This question came to me when I was talking to a Psychology student at dinner. I was talking about your book and Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Blink. The placebo affect seems to be unexpected but it does not seem to be irrational.

I am curious what other people think of this idea.

I am an old “fart,” having retired from a business career as CFO in Fortune 500 and Forbes 400 environments, and have returned to my first love: teaching (Philosophy, Finance, Management, at the undergraduate level). I have an MBA from a top-10 B school, as well as two Philosophy degrees.

While there have been many great minds who have influenced my thinking (Plato, Aristotle, Whitehead, etc.), there has been only one book that has influenced/changed my life: “Irrational Man,” by William Barrett. At age 26, I read that book, and within 90 days I was married to someone I had never known previously. (We knew each other only 31 days before we got married. We are working on our 39th year married. She attended Harvard B School.)

BUT: if I were young enough to have my life changed, there is a now a second book that would (have) change(d) my life: “Predictably Irrational.” Having completed only two chapters in the book, I decided I “had” to give a copy each to my children (those copies are in their way), and told my Critical Thinking students about the book.

Wonderful insights, pleasant self-deprecating writing style.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.