Sunday Book Review
From the NYT Sunday Book Review:
STUFF YOUR BRAIN SAYS: “The Upside of Irrationality,” Dan Ariely’s follow-up to his 2008 best seller “Predictably Irrational,” hits the hardcover list at No. 12 this week. Ariely, a professor at Duke, is a leading researcher in behavioral economics. One of the field’s concerns is the way we tend to misjudge future pleasure — for example, by imagining that a new Ferrari will make us feel much happier than it actually does. But making The New York Times best-seller list, it turns out, really does feel good. “When my first book reached the list, I called my wife to tell her and I was just not able to talk from excitement,” Ariely said by telephone. “This was very interesting to me because I was very happy to hear the news, but somehow sharing it with someone I love intensified it to an extent that was just too much for me, and I was just able to say a word here and there and almost cry in between.” The differences in our experience of emotions when we are alone versus with others, he added, might be a fruitful avenue for future research.
So — how did I feel this time? About the same as the first time….
Irrationally yours
Dan
The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone - Especially Ourselves
Just finished Predictably Irrational. Quite a good book, but I am still puzzled on the “inviting a less atractive” friend for a party. In my view, you propose a “rational=egoistic” way of getting a date and very likely losing a friend. Why someone would do that? Desperation, maybe? True friendship is much harder to find than a quick date and true friendship is way more rewarding than a flash orgasm. It seemed to me you have “irrationably” fostered irrationality. Other than that, book is quite good. The reflections on the housing buble, trust and bonuses are fantastic.
Congratulations. That’s exciting news.
Wow, congrats, Dan!!! You so deserve it. I can’t wait to dig into my book… as soon as GMATs are done.
The emotions idea sounds like something ASU can handle next semester! =D
I finished Upside a few days ago. Great book! I’m glad to hear it’s on the bestseller list (where it belongs.)
You may be correct that a friend has more benefits than a date but evolutionarily speaking (in a genetic extensional sort of a way) a date is way more important than a friend.
Oh and…why would one necessarily lose the friend? I can imagine many scenarios in which one did not lose the friend.
Congratulations, Dan! Much deserved praise.
Loved your first book, and the second is just as interesting and insturctional! Great job.
Dan,
Just listened to you on KWMU in St. Louis. I am very excited to read your book(s) and to hear your discussion tonight at the St. Louis County Library.
Dan -
I’m a long-time fan and was happy to make Upside a Staff Pick this week at Powells.com. I loved the book. Great insights and I appreciate your ability to take academic journal articles and translate them into something the rest of us enjoy reading.
Congrats, I feel that way sometimes.