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 | Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness
Author: Richard H. Thaler, Cass R. Sunstein
Publisher: Yale University Press
Binding: Hardcover
Released: 2008-04-08
Sales Rank: 336
ISBN: 0300122233
Edition:
Cover
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 2008-08-19 - Great theory, boring examples
The book initially starts out very interesting in its theory. Once it starts moving on into its sections on how their theory could improve the different parts of our lives, to include money, health, and education, it just becomes very dull. For example, they go in depth into how to improve social security using in depth examples, when they could have gotten to the point. I beleive most of the book was written to fill enough pages to publish. The attempts at humor in this book are all directed at "econs", and is not quite as entertaining to the rest of us as it is to the authors. The stars are given only because of the first part of the book,which explains choice architecture. The rest of the book is given a one star, it was not worth reading beyond part 1.
 2008-08-13 - How do we choose?
Well, humans are not as intelligent as we think. The first segment of this charming book is about experiments that make it clear we just don't think lots of the time. Of course, there are times when we can't have all the information necessary to make a good choice. So the point of the book is how "choice architects" can "nudge" people to make choices that are in their best interest. The book is very readable, it has a casual style that makes economics much less intimidating than it usually is. But it certainly provides a dose of self-awareness most of us probably will be embarrassed about - a smiley face can affect adult behavior!
 2008-08-11 - Dangerous elitist rubbish
The fashionable ideas of behaviourial economists like this are elitist rubbish. Who decides what "positive social norms" people need to be nudged toward? Those same would-be decision makers are just as fallible, lazy, stupid, greedy, weak, loss-averse, stubborn, and prone to inertia and conformism (and poor decision-makers) as the people to be nudged.
 2008-08-08 - Useful analysis of factors affecting decision making
In this lovely, useful book, Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein examine choices, biases and the limits of human reasoning from a variety of perspectives. They often amuse by disclosing how they have fallen victim to the limitations of thought that they are describing. The fact that these educated, articulate professionals can fool themselves so often demonstrates how tough it is to think clearly, a point the authors emphasize and even repeat. Humans fall prey to systematic errors of judgment, but you can harness this problematic tendency productively, including by helping others make better decisions. Some of the authors' suggestions may not be practical, but many are and all are interesting. getAbstract recommends this book to anyone who wants to know how to shape responsible decisions.
2008-08-04 - A must read
Behavioural economics has rapidly become popularised and a couple of titles have made the best seller list, but if you read only one or two this should be on your list. What makes this different is that the authors come up with policy options which could significantly improve public policy choices and save our taxes.
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