Predictably Irrational — 2 years
Feb
19
Predictably Irrational was published two years ago today
Mazal Tov
It has been an amazing two years
Dan
Dan Ariely
My Irrational Life34 Comments to “Predictably Irrational — 2 years”
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The Books
The Upside of Irrationality
Irrationality is not all bad. In the Upside of irrationality we examine some of the positive effects irrationality have on our lives and offer a new look on the irrational decisions that influence our personal lives and our workplace experiences.
Predictably Irrational
When we make decisions we think we're in control, making rational choices. But are we? Entertaining and surprising, Ariely unmasks the subtle but powerful tricks that our minds play on us.
cheers!!
Congrats!!
Thanks for writing it.
One of the most interesting books I’ve read in a long time.
Mazal Tov, great book, thanks Dan!
Mazal tov! Kol HaKavod! Other half-remembered expressions from Hebrew school!
Seriously, Predictably Irrational is a great book. Thanks for writing it. I’ve been going through your podcasts recently, and those are great too.
Is there a sequel book planned?
bravo!
always suggesting this book to folks & the TED talk to those too busy!
Excellent Book – truly great insights – really stands out from the crowd – thanks & Mazal Tov!
Yada, yada … so what have you done for me lately?
[please take as intended -- tongue in cheek]
Dan,
What an awesome book.
Actually I just read the first 9 pages, and I just had to write this comment.
I was a financial adviser for 11 years, prior to getting into online marketing.
And I used the EXACT same method of giving my prospects 3 choices when presenting a life insurance plan and an investment plan.
I always figured that most people just go with the middle choice which they did, and I always made that middle choice the one that they should have and the one I wanted to sell. I did it by making the 3rd choice the most expensive one, BUT…
… what I never realized what that UNINTENTIONALLY I was using this concept of Relativity and in the Context it was presented the middle choice was the one they picked most of the time. (it was the 3rd choice that made them choose #2)
I sold lost of life insurance this way, but had I known exactly WHY they picked that option, I would have been even more effective.
I can’t wait to start using this in my marketing.
Thanks.
Gonna go back and finish reading the REST of the book.
http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/quirks_20100220_27829.mp3
Dan, Congratulations!
stimatzki Israel are having a new sales and marketing campaign, called “the book shelf”
it invites people to be photographed with their favorite book or a book they would like to recommend to others to read.
so when i visited the shop today they asked my to join an be photographed with a book so i picked your book (the Hebrew version)
pictures and book recommendations would be posted on store web site. I’ll post a link when they’ll email it to me
Regards and happy book birthday
Your work is amazing and really helps me understand how the world really operates. Thanks for the hard work and please keep it up.
Best,
Dan
Dan,
A friend of mine at work was reading your book and recommended it highly to me. I downloaded an audio copy of the book last week and finished it a couple of days ago.
It’s an excellent book and one that everyone in the business world should add to their “must read” list. I work in corporate education and this is one of those books that offers really valuable insights.
Thank you for your excellent work!
Regards,
David
Oh dear….I’m still reading this amazing book, and now I know I have to have at least 6 more copies for wonderful young people who need to understand what drives us. I’d also buy one for a much older friend, but it’s too late…he likes being irrational. Well, that’s understandable,he’s a Republican, after all. OR, in case, dear reader, that you are Republican, he could be a Democrat. Oh yeah…and you’ve got “required” misspelled in the Comment line above. (I’m an editor, catching errors is required)
Just finished the audio book version today. I think I need to purchase the print version now and use it for reference. Congratulations on a work well done.
I just want to congratulate you for your book and all the work that turn it possible. Many years ago, when I got my first lessons in economy, I had a teacher that introduce us to the rationality issue. I found it very interesting, and I never forgot it, although I left economics and became a physical therapist!..Loved to read your book,
Kind regards,
from Portugal
Paula
Congratulations! It’s definitely an awesome book!
Mazel Tov Dan. Thank you for putting together a great book
Cheers dan!
What a wonderfully insightful, entertaining read.
When’s your next book?
Probably a circumstance of the timing of my reading your book in relation to others but would love to see what would be the outcome if you, Malcolm Gladwell and Jonah Lehrer put your heads together.
Whatever comes next I look forward the insight I’m sure it will bring.
Great book, and you’re great as well.
Ciao!
Marco
Mazal Tov Dan,
I read this by Richard Wiseman today, and you may be familiar with it already:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3304496/Be-lucky-its-an-easy-skill-to-learn.html
However is this the next step in Behavioral Economics? Right now his book (59 seconds) and yours focus on how in general people react to certain circumstances and behave in certain ways.
But as he is asserting with luck (and as we know intuitively) different people react to the same experience in different ways… I’m not certain the field is currently really addressing this as results are aggregated when reported. Just my thoughts.
Hope to see you in Austin, soon. Farewell.
Mazal tov. Great book; listened to it on Audible. Please tell me Dan, how do you explain the Israeli social norm of bringing cash presents as Wedding gifts – in effect paying for your plate? I’ve always instinctively felt odd about it, but it undoubtedly is the local custom. How is this different from the hypothetical Thanksgiving Dinner that you portray in the book? Elad Lending, Yahel, Israel
Congratulations Dan. I really enjoyed your book, learned a lot and recommend it often. I hope there’s a sequel soon. In reading your book, it makes me wonder if you are somehow sorting/analyzing these postings as part of one of your expermiments. If so, put me in the control group. I don’t want to seem predictabily irrational. Best regards.
Congratulations Prof. Ariely,
Your book is one of the most ‘eye-opening’ pieces of literature i have ever read. I’m looking forward to reading your next bestseller whenever it comes out.
Dan,
Loved your book. Altho I know very, very, little about economics I discovered it reveals much about our psyche and our human nature.
Mazel Tov! How appropriate considering that it means good constellation. I have already recommended the book to others. I was wondering though? I do not remember any stripe of clergy appearing in the book. Have you looked at the clergy? As we have seen many different kinds of scandals in all the faiths, are the clergy inured to the morality supposedly inherent in what they do? Thanks for this work, Marvin
Congratulations Dan. I first heard about PI via your lecture at TED – I watched the video more than once and loved it. A great book and a great blog.
Best wishes, Hugh
Congratulations Dan,
I first heard about your amazing book on the radio, last september, went to a book store and read it.
I loved it, many friends of mine read it because of my warm recommendation.
I wait for more, and hope to enjoy the effect othis book had on me personally and professionaly, “Taanug Amity”
Yours
Sarah Kiperwas
Also an amazing book, Congratulations!
I’ve just started reading it. Good so far. reminds me a lot of the writings of Eliezer Yudkowsky about rationality/cognitive biases (see http://www.lesswrong.com ).
Congratulations – being an Amazon junkie bit.ly/5IhwsJ
I usually buy a lot more books than I get to read.
Yours I read.
In it’s entirety.
And I enjoyed it massively. Thank you for writing it.
And the new book is just fantastic, too! You should be very proud. -B.
Read it almost straight thru–fascinating work and great writing.
Your story brings to mind a parallel with that of the great hypnotist & therapist, Milton Erickson. He had polio, and was bedridden twice-as a child and as a young man. All he could do was observe, and so he studied human behavior in exquisite detail. I’m awed by people who can turn extreme adversity into great contributions.