This book was recommended by one of my business mentors as a way to gain greater insight into why people do what they do. I picked it up because I wanted to understand, from a marketing perspective, how we decide to buy -- or not buy -- a product or service. I got exactly what I was after in the first couple of chapters. Then I found myself pleasantly engrossed in Ariely's subsequent experiments, which dealt with everything from the power of arousal to human beings' tendency toward dishonesty.

I appreciated Ariely's accessible writing style and his limited use of jargon. This could have been a dense, dull read, but it wasn't. My interest in behavioral economics continues to grow, and PREDICTABLY IRRATIONAL is an excellent addition to my library. ( )

I find the basic premise of the book interesting, but the execution is tiresome. The book relates social science experiments, usually done on a bunch of students, that explore our irrational decision-making. Several projects focus on price and how providing the right anchor (the highest price item on the menu, for example) affects our decisions. These simple experiments lead to broad social commentary that doesn't seem particularly justified or interesting. I think the problem is the breezy, popular style of the writing. We're supposed to enjoy how funny or clever the author is, but not think too hard about what's being measured. I didn't finish this book in the end, just not compelling enough to keep reading. It's the same reaction I had to Freakonomics--interesting, but too flimsy to really return to. Apparently, I much prefer an economics book like The Box with details and data and fewer grand conclusions.
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http://pro-libertate.net/node/37 ( )

Lido em novembro/dezembro 2022 - bom

This book one of the best of the extensive genre of popular books about contemporary psychology. What makes this book great is that the author is a researcher and an entertaining writer. The combination of these traits save this book from the two common pitfalls of this genre: boring writing and shallow writing. Ariely is, in fact, responsible for much of the research he discusses in the book, which means that the results are represented as well as they can be in a book for a general audience. It's a worthwhile read if you're interested in how your mind works. ( )