Predictably Irrational
How do we think about money?What caused bankers to lose sight of the economy?What caused individuals to take on mortgages that were not within their means?What irrational forces guided our decisions?And how can we recover from an economic crisis? In this revised and expanded edition of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller Predictably Irrational, Duke University's behavioral economist Dan Ariely explores the hidden forces that shape our decisions, including some of the causes responsible for the current economic crisis. Bringing a much-needed dose of sophisticated psychological study to the realm of public policy, Ariely offers his own insights into the irrationalities of everyday life, the decisions that led us to the financial meltdown of 2008, and the general ways we get ourselves into trouble.Blending common experiences and clever experiments with groundbreaking analysis, Ariely demonstrates how expectations, emotions, social norms, and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities. As he explains, our reliance on standard economic theory to design personal, national, and global policies may, in fact, be dangerous. The mistakes that we
Where Predictably Irrational keeps showing up
Eight of our editors' lists feature this novel.
What you might want to know about Predictably Irrational
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Dan Ariely uses experiments from his lab and dating life to show how human choices are shaped by anchors, the spell of free, and social versus market norms in ways that are far from random.
Predictably Irrational was written by Dan Ariely and published in 2008. Ariely is a Duke University professor of psychology and behavioral economics, and the book draws on his academic research.
Several specific studies popularized in Predictably Irrational have not replicated well. The broader argument about systematic irrationality remains influential in behavioral economics, but readers should know that some examples are dated or contested.
Predictably Irrational is 368 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Predictably Irrational takes most readers 6 to 8 hours to finish.
Predictably Irrational is a standalone novel by Dan Ariely, not part of a series.
Predictably Irrational is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
