Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions

Dan Ariely

Mar 2009 · HarperCollins UK

About this ebook

Why do smart people make irrational decisions every day? The answers will surprise you. Predictably Irrational is an intriguing, witty and utterly original look at why we all make illogical decisions.

Why can a 50p aspirin do what a 5p aspirin can't? If an item is "free" it must be a bargain, right? Why is everything relative, even when it shouldn't be? How do our expectations influence our actual opinions and decisions?

In this astounding book, behavioural economist Dan Ariely cuts to the heart of our strange behaviour, demonstrating how irrationality often supplants rational thought and that the reason for this is embedded in the very structure of our minds.

Predicatably Irrational brilliantly blends everyday experiences with a series of illuminating and often surprising experiments, that will change your understanding of human behaviour. And, by recognising these patterns, Ariely shows that we can make better decisions in business, in matters of collective welfare, and in our everyday lives from drinking coffee to losing weight, buying a car to choosing a romantic partner.

Ratings and reviews

This is a great book that I just had to get for my mobile device. If you've ever said to yourself "Why did I do that" or found yourself doing something that you know you shouldn't then this is the book for you. It's geared towards economics but, it actually applies to pretty much everything we do. The principals are the same whether we are talking about a bag of apples or a million pound investment. It really does help to have someone outside of yourself examining those little irrational things that we do to our detriment. Once you start to understand them you can change them and even make them work for you. A great book that really does force you to look more closely at what you do and why.

I've done a number on these genre-wise and this is one of the better ones. It's hilarious when people who really understand how people think, can be so clumsy with the words putting together thing. But getting past that, the insight is deep and luxurious oozing effortlessly from the author's profound experiences. A great exposition of decision, going way past the usual choice dribble, albeit with some well used psychological terrorism on the youth of American Universities - old school experiments.

The book makes lots of good points related to our way of life. Which some would call things we "did not even know that we did not know". So it was worth the time and money spent.

About the author

Dan Ariely is the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Behavioral Economics at MIT. His work has been featured in leading scholarly journals as well as a variety of popular media outlets, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Business 2.0, Scientific American, and Science. He has also been featured on CNN and National Public Radio. Dan publishes widely in the leading scholarly journals in economics, psychology, and business. His work has been featured in a variety of media including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Business 2.0, Scientific American, Science and CNN. He splits his time between Princeton, NJ, and Cambridge, MA.