DAN ARIELY / The Upside of Irrationality
You hear him frequently on public radio –
now meet the incomparable Dan Ariely when he introduces his new book The
Upside of Irrationality!
The 2008 economic crisis taught us
that irrationality is an influential player in financial markets. But it is
often the case that irrationality also makes it way into our daily lives and
decision-making -- in slightly different and vastly more subtle ways. In
this enthralling follow-up to his New York Times bestseller Predictably
Irrational, Dan Ariely shows how irrationality is an
inherent part of the way we function and think, and how it affects
our behavior in all areas of our lives, from our romantic
relationships to our experiences in the workplace to our temptations to cheat.
Blending everyday experience with groundbreaking analysis and new research into
our how we actually make decisions, Ariely explains how expectations, emotions,
social norms, and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our
reasoning abilities. Using data from original experiments, he
draws invaluable conclusions about how -- and why -- we behave the way we
do, and reflects on ways we can make ourselves and our society
better. Dan explores the truth about:
• What we think will make us happy and what really makes us happy;
• How we learn to love the ones we are with;
• Why online dating doesn’t work, and how we can improve on it;
• Why learning more about people makes us like them less;
• Why large bonuses can make CEOs less productive;
• How to really motivate people at work;
• Why bad directions can help us;
• How we fall in love with our ideas;
• How we are motivated by revenge;
• What motivates us to cheat.
Drawing on the same experimental methods that made Predictably Irrational one
of the most talked about bestsellers, Ariely emphasizes the
important role that irrationality plays in our day-to-day decision-making --
not just in our financial marketplace, but in the most intimate aspects of our
lives.
“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.” --
Dan Ariely is the James B. Duke Professor of
Behavioral Economics at
Our guest introducer this evening is Richard B. Evans, a senior international business advisor and director of companies. He is Executive in Residence and Advisory Board member of McGill University Faculty of Business, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Global Economic Symposium. A graduate of Stanford's School of Business, he divides his time between Montreal and San Francisco.
- Street:
- The Booksmith
- Additional:
- 1644 Haight Street
- City:
- San Francisco ,
- Province:
- California
- Postal Code:
- 94117
- Country:
- United States
