Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things
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"...a useful book..." -- Dr Jason Braithwaite, Behavioural Brain Sciences Centre, University of Birmingham.
Product Description
A woman planning a dinner party calls a gourmet caterer and learns that 'Chateaubriand' can be ordered. To which she responds, 'No, thanks. We're going to take care of the wine ourselves'. The dead silence at the end of the phone is her first clue that something is amiss. A CEO attempts to put an end to complaints from employees about the demeaning behaviour of certain managers by berating the managers before the staff - thus reinforcing the very behaviour he's trying to correct. We often criticise such incidents with remarks like 'How dumb!' or 'What was he thinking?'. But psychologist Madeleine L Van Hecke argues that much of what we label stupidity can better be explained as blind spots. Just as the blind spot in the driver's side mirror can swallow up a passing car, patterns in the way we think can likewise become blind spots, sifting out information and observations that to other people seem obvious. Drawing on research in creativity, cognitive psychology, critical thinking, child development, education, and philosophy, Dr Van Hecke shows how our assets as thinkers create the very blind spots that become our worst liabilities. She devotes a chapter to each of ten mental blind spots that afflict even the smartest people: not stopping to think, jumping to conclusions, my-side bias, getting trapped by categories, and much more. At the end of each chapter she offers tactics for overcoming that specific blind spot, so we can become more creative and competent thinkers. Full of funny, poignant stories about human foibles, "Blind Spots" offers many insights for improving our social and political lives while giving us fresh slants into the minds of people who are poles apart from ourselves.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a systematic but not heavy survey of human fallibility in making statements and coming to decisions. There is a regular pattern to chapters, introducing a blind spot in our thinking, illustrating by examples and then introducing practical steps that one can take to avoid them.
The blind spots are easy to relate to; they are very human in nature and we will all be conscious of being guilty of most of them on many occasions. The text is readable and few accounts are given of research. This is perhaps a missed opportunity. Some of the examples introduced were not followed through. There were repeated references to investigations of a disease called kuru but no closure was achieved but the account was not finished. The probabilistic explanation of a TV game show was avoided.
This is not a bad book by any stretch of the imagination. The survey is fine. It perhaps lacks depth of insight and readers who have reflected on why and how people hold different perspectives may not learn much that is new. If you are curious as to human diversity and fallibility then this is a reasonable book for you.
Fittingly, for a book with a sub-title of "why smart people do dumb things," there are some glaring but perhaps unimportant errors. Neither Legionnaire's disease not kuru are due to viruses as stated in the text.
The blind spots are easy to relate to; they are very human in nature and we will all be conscious of being guilty of most of them on many occasions. The text is readable and few accounts are given of research. This is perhaps a missed opportunity. Some of the examples introduced were not followed through. There were repeated references to investigations of a disease called kuru but no closure was achieved but the account was not finished. The probabilistic explanation of a TV game show was avoided.
This is not a bad book by any stretch of the imagination. The survey is fine. It perhaps lacks depth of insight and readers who have reflected on why and how people hold different perspectives may not learn much that is new. If you are curious as to human diversity and fallibility then this is a reasonable book for you.
Fittingly, for a book with a sub-title of "why smart people do dumb things," there are some glaring but perhaps unimportant errors. Neither Legionnaire's disease not kuru are due to viruses as stated in the text.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is far too superficial and lacks real depth. You can read the chapter and section headings and get all the information you need to know, apart from one or two examples that are in the text. It doesn't cover things like confirmation bias, and human factor issues that are interesting and useful - but does have things like a chapter called "Don't give a Cat Calendar to a Dog Lover". I think that sums it up really - if you want a simple book covering common sense about not rushing in to decisions and thinking about things from other people's points of view, then this book is for you. If you want a sensible discussion on human factors in decision making and why we do irrational or "stupid" things as humans, then steer away from this and go for something better.
The style of the book is very American, with examples covering small children and Democrat/Republican disagreements. Its also written in a very teacherly style. At the end of each chapter there is a review and "sneak preview" of the next chapter. If you come across a copy of this book, then just read the chapters and section headings and at most the reviews. The "sneak preview" is just annoying too as if you turn the page you see the introduction to the next chapter.
There are some factual errors in it too - fairly minor - but still incorrect.
I wouldn't recommend it.
The style of the book is very American, with examples covering small children and Democrat/Republican disagreements. Its also written in a very teacherly style. At the end of each chapter there is a review and "sneak preview" of the next chapter. If you come across a copy of this book, then just read the chapters and section headings and at most the reviews. The "sneak preview" is just annoying too as if you turn the page you see the introduction to the next chapter.
There are some factual errors in it too - fairly minor - but still incorrect.
I wouldn't recommend it.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
25 reviews
212 of 228 people found the following review helpful
Too much common sense & too little insight
5 Jun 2008
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I must start by saying I only read the first 65 or so pages (about 1/3rd of the book) before the author lost my attention. She filled the first several pages with a shallow discussion of commom tenets your parents or teachers probably already shared with you. I paraphrase: 'Stop and think before you act'; 'What you don't know CAN hurt you'; 'Don't miss the forest for the trees.'
In the subsequent chapters, she attempted to dive more deeply into the reasons these tenets ring true. As I read through the discussion, I came away with the distinct impression that I was stuck in an entry level class on human behavior at a community college. Her analysis lacked depth; her analogies were flat or did not fit. She offered little insight into an intriguing topic.
Based on the reviews I read before purchasing the book, I expected more rigor and critical analysis than I found. The book's concept has promise. Unfortunately, the author did not deliver.
Because I was intrigued by the topic, I've continued to look for books that could better help me understand common blind spots. Although narrowly focused on the idea of self-deception, I thought "Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)" gave a thorough analysis of a common blind spot many of us experience.
I also found meaningful insights about the physiology of the brain that creates some of our blind spots in "On Being Certain." The author's statements were supported by conclusions drawn from peer-reviewed studies - the type of rigor I expected but did not find in 'Blind Spots.'
In the subsequent chapters, she attempted to dive more deeply into the reasons these tenets ring true. As I read through the discussion, I came away with the distinct impression that I was stuck in an entry level class on human behavior at a community college. Her analysis lacked depth; her analogies were flat or did not fit. She offered little insight into an intriguing topic.
Based on the reviews I read before purchasing the book, I expected more rigor and critical analysis than I found. The book's concept has promise. Unfortunately, the author did not deliver.
Because I was intrigued by the topic, I've continued to look for books that could better help me understand common blind spots. Although narrowly focused on the idea of self-deception, I thought "Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)" gave a thorough analysis of a common blind spot many of us experience.
I also found meaningful insights about the physiology of the brain that creates some of our blind spots in "On Being Certain." The author's statements were supported by conclusions drawn from peer-reviewed studies - the type of rigor I expected but did not find in 'Blind Spots.'
74 of 82 people found the following review helpful
Get ...and stay...Smart!
29 Mar 2008
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
If every person in a position of responsibility read this book, perhaps there would be fewer catastrophes! Granted, there are so many things at play in complex situations, a mere human may not be able to change entire outcomes. However, there are so many stupid decisions that contribute to ruin ... and that can be changed. That's why this book is so important.
Van Hecke presents 10 Blind Spots:
1. Not Stopping to Think
2. What You Don't Know Can Hurt You
3. Not Noticing
4. Not Seeing Yourself
5. My-side Bias
6. Trapped by Categories
7. Jumping to Conclusions
8. Fuzzy Evidence
9. Missing Hidden Causes
10. Missing the Big Picture
While listing the chapters may seem like the Cliff Notes, it would be a mistake to conclude that the list is the whole story. The author does a complete, substantiated and entertaing job of describing each blind spot and shows how prevalent (sadly) they are. This book is a great way to keep you grounded when the smart people around you are doing dumb things, and, of course, to prevent you from making the same mistakes.
Van Hecke presents 10 Blind Spots:
1. Not Stopping to Think
2. What You Don't Know Can Hurt You
3. Not Noticing
4. Not Seeing Yourself
5. My-side Bias
6. Trapped by Categories
7. Jumping to Conclusions
8. Fuzzy Evidence
9. Missing Hidden Causes
10. Missing the Big Picture
While listing the chapters may seem like the Cliff Notes, it would be a mistake to conclude that the list is the whole story. The author does a complete, substantiated and entertaing job of describing each blind spot and shows how prevalent (sadly) they are. This book is a great way to keep you grounded when the smart people around you are doing dumb things, and, of course, to prevent you from making the same mistakes.
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things
23 May 2007
Format:Paperback
To say I recognized myself and so many others I know in this book would be an understatement! It has changed the way I think about many things, especially when driving. I'm prone to road rage, and after reading this, it put a different spin on the guy in the other car; it has saved many people already. Every chapter was a revelation, and I really enjoyed the example stories. They made it easy to see the ways in which we bypass our own intelligence. A good book for business groups, or anyone wishing they didn't stumble over their own "forehead smacking" blunders. This could be a good gift for colleagues who think they know it all, or those who don't and need help.
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