Chazz's review
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
by Dan Ariely
Chazz's review
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
Chazz's review
rating:
recommended for: fans of Freakonomics (probably)
This book probably would please those who enjoyed Freakonomics (although, I confess I haven't read that one). It deals with a branch of social studies that tries to determine how money influences our actual decision making; this is not the non-empirical logic of Aristotle, but the empiricism of Galileo, applied to much lighter issues.
Example: Which tastes better, Coke or Pepsi? Functional MRIs (MRI movies, not stills, I'm pretty sure) of brains were observed while consuming each beverage, under two conditions - 1) The beverage was NOT disclosed to the taster ahead of time, and 2) The beverage WAS disclosed. Interestingly, the brains would "light up" in different ways under the differing conditions of ignorance v. foreknowledge. Who said science couldn't be fun?
Example: Which tastes better, Coke or Pepsi? Functional MRIs (MRI movies, not stills, I'm pretty sure) of brains were observed while consuming each beverage, under two conditions - 1) The beverage was NOT disclosed to the taster ahead of time, and 2) The beverage WAS disclosed. Interestingly, the brains would "light up" in different ways under the differing conditions of ignorance v. foreknowledge. Who said science couldn't be fun?
