How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer
How We Decide is a book that explores the science of decision-making and provides biological explanations of how people make decisions.
The book challenges our cultural focus on rational decision-making and suggests that good decision-making is made through both the emotion and rational parts of the brain working together. The author, Jonah Lehrer, uses anecdotes and experimental evidence to explain how we make good and bad decisions.
The main themes of the book include the emotional and rational parts of the brain working together, the role of emotions in decision-making, and the importance of understanding the science of decision-making. The book also explores the reward circuitry of the brain, negativity bias, loss aversion, creativity, and working memory.
Useful takeaways from the book include learning how to cut through biases that prevent us from making wise choices, using a toolkit for learning from the past and tackling the future in an uncertain world, and understanding the importance of both emotion and rationality in decision-making. The book also provides insights into how to improve decision-making skills by understanding the science behind it.
What I Liked
Fast, interesting, useful non-fiction along the lines of Malcolm Gladwell. Good read.
What I Did Not Like
Nothing – very well done.
