus on the important ones and ignore the rest, and ultimately derive greater satisfaction from the choices you have to make. 1157840 book 2004 The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less total:1090|5:209|4:441|3:335|2:84|1:21| 1090 4003 2106 241 4 1 false false Sat Mar 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Feb 10 22:56:51 -0800 2009 Sun Mar 15 11:30:32 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 2 false false Fri Apr 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Feb 22 21:52:03 -0800 2009 Fri Apr 10 16:25:49 -0700 2009
The book was a revelation for me, since it related a lot to the culture ...more...]]> 4 1 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sun Mar 23 11:15:17 -0700 2008 Sun Mar 23 12:18:44 -0700 2008
Prologue:
- “choice no longer liberates, but debilitates” -“choice overload”
- we’d be better off if we embraced some limits on choice instead of rebelling, by seeking “good enough” rat...more...]]> 4 1 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Tue Nov 13 06:00:08 -0800 2007 Sat Dec 08 07:17:11 -0800 2007 The Paradox of Choice, Schwartz focuses on two basic ways of making decisions: maximizing (trying to make the very best possible choice) and satisficing (making a choice that will do well enough, all things considered).

In the past, I've thought of these two approaches in terms of the ...more...]]> 2 3 false false Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Mon Sep 03 07:03:47 -0700 2007 Mon Sep 03 07:07:46 -0700 2007
Schwartz makes approximately seven interesting points but he makes them repeatedly for some 230-odd pages. Sometim...more...]]> 4 1 false false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Aug 12 08:54:26 -0700 2007 Sun Aug 12 09:02:15 -0700 2007 more...]]> 1 1 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 28 14:09:17 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 29 02:44:13 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 1 false false Sat Jan 17 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 19 10:47:31 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 19 10:48:59 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Sun Feb 08 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 08 20:46:41 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 08 20:58:42 -0800 2009
The premise is that modern people (rea...more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sun Dec 14 21:43:26 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 14 21:53:19 -0800 2008 This is one of those books that, once you've read it, permanently shifts your perspective. It made me think altogether differently about the value of having MORE choices. As the author argues, your sense of well-being increases when you go from having no choices to having a few choices. But...more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Aug 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 25 19:03:09 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 30 06:15:29 -0700 2009 How can you simplify your life when every waking second of every day, we are bombarded with choices?

Some of these are mundane ...more...]]> 2 0 false false Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Dec 29 12:47:25 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 29 12:47:46 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Sep 02 10:37:32 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 30 03:03:23 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Apr 06 10:26:19 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 06 10:32:34 -0700 2009
Every second of every day we are choosing,and there are always alternatives.

The book covers Kahneman's peak-end rule: what we ...more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Jul 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 15 11:05:44 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 15 11:08:51 -0700 2009
The author's viewpoint probably affirms what you already think: these days we have so many choices that our human minds aren't prepared to deal with them (that is...more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jun 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu May 07 20:42:54 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 17 21:30:39 -0700 2009 I guess I was hoping this book would spend more time talking about why my generation has such a hard time finding a place in ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jun 09 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 09 22:25:50 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 09 22:55:26 -0700 2009
maximizers only want "the best," but as a result they have a tough time making decisions and are le...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Sep 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 15 14:43:50 -0700 2009 Sat Sep 19 20:13:28 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Jan 14 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Dec 14 13:11:44 -0800 2008 Fri Apr 24 22:08:57 -0700 2009
He ta...more...]]> 4 0 true false Fri Oct 24 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Oct 29 02:51:10 -0700 2008 Wed Oct 29 03:53:23 -0700 2008 ...more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=10639