Overview
An entertaining illumination of the stupid beliefs that make us feel wise. You believe you are a rational, logical being who sees the world as it really is, but journalist David McRaney is here to tell you that you're as deluded as the rest of us. But that's OK- delusions keep us sane. You Are Not So Smart is a celebration of self-delusion. It's like a psychology class, with all the boring parts taken out, and with no homework. Based on the popular blog of the same name, You Are Not So Smart collects more than 46 of the lies we tell ourselves everyday, including: * Dunbar's Number - Humans evolved to live in bands of roughly 150 individuals, the brain cannot handle more than that number. If you have more than 150 Facebook friends, they are surely not all real friends. * Hindsight bias - When we learn something new, we reassure ourselves that we knew it all along. * Confirmation bias - Our brains resist new ideas, instead paying attention only to findings that reinforce our preconceived notions. * Brand loyalty - We reach for the same brand not because we trust its quality but because we want to reassure ourselves that we made a smart choice the last time we bought it.
Full Product Details
Author: David McRaney ,
Don Hagen
Publisher: Gildan Media Corporation
Imprint: Gildan Media Corporation
ISBN: 9798200561261
Publication Date: 05 December 2011
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Audio
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
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Reviews
"""You Are Not So Smart is a dose of psychology research served in tasty anecdotes that will make you better understand both yourself and the rest of us. It turns out we're much more irrational than most of us think, so give yourself every advantage you can and read this book."" -- ""Alexis Ohanian, cofounder of Reddit.com"" ""Fascinating! You'll never trust your brain again."" -- ""Alex Boese, author of Elephants on Acid"" ""Simply wonderful. An engaging and useful guide to how our brilliant brains can go badly wrong."" -- ""Richard Wiseman, author of 59 Seconds"" ""You'd think from the title that it might be curmudgeonly; in fact, You Are Not So Smart is quite big-hearted."" -- ""Jason Kottke, Kottke.org"""
Author Information
David McRaney is the author of You Are Not So Smart. A successful journalist, McRaney cut his teeth covering Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast; he is now director of new media for a broadcast television company. He lives with his wife in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Don Hagen has been behind the microphone since fifth grade. He is a nine-time winner of the Peer Award for narration/voice-over and twice winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award. He has also been heard in radio and television commercials and documentaries. In addition to his freelance voice work, he is a member of the audiobook narration team at the Library of Congress.
