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3rd out of 33 books
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44 voters
How We Decide
by
Jonah Lehrer (Goodreads Author)
The first book to use the unexpected discoveries of neuroscience to help us make the best decisions Since Plato, philosophers have described the decision-making process as either rational or emotional: we carefully deliberate, or we “blink” and go with our gut. But as scientists break open the mind’s black box with the latest tools of neuroscience, they’re discovering that...more
Hardcover, 302 pages
Published
February 9th 2009
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
(first published 2009)
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As I am not a scientist like some other reviewers, I found this book to be quite enlightening. It was well-written and entertaining, as well.
Things I learned:
People need to use both rational thought and emotion to make the best decisions.
We need to make our own mistakes because that is how our brains get rewired not to do it again. Emotions turn mistakes into educational events and then use those lessons unconsciously.
We get cranky when we're hungr...more
Things I learned:
People need to use both rational thought and emotion to make the best decisions.
We need to make our own mistakes because that is how our brains get rewired not to do it again. Emotions turn mistakes into educational events and then use those lessons unconsciously.
We get cranky when we're hungr...more
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Jonah Lehrer tends to read like an excellent senior thesis by someone who just got a triple major in the honors program, but also spent a lot of time smoking weed and watching TED talks while saying "that's so AWESOME" inbetween handfuls of pringles. In summation: interesting, with adorable enthusiasm, but ultimately overly simplistic.
For the first half of this book I was rather annoyed. The problem was that I had heard most of the stories before and I was thinking that what I should do is write a ‘how to write a popular book on decision making’ style review. As with anyone who has found themselves on Good Reads for a while, I now can’t read a book without thinking, at the same time, how I’m going to review it.
You know, in this type of book it seems there has to be an American Football story, a plane crash or ...more
You know, in this type of book it seems there has to be an American Football story, a plane crash or ...more
The brain is our defining organ, giving us not only self-awareness, but also the ability to wonder about ourselves, our world, and our own mortality. It is, nevertheless, a mystery why brains work better than others---why some of us make consistently good decisions, and others never seem to learn from their mistakes.
In How We Decide, author Jonah Lehrer explores our current understanding of the human mind. In well-crafted and engaging prose, he draws on examples from professional fo
...more
This is a great review of neurobiology, filled with real-life examples. If you ever wondered what informs hunches, why certain things give you the heebie-jeebies "for no reason," or what neurotransmitters are involved in your "6th sense," this is the book for you.
How We Decide opens with a killer first sentence: "I was flying a Boeing 737 into Tokyo Narita International Airport when the left engine caught on fire." Right away, I am hooked. As the paragraph progresses, in heart thumping detail, my eyes flick back to the first sentence, to confirm that the author is indeed the pilot on this flight, and not a passenger.
Something strikes me as odd. Before reaching the end of the two paragraph opening page, I find myself flipping to the autho...more
Something strikes me as odd. Before reaching the end of the two paragraph opening page, I find myself flipping to the autho...more
With Blink, The Tipping Point, and Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell has cornered the market on popular studies of human behavior. But Jonah Lehrer's How We Decide holds its own with Gladwell, Stephen Pinker, Daniel Dennett, and the host of science writers increasingly focused on the complexities of the human brain. "There isn't any spectacular revelation, unique viewpoint or knockout final summation," noted the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Washington Post felt that Lehrer "does litt
...more
Everyone should read this book. First of all, it's easy to read. Lehrer has a smooth style and moves easily from examples to the backup science. Although he may not seem to deal with something you are particularly interested in (he has an entire chapter on playing poker), as you read, you find that what he has written DOES pertain to you and your decision-making process.
One of the things I found most fascinating is that people make rational decisions when they don't have very much...more
One of the things I found most fascinating is that people make rational decisions when they don't have very much...more
An accessible, fun book on behavioral psychology, with forays into neuroscience. Lehrer's main thesis is that the "irrational"/"emotional" parts of the human brain work in collaboration with the "rational" parts in decision-making, the former exerting a strong, hidden influence on split-second choices, spending habits, political viewpoints, valuation of consumer goods, and even supposedly logical behaviors like morality. Both aspects of the mind depend on each other...more
I have always had an interest in understanding how the human mind works, so when I saw this book at the airport, I had to pick it up. After all, what else was I going to do on a five hour plan ride from Orlando to LA? This book definitely does not have a story. It's more of a hybrid between a psychology text book and real life case studies. Lehrer relates decision making to things that "normal" people are interested in, like sports, poker, wine, food, etc, and I think that is what make...more
I think I have to stop reading (listening to) these kinds of books (i.e. books in which an author uses psychological/neurological/behavioral economics research to explain how humans do something -- decide, pay attention, seek happiness, etc.). This one follows a similar pattern as the rest of them, discussing a lot of the same classic and newer experiments, then trying to relate the results to how we make decisions.
While that part has gotten repetitive for me, the author does come...more
While that part has gotten repetitive for me, the author does come...more
How many decisions do you make a day? Do you ever stop and think about HOW you made them? Even if you try, you probably can't accurately figure it out much of the time - but thanks to brain imaging, advancing science, and curious scientists, we're starting to find out more about how it all comes together. Lest it sound like a dry book of case studies or brain anatomy, fret not - Jonah Lehrer balances the personal experiences of people in decision-making scenarios (from pro athletes to pilots ...more
Fascinating read that fluidly blends the latest studies in neuroscience with real-life examples, creative ideas and practical applications. Decision-making is our daily blessing and curse. Nobody makes perfect decisions all the time. However, this book argues that becoming self-aware of the logical and emotional parts of your brain can empower people with better decision-making skills and intuition. In fact, both rational thoughts originating from intentional considerations and innate hunches of...more
Decision Making and cognitive development is a topic I enjoy reading about. Thinking about how we think is an important skill. Other books in this genre I have read include Group Think, Predictably Irrational, Talent Code, and Blink. While this covered some of the same ground and in some cases reviewed the same research, this was as good as any of the other books in the category. As Dumbledorf tells Harry Potter: we are defined by our decisions, not our abilities. Yet we don’t understand...more
This was an excellent, accessible popular science book where the author actually knows what he's talking about (Tara Parker-Pope's For Better, I'm looking at you). The progression of the book made sense, examining the strengths and weaknesses of emotional and rational decision-making each in turn. The different points were illustrated with several real-world examples and tied to research studies, and the conclusions at the end were presented in a useful manner.
It's basically this k...more
It's basically this k...more
Title: How We Decide
Author: Jonah Lehrer
How We Decide is a deep investigation of (for a lack of better words) how we decide. It provides the reader with an extensive, analytical view of how certain parts of the brain are triggered based on multiple scenarios. The reader gets a better understanding of what goes on when he or she make decisions, such as considering other people's thoughts and opinions when making his or her own decisions to maximize his or her profit. It combines th...more
Author: Jonah Lehrer
How We Decide is a deep investigation of (for a lack of better words) how we decide. It provides the reader with an extensive, analytical view of how certain parts of the brain are triggered based on multiple scenarios. The reader gets a better understanding of what goes on when he or she make decisions, such as considering other people's thoughts and opinions when making his or her own decisions to maximize his or her profit. It combines th...more
A decision is not something that one can avoid in life. People are faced with decisions every day. Whether it is what shirt to wear that day or who to throw the game winning pass to on a football field, what one chooses can have a big influence on the outcome of the situation. Jonah Lehrer wrote the book How We Decide in 2009. He based the concept of this book around two main questions asked by a variety of people: How does the human mind make decisions? And how can we make those decisions bette...more
Really fascinating book on how our brains work when we make decisions. With today's advanced medical technology, they can wire the brain up and watch what parts are activated by what types of decisions people make. From serial killers, who only use the rational part of the brain (by the way) the emotional side is damaged, to how we believe in politics, why we buy things, how dictators become that way, playing the stock market and many others. I was so intrigued. I actually took notes so I co...more
With a great and involving narrative, How We Decide, present great stories about airplane maneauvers, football quarterbacks, sonar reading and more, to dive into how our decisions are made and why they are made as such.
The book explores how our mind works and why intuition is a good option for everyday decisions, like choosing what we like best for house decoration or even a new house, as it relies on what we feel and capture in our "emotional brain" that can compute so many ...more
The book explores how our mind works and why intuition is a good option for everyday decisions, like choosing what we like best for house decoration or even a new house, as it relies on what we feel and capture in our "emotional brain" that can compute so many ...more
I've read a few reviews saying this book trots out the same old case studies that are standard for this kind of book. That could be, but since I'm not familiar with them I'll be reviewing the book in and of itself, rather than making comparisons.
I found the subject matter fascinating and the author's enthusiasm infectious. The book sets out to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of different modes of thought - conscious and rational vs intuitive - and which situations favour wh...more
I found the subject matter fascinating and the author's enthusiasm infectious. The book sets out to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of different modes of thought - conscious and rational vs intuitive - and which situations favour wh...more
Well written. Lots of good anecdotes. Very accessible for a book based on neuroscience. My problem with the book was two-fold:
1. I just didn't buy all of Lehrer's arguments. That is the weakness with a science book based on anecdotes. The stories he shares don't always add up to the conclusion he draws from them. He may not be wrong ... it's just that he hasn't proven anything form the information he's given. The part on morality is a great example.
2. The other problem is that he ...more
1. I just didn't buy all of Lehrer's arguments. That is the weakness with a science book based on anecdotes. The stories he shares don't always add up to the conclusion he draws from them. He may not be wrong ... it's just that he hasn't proven anything form the information he's given. The part on morality is a great example.
2. The other problem is that he ...more
Fascinating descriptions of the steps involved in making different types of decisions, from every day choices of which breakfast cereal to purchase, to life-and-death decisions made by airline pilots in emergency situations. I was left with a determination to study my own decision-making process--to think about how I think-- as "such introspection is the best predictor of good judgement." The author presents details of scientific studies, alongside commentaries of people who have fac...more
This is a good attempt at explaining why we decide to do the things we do, and how some people seem to be able to make the right decisions and how some people don't. It covered the scientific research in terms that non-medical people can understand without oversimplifying. What I found most interesting were the examples of individuals who managed to conquer the fear of crashing a plane or being burnt by a raging fire, to think of a way to save themselves and at times, people with them. What I di...more
I really enjoyed this book, found it very similar to Malcolm McDowell (they even used the same example about tempting kindergartners with marshmellows).
This book is very focused on the actual neuroscience of the brain and how that controls or drives our decision making process. Part of his conclusion is that he thinks people should be aware of how their brains work so that they can counteract or control how their baser instincts may be influencing them. It did make me feel like some d...more
This book is very focused on the actual neuroscience of the brain and how that controls or drives our decision making process. Part of his conclusion is that he thinks people should be aware of how their brains work so that they can counteract or control how their baser instincts may be influencing them. It did make me feel like some d...more
If you are at all interested in not only how we decide, but what makes people experts, how and where computers can outperform humans, among a multitude of other topics, this is the book you should read. Instead of focusing, as many books do, on WHY we make errors, Lehrer focuses on why we DON'T make errors. I found this book an absolute pleasure to read, the stories were captivating in their own right, illuminating on a range of subjects. It's nice to see that Lehrer's theories don't apply just ...more
Throughout History it is believed that a person who doesn't involve emotions in decision making process tend to make better decisions. However, recent studies that emotions indeed play vital role in decision making process. How We Decide is a book about decision making process and How we can make better decisions by conditioning our brain. This book is written on the premise that decision making is amalgamation of art and science. A good decision maker is not the one who makes decision based on ...more
Jonah Lehrer is by far my favorite author in all subjects dealing with current biological and neurological (plus many other scientific fields) research, and their societal implications. The only reason I can't give this book five stars is that I've heard much of the information before in my studies, listenings, and readings. However, for the majority of individuals picking up this book, all of this information will be new and thus up this book to five star quality.
Essentially, this...more
Essentially, this...more
As the title suggests, Lehrer explores the processes of making decisions, calling on a wide variety of experiments, data, and theory from economics, neurobiology, and psychology. He also uses case studies of particular decisions (e.g., landing a plane in an emergency, escaping a forest fire, purchasing items in a grocery store, and so on) to give the data a human face, so to speak.
We have a variety of mental processes that are useful and necessary for making good decisions; using th...more
We have a variety of mental processes that are useful and necessary for making good decisions; using th...more
I found this an interesting book. We make decisions every day. Some people are better at making up their minds than others. "How We Decide" is interesting and did make me think about just how I decide certain things. It also talks about how purely logical decisions are often not right and the emotion behind a decision is also necessary. The idea that reason and emotion have to work together for us to decide and decide correctly. Sometimes, we use too many factors to make a decisio...more
I was at the bookstore today and happened to see this book. I picked it up and read part of a couple chapters.
First of all, why would the author, who can put any picture of himself in the entire world (or no picture at all) on the back of his book choose a picture where he is wearing an unzipped hooded sweatshirt? How am I supposed to take this guy seriously? Speaking of decisions, am I right?
Second, this book seems to be formulaic pop psychology at its worst. Each chapter op...more
First of all, why would the author, who can put any picture of himself in the entire world (or no picture at all) on the back of his book choose a picture where he is wearing an unzipped hooded sweatshirt? How am I supposed to take this guy seriously? Speaking of decisions, am I right?
Second, this book seems to be formulaic pop psychology at its worst. Each chapter op...more
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