We forget our passwords. We pay too much to go to the gym. We think we’d be happier if we lived in California (we wouldn’t), and we ...
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Apr 29, 2011
Bells
rated it: 
Science light.
Quick, interesting examples of how we humans manage to goof up on everything from selecting credit cards (one can be swayed by a pretty face to take that high interest rate!) to cutting off the wrong leg in surgery. (Overconfidence is a bitch!)
The author explains mysteries of life, such as, "why did I give that stripper so much more for that lap dance this week?" answer: she's in that fertile cycle, where she appears more lovely (and maybe even sm More...
Quick, interesting examples of how we humans manage to goof up on everything from selecting credit cards (one can be swayed by a pretty face to take that high interest rate!) to cutting off the wrong leg in surgery. (Overconfidence is a bitch!)
The author explains mysteries of life, such as, "why did I give that stripper so much more for that lap dance this week?" answer: she's in that fertile cycle, where she appears more lovely (and maybe even sm More...
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Mar 22, 2009
Trip
rated it: 
A survey of cognitive biases and other limitations of the human brain,
with references and bibliography. The conclusions:
* Take notes on your mistakes, so you can learn from them.
* Get a Devil's Advocate, even if you have to do it yourself.
* No, you aren't that good at multitasking. You really aren't.
* The plural of "anecdote" is not "data". The singular of "anecdote" is "advertising".
* Have More...
with references and bibliography. The conclusions:
* Take notes on your mistakes, so you can learn from them.
* Get a Devil's Advocate, even if you have to do it yourself.
* No, you aren't that good at multitasking. You really aren't.
* The plural of "anecdote" is not "data". The singular of "anecdote" is "advertising".
* Have More...
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May 30, 2009
Dave
rated it: 
I took this book along to a doctor's office thinking it might be interesting. It may be post operative displacement, but this is a book that makes my heart glad, tickles my brain and stimulates the production and release of endorphins almost as much as a good bicycle ride. There's not much new to someone (like me) who has done a bit of reading in the field of human error, but the book is so well written and neatly documented that, for me, it's a pure intellectual pleasure so far. The author il
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Apr 29, 2011
David
rated it: 
"Behavioral Economics for Dummies" would be a suitable subtitle for this book. The author isn’t a researcher or expert on the topic, or even someone with a particular message, just a journalist looking for a book to write and a drawer full of antidotal tidbits related to behavioral economics. As a result, the book is a cursory survey of the field presented by way of somewhat amusing little stories. I felt like I was at the breakfast table listening to a spouse read off newspaper art
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Apr 29, 2011
Amanda
rated it:
There was some really fascinating stuff in here, but it wasn't as in-depth or thought-provoking as other similar books I've read (like "How We Know What Isn't So"). It was still well-researched and fairly informative though, especially for being such a light read. You could breeze through it in a weekend, and get plenty out of it. There are also fun tidbits and experiments (like testing your memory of what a penny looks like), and overall it was a good balance of dry facts and well-
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Feb 12, 2012
Richard
rated it:
I like this book by Joseph Hallinan. Lots of good information to make you a better decision maker and to avoid common pitfalls. The chapter headers [with a few of my comments] give you a good idea of what the author covers:
1. We Look but Don't Always See
2. We All Search for Meaning
3. We Connect the Dots [i.e., we make inferences based on irrelevancies]
4. We Wear Rose-Colored Glasses
5. We Can Walk and Chew Gum - but Not Much Else [i.e., multi-tasking is a myth]
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1. We Look but Don't Always See
2. We All Search for Meaning
3. We Connect the Dots [i.e., we make inferences based on irrelevancies]
4. We Wear Rose-Colored Glasses
5. We Can Walk and Chew Gum - but Not Much Else [i.e., multi-tasking is a myth]
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Jun 17, 2010
Lorin
rated it:
Human beings have an interesting dilemma. Sanity, I suspect, hinges to some degree on believing ourselves to be right more often than not, on believing that what we see is actually there, and that what we remember actually happened. Unfortunately, we are very often wrong, about almost everything. In Why We Make Mistakes: How We Look Without Seeing, Forget Things in Seconds, and Are All Pretty Sure We Are Way Above Average, Joseph T. Hallinan fascinatingly plumbs the depths of our errors.
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May 16, 2010
Kit
rated it:
I heard about this book on NPR and was interested in the idea of a compendium of research into how our own brains sabotage our thinking. Hallinan discusses things like how the fear of regret causes us to make bad decisions (even though statistically it's *better* to change your first answer on a test, most people won't do it because they think about how awful they would feel if they changed a correct answer to a wrong one, instead of realizing they're actually more likely to change a wrong answe
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Aug 14, 2009
Mazola1
rated it:
Why We Make Mistakes takes an entertaining and sometimes amusing look at the peculiarities, quirks and limitations of the human mind.
We all know we do dumb things, and that we persist in doing dumb things even when we have every reason to know better. This book explains why. We don't pay attention. We don't read directions. We make snap judgments based on scant data. We think we know more than we do. Our eyes fool us.
While it's tempting to think that reading this book might r More...
We all know we do dumb things, and that we persist in doing dumb things even when we have every reason to know better. This book explains why. We don't pay attention. We don't read directions. We make snap judgments based on scant data. We think we know more than we do. Our eyes fool us.
While it's tempting to think that reading this book might r More...
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Jun 01, 2009
getAbstract
rated it:
Understanding guide to becoming goof-proof
A woman hanged herself in a tree on a busy street. Yet, no one reported the suicide for more than 14 hours even though her body was clearly visible. Why? Because the incident occurred on October 31st and passersby mistook the body for a Halloween decoration. This horrifying example demonstrates the way context – as well as traits that are innately human – plays a role in how people make errors. As Joseph T. Hallinan explains, human beings are More...
A woman hanged herself in a tree on a busy street. Yet, no one reported the suicide for more than 14 hours even though her body was clearly visible. Why? Because the incident occurred on October 31st and passersby mistook the body for a Halloween decoration. This horrifying example demonstrates the way context – as well as traits that are innately human – plays a role in how people make errors. As Joseph T. Hallinan explains, human beings are More...
Feb 17, 2010
David
rated it:
This book covers some of the same behavioral economics territory considered in such recent books as Dan Ariely's "Predictably Irrational" (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/181...), "Nudge" by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/205...), and the Bronfman brothers' "Sway" (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/625...). There is also significant overlap with Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson's excellent "Mistakes Were Made (But
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Jun 01, 2009
Lena
rated it:
Of the various books I've read on the quirks of human cognition and how they affect our lives, this is one of the most readable. Journalist Joseph Hallinan has a storyteller's ability to take some of the most interesting research on problems with how our brains process information and weave it into a very effective argument for why it's a really, really bad idea to try to text while driving.
Hallinan begins his book with a chapter titled "We Look But We Don't Always See," More...
Hallinan begins his book with a chapter titled "We Look But We Don't Always See," More...
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May 12, 2010
Ann
rated it:
Edit! Gotta tell you guys that Joeseph Hallinan is the nicest writer ever. I wrote and asked him about visual inspection errors, and he actually called me to tell about people doing research in that area I could get in contact with. THAT is above and beyond. How amazing is that?
**
Easy science read on why we make the kinds of mistakes we do. I thought it was excellently written, and the audiobook version was well done...though some of the 'try it yourself at home' q More...
**
Easy science read on why we make the kinds of mistakes we do. I thought it was excellently written, and the audiobook version was well done...though some of the 'try it yourself at home' q More...
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May 16, 2009
Brian
rated it:
Very interesting summary of countless studies on reasons we goof up. Part way through, I was beginning to believe there's no way to avoid making mistakes. Later on, I was reminded that one could learn from one's own mistakes, but it's infinitely better to learn from OTHERS' mistakes. Except that we, generally, don't. The author's conclusions: One can expect to make _fewer_ mistakes, but it involves several skills and techniques such as thinking small. "The tiniest little change in circu
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Jun 11, 2010
Jackie
rated it:
Lots of ideas substantiated with data and studies... Depressed people see things realistically. Happy people think outside of the box. It is easier to not act than to act and make a mistake. The line to the left will almost always be shortest. We make decisions part from the gut and part from being rational-- the problem is when we make a smart decision we don't know how the decision was made. One way to improve the quality of your decisions is to document your decisions (i.e. not just why y
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Dec 05, 2011
M
rated it:
Mildly interesting, at times insightful, yet mostly shallow, anecdotal, and lacking any major revelations. Much of what is presented here is basically common knowledge among people interested in human psychology and behavior. For example, much is made of such matters as people being unreliable eyewitnesses, the majority of people being overconfident about their knowledge and capabilities, and the way that our own misapprehension of our aptitudes and weaknesses interfere with our ability to impro
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Jun 07, 2010
Dennis
rated it:
Quick and interesting read if you like practical psychology. Falls in the same category of books as Outliers, Blink and Freakanomics (but a lot more applicable). Gives great examples throughout of why/how we make mistakes and the last chapter gives great recommendations on how to avoid them. For example:
“A large percentage of people cannot tolerate mistakes. This is particularly true for people who believe that intelligence is fixed and cannot change; in their eyes, a mistake is a r More...
“A large percentage of people cannot tolerate mistakes. This is particularly true for people who believe that intelligence is fixed and cannot change; in their eyes, a mistake is a r More...
Aug 08, 2009
Alison
rated it:
Another truly fascinating foray into the human brain and its tendency to skim, look over things, and assume it knows better. Hallinan cites numerous famous (stupid) mistakes occur and how they could have been avoided, not by paying more attention (though certainly that could have avoided disaster) but by having the manufacturer involved know how the human mind actually works. Unlike other similar books, the author gives examples on things we can do to make ourselves less mistake prone, but even
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Apr 29, 2011
Lexi
rated it:
10.05 Freedom Of The Press
In Honor of World Press Freedom Day (May 3rd)… A. Read a novel with a main character who is a journalist. OR B. Read a non-fictional book written by or about a famous journalist.
Pulitzer Prize winning author: Joseph T. Hallinan, of the Wall Street Journal.
In Honor of World Press Freedom Day (May 3rd)… A. Read a novel with a main character who is a journalist. OR B. Read a non-fictional book written by or about a famous journalist.
Pulitzer Prize winning author: Joseph T. Hallinan, of the Wall Street Journal.
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Mar 28, 2009
Steven
rated it:
This is a provocative book. When you think about, we all know that lots of people really make stupid decisions. Question: Why are such mistakes made? That is the focus of this well written volume.
The subtitle reads: "How we look without seeing, forget things in seconds, and are all pretty sure that we are way above average." One aspect of our thinking that can cause problems, to illustrate what the book considers: framing. How issues are presented to us, or framed, affects More...
The subtitle reads: "How we look without seeing, forget things in seconds, and are all pretty sure that we are way above average." One aspect of our thinking that can cause problems, to illustrate what the book considers: framing. How issues are presented to us, or framed, affects More...
Aug 06, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it:
This book was a summary of psychology research about perception, forgetfulness, judgement, and other components of human error. It was a fast, pop-science kind of read, written for the weekend psychologist - I finished it in maybe two hours.
The book is full of anecdotes that make you go "Huh, that's interesting," and perhaps even read a paragraph aloud to whomever's nearby - but it lacked zing. Possibly part of the trouble is that I had read about some of these phenomena befo More...
The book is full of anecdotes that make you go "Huh, that's interesting," and perhaps even read a paragraph aloud to whomever's nearby - but it lacked zing. Possibly part of the trouble is that I had read about some of these phenomena befo More...
Jul 29, 2009
Kathy
rated it:
This was the most comforting book I have read in a long while. It explains that our brains are wired in a certain way and so are the mistakes we all make. For example, names are hard to remember because they have very little meaning, other than as random syllables that indicate a certain person. We can remember their job or their family status or their connection to us much more easily because that has more content we can remember.
The book was full of that type of explanation for mistakes More...
The book was full of that type of explanation for mistakes More...
Aug 05, 2009
Kevin "El Liso Grande"
rated it:
Another in my series of easy, thought provoking reads which have included Blink, Outliers and this book to name a few. Here is what I learned:
1) Why men don't ask for directions (totally agree with this)
2) Why gamblers are overconfident (agree. again)
3) Who makes the most mistakes
4) There is no such thing as human multi-tasking
A fun, easy and informative book. Joseph Hallinan has a good sense of humor while still keeping things tight and moving. Unusuall More...
1) Why men don't ask for directions (totally agree with this)
2) Why gamblers are overconfident (agree. again)
3) Who makes the most mistakes
4) There is no such thing as human multi-tasking
A fun, easy and informative book. Joseph Hallinan has a good sense of humor while still keeping things tight and moving. Unusuall More...
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May 11, 2009
Sue
rated it:
I thought this book answered its title well. You do find out the many different reasons that we make mistakes. In fact, there are so many reasons for us to make mistakes, it's somewhat of a miracle that we actually get as much done correctly that we do. Hallinan also discusses how to take the knowledge of why we make mistakes and apply it so that we make less mistakes. I think this book should be required reading for organizations and companies where mistakes should be minimized -- hospitals, p
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Apr 29, 2011
Rjurban
rated it:
This book is not what I thought it would be but it was an interesting read all the same.
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Apr 29, 2011
Honestly... I only THINK I read this book but can't really remember.
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Apr 11, 2009
Russell
rated it:
Although not highly in depth study, the author bounces from point to point with a fair degree of alacrity and quotes statistics a a drop of a hat, this book drives home we make mistakes, and these mistakes seem to be universal, repeatable and, most importantly, avoidable.
It's a quick read, and well worth your time. I hope to actually use some of the ideas he presented to minimize my mistakes, mainly using checklists akin to pilots and seeking things that are clearly and logically co More...
It's a quick read, and well worth your time. I hope to actually use some of the ideas he presented to minimize my mistakes, mainly using checklists akin to pilots and seeking things that are clearly and logically co More...
Jul 08, 2009
Ebama
rated it:
Why We Make Mistakes was a fun, easy read that appealed to my usual curiosities about my own neuroses, habits, and quirks. This felt like a more detailed book of a "trivia" genre; I found myself talking about this book to others the whole time I was reading it. I passed along little nuggets and facts, hints and tricks, case studies and anecdotes to people around me all the way through. I've recommended it to friends and family and the ones who have read it seemed to agree - this is
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Apr 29, 2011
David
rated it:
Another book that reviews psychological studies in an anecdotal style. So it cites studies and results, but illustrates these with a lot of examples so you get the point. On the plus side you will have a lot of stories to tell friends when chit chatting.
Why do we screw up? We get distracted like the pilots of the airplane who flew into the ground because they all become preoccupied why a light bulb had gone out (the light bulb had failed, not the device it was measuring). We become set in o More...
Why do we screw up? We get distracted like the pilots of the airplane who flew into the ground because they all become preoccupied why a light bulb had gone out (the light bulb had failed, not the device it was measuring). We become set in o More...
Apr 29, 2011
Kelly
rated it:
This was a fascinating book. I've been seeing a lot of this type of book around, discussing the way humans are sort of generally faulty despite thinking we're great. We just tend to be way overconfident in a whole host of things. We lose things and then find them later in plain sight, because despite the fact that we look, we don't see "everything" the way that we think we do. We make decisions based on factors we aren't even conscious of, despite thining we are being entirely rational
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