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How We Know What isn't So: Fallibility of Human Reason in Everyday Life
 
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How We Know What isn't So: Fallibility of Human Reason in Everyday Life (Paperback)

by Thomas Gilovich (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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Product Description

When can we trust what we believe - that "teams and players have winning streaks", that "flattery works", or that "the more people who agree, the more likely they are to be right" - and when are such beliefs suspect? Thomas Gilovich offers a guide to the fallacy of the obvious in everyday life. Illustrating his points with examples, and supporting them with the latest research findings, he documents the cognitive, social and motivational processes that distort our thoughts, beliefs, judgements and decisions. In a rapidly changing world, the biases and stereotypes that help us process an overload of complex information inevitably distort what we would like to believe is reality. Awareness of our propensity to make these systematic errors, Gilovich argues, is the first step to more effective analysis and action.

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4.5 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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55 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars If only I had read it years ago!, 27 Mar 2001
By A Customer
I can scarcely recommend this book highly enough to anyone interest in widespread errors of reasoning. Working in the same branch of social science as Thaler, Tversky and Kahneman, the author manages to explain very clearly how we fall into reasoning traps, probably because of the environment in which our brains evolved.

Although Gilovich's case studies are interesting (belief in ESP, and belief in extreme forms of "alternative" medicine), it's the theoretic part of the book which really stands out as being of benefit to the reader. Anyone who reads a newspaper, watches the television news, votes or invests in the financial markets ought to take the time to read this book.

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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating stuff, 20 Jun 2007
I've been bumbling around in the area of behavioural economics/finance for a bit as it has some bearing on my day job. As a result I have developed a geeky interest in the area of mistakes in reasoning, biases etc. The book is a really good introduction to the area and very clearly-written.

It basically gives you a much better insight into some of the things you have probably already noticed (for example, people only seem to notice/value information that confirms what they already think). Aside from the fact that it's a genuinely fascinating area, you might also glean some information that actually helps you in the real world. I was struck by the point that partners tend to notice when their other half does (or doesn't do) something, that causes them pain, but not when the reverse. Hence I will notice if the Mrs doesn't stack the dishwasher, because it annoys me, but won't register when she does do it, so I will tend to take from this that she "never" stacks the dishwasher.

Usefully it also takes the insights from wonky reasoning and applies them to "questionable" beliefs - ESP, 'alternative medicine' etc. And you might learn a bit more about how to tell a good story!

Definitely worth a read. The other book recommended alongside this - Inevitable Illusions - is less good, but also worth a look. It gets into the interesting area of probability (and how bad we are at estimating and understanding it).
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40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Everybody should read this book!, 15 Oct 2003
By A Customer
In an age where science affects almost every aspect of modern life it is surprising that the number of people who believe "weird things" appears to be on the increase.

This book is an excellent guide on how to critically think about everything that you see and hear in your life. I found the authors section on confirmation bias very useful, as it shows how people almost always approach a subject from a biased view and try to GATHER information to SUPPORT that view without even realising they are being biased.

This book is very important for a contemporary culture that has many influential people, of all age ranges, and all levels of intelligence trying to make people believe the most mindboggling nonsense imaginable.

If you here a theory, it doesn't matter who says it, use your own intelligence to critically analyse it. And remember that many people, refuse to believe theories that are quite sound and by trying to sway public opinion, they attack the person saying the theory rather than looking at what they are saying; this is also known as a smear campaign.

This book is a great start for anyone looking for TRUTH in their life rather than clinging onto any belief like a comfort blanket.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Bit of a let down.
I thought from the reviews that I would devour this book, I didn't. From the start I found it hard to get into, quite boring and very hard to read. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Sinead

5.0 out of 5 stars Fallacies and fables and other kinds of phooey all foiled!
In his introduction to this classic work on the fallibility of human reason in everyday life, Thomas Gilovich asks, "Why worry about erroneous beliefs? Read more
Published 12 months ago by Sphex

5.0 out of 5 stars YOU'VE GOT TO READ THIS.
Maybe you think you know that when you believe something you only count the things that fit and discount the things that don't. Read more
Published on 23 Feb 2007 by Ian Cadman

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