Predictably Irrational

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

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I like to think of myself as being a rational human being, but after reading this book, I think that maybe I'm not. I started this book because the first four chapters were supplemental reading for my economics class. I finished it though because the premise was fascinating. Much like Freakonomics, Predictably Irrational seeks to answer questions about society at large and why we do people do what they do. Predictably Irrational is more practical - Ariely asks questions of why we make the decisions we do and why we spend money the way we do in less traditional methods. Ariely writes about why we overvalue our possessions, why we go nuts over FREE!, etc. I don't agree with everything Ariely says, but he doesn't present it as fact - he's just trying to get the readers to consider things more objectively. This book is entertaining and will make you reconsider why you love Pepsi versus Coke and the power of placebo medicines. This book makes for great conversation starters and for "school" reading, it was fantastic.