Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

Dr. Dan Ariely

Jun 2009 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

The groundbreaking bestseller from iconic behavioral psychologist Dan Ariely, now the inspiration for the Fall 2023 NBC show The Irrational

“A marvelous book that is both thought provoking and highly entertaining, ranging from the power of placebos to the pleasures of Pepsi. Ariely unmasks the subtle but powerful tricks that our minds play on us, and shows us how we can prevent being fooled.” — Jerome Groopman, New York Times bestselling author of How Doctors Think

“Ariely is a genius at understanding human behavior: no economist does a better job of uncovering and explaining the hidden reasons for the weird ways we act, in the marketplace and out. Predictably Irrational will reshape the way you see the world, and yourself, for good.” — James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds

Why do our headaches persist after we take a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a fifty-cent aspirin? Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save twenty-five cents on a can of soup?

When it comes to making decisions in our lives, we think we're making smart, rational choices. But are we? In this revised and expanded edition of the groundbreaking New York Times bestseller, Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. From drinking coffee to losing weight, from buying a car to choosing a romantic partner, we consistently overpay, underestimate, and procrastinate. Yet these misguided behaviors are neither random nor senseless. They're systematic and predictable—making us predictably irrational.

Ratings and reviews

Pretty much the nonsense that would be expected from a book that George Akerlof, the Nobel winning champion of nonsense, contends that would make us wiser. The author notes the irrationality in human decision makers and then jumps immediately to the contention that that gives adequate and appropriate rationale for the government to step in and make things better. He, like Akerlof and so many other supposed wizards, simply assume that those in power, whether elected or lifetime bureaucrats, know what is the "right" decision, have the incentive to serve the public, and are not corrupted by their own wisdom and power. That logical jump is one of the major downfalls of modern mainstream economics.However illogical human decision-makers may be, there is no way to get around the conundrum that the would-be saviors of the irrational humans are also human, and thus subject to all of the same failings and irrationality. The argument against markets and economic freedom falls flat, given all of the experience over the decades with incompetence in politicians and their economic advisers.

The book talks about bunch of human behaviors that sound illogical and irrational. It tries to link most of the behaviors to marketing though most of those patterns can be linked to anything. The author has performed relatively controlled experiments to deduce those behaviors. i really enjoyed reading the book. it uses simple yet effective system of experiments to prove their findings. As an engineer i strongly appreciated their adherence to experiment rules. All the experiments about people behaviors. it sheds light on many very interesting human behaviors. I did have to question some of the findings because i wasn't convinced that the experiment controlled all the necessary variables, however almost all the other experiments provided a very good controlled environment. bottom line, if you are interested in human behaviors concerning decision making and all the human "flaws" that make us susceptible to marketing techniques then this book is for you. It will sound extra fun for whoever appreciate good controlled experiments. I definitely learned many weakness in my decision making process. Hopefully knowing them will reduce their effect.

This book I found to be extremely interesting.. I do not normally like reading books, but I found it hard to put this one down! Dan talks about the psychology of the human Brain and why when you think you're being irrational, you're actually being completely predictable.. Great read!

About the author

Dan Ariely is the James B. Duke Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University. He is a founding member of the Center for Advanced Hindsight; a cocreator of the film documentary (Dis)Honesty: The Truth About Lies; and a three-time New York Times bestselling author. His books include Predictably Irrational, The Upside of Irrationality, The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty, Irrationally Yours, Payoff, Dollars and Sense, and Amazing Decisions. His TED Talks have been viewed more than 27 million times. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and elsewhere. He lives in North Carolina with his family.