How We Decide Trade cloth - 2009 - 1st Edition
by Lehrer, Jonah
Summary
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 this is not how the mind works. Our best decisions are a finely tuned blend of both feeling and reason—and the precise mix depends on the situation. When buying a house, for example, it’s best to let our unconscious mull over the many variables. But when we’re picking a stock, intuition often leads us astray. The trick is to determine when to use the different parts of the brain, and to do this, we need to think harder (and smarter) about how we think.
Jonah Lehrer arms us with the tools we need, drawing on cutting-edge research as well as the real-world experiences of a wide range of “deciders”—from airplane pilots and hedge fund investors to serial killers and poker players.
Lehrer shows how people are taking advantage of the new science to make better television shows, win more football games, and improve military intelligence. His goal is to answer two questions that are of interest to just about anyone, from CEOs to firefighters: How does the human mind make decisions? And how can we make those decisions better?
Details
- Title How We Decide
- Author Lehrer, Jonah
- Binding Trade Cloth
- Edition number 1st
- Edition 1
- Pages 256
- Language EN
- Publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston
- Date 2009-02-09
- ISBN 9780618620111
Excerpt
The quick decisions made by a quarterback on a football field provide a window into the inner workings of the brain. In the space of a few frenetic seconds, before a linebacker crushes him into the ground, an NFL quarterback has to make a series of hard choices. The pocket is collapsing around him — the pocket begins to collapse before it exists — but he can’t flinch or wince. His eyes must stay focused downfield, looking for some meaningful sign amid the action, an open man on a crowded field. Throwing the ball is the easy part.
These passing decisions happen so fast they don’t even seem like decisions. We are used to seeing football on television, captured by the cameras far above the grassy stage. From this distant perspective, the players appear to be moving in some sort of violent ballet; the sport looks exquisitely choreographed. You can see the receivers spread the zone and watch the pocket slowly disintegrate. It’s easy to detect the weak spots of the defense and find the target with man-on-man coverage. You can tell which linebackers bought the play-action fake and see the cornerback racing in on the blitz. When you watch the game from this omniscient angle — coaches call it "the eye in the sky" — it appears as if the quarterback is simply following orders, as if he knows where he is going to throw the ball before the play begins.
Media reviews
"Over the past two decades, research in neuroscience and behavioral economics has revolutionized our understanding of human decision making. Jonah Lehrer brings it all together in this insightful and enjoyable book, giving readers the information they need to make the smartest decisions.”—Antonio Damasio, author of Descartes’ Error and Looking for Spinoza
“Jonah Lehrer ingeniously weaves neuroscience, sports, war, psychology, and politics into a fascinating tale of human decision making. In the process, he makes us much wiser.”—Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational
“Should we go with instinct or analysis? The answer, Lehrer explains, in this smart and delightfully readable book, is that it depends on the situation. Knowing which method works best in which case is not just useful but fascinating. Lehrer proves once again that he’s a master storyteller and one of the best guides to the practical lessons from new neuroscience.”—Chris Anderson, editor in chief of Wired and author of The Long Tail
“As Lehrer describes in fluid prose, the brain’s reasoning centers are easily fooled, often making judgments based on nonrational factors like presentation (a sales pitch or packaging)...Lehrer is a delight to read, and this is a fascinating book (some of which appeared recently, in a slightly different form, in the New Yorker) that will help everyone better understand themselves and their decision making.” —Publisher's Weekly, starred review
More Copies for Sale
How We Decide
by Lehrer, Jonah
- Used
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780618620111 / 0618620117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
- Item Price
-
$1.00$3.00 shipping to USA
Show Details
How We Decide
by Lehrer, Jonah
- Used
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780618620111 / 0618620117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
- Item Price
-
$1.20$3.00 shipping to USA
Show Details
How We Decide
by Lehrer, Jonah
- Used
- Acceptable
- first
- Condition
- Used - Acceptable
- Edition
- First Edition
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780618620111 / 0618620117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Item Price
-
$4.19FREE shipping to USA
Show Details
How We Decide
by Lehrer, Jonah
- Used
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780618620111 / 0618620117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Reno, Nevada, United States
- Item Price
-
$5.73FREE shipping to USA
Show Details
How We Decide
by Lehrer, Jonah
- Used
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780618620111 / 0618620117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Reno, Nevada, United States
- Item Price
-
$5.73FREE shipping to USA
Show Details
How We Decide
by Jonah Lehrer
- Used
- good
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Used - Good
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780618620111 / 0618620117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Seattle, Washington, United States
- Item Price
-
$5.99FREE shipping to USA
Show Details
How We Decide
by Jonah Lehrer
- Used
- very good
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780618620111 / 0618620117
- Quantity Available
- 3
- Seller
-
Seattle, Washington, United States
- Item Price
-
$5.99FREE shipping to USA
Show Details
How We Decide
by Lehrer, Jonah
- Used
- Condition
- UsedGood
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780618620111 / 0618620117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Interlochen, Michigan, United States
- Item Price
-
$6.15FREE shipping to USA
Show Details
How We Decide
by Lehrer, Jonah
- Used
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780618620111 / 0618620117
- Quantity Available
- 4
- Seller
-
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
- Item Price
-
$6.66FREE shipping to USA
Show Details
How We Decide
by Lehrer, Jonah
- Used
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780618620111 / 0618620117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
- Item Price
-
$6.66FREE shipping to USA