Reviewed 08/2008

I’m quite sure we’ve all experienced a situation where we’ve witnessed a behavior from someone and in an astonished way, inquired, "What were they thinking?" In fact, if you’re like me you’ve often stepped back from a personal decision—a new car purchase, an impulsive change in hair style, a change in jobs—and asked the same question about yourself. As we look at the world around us, we wonder at the ability of experts to sway and influence our opinions, our susceptibility to taking risk that seems quite out of character, the failure of job interviews to weed out candidates who eventually turn out to be totally unqualified for the job.

From the author of The Starfish and the Spider (earlier reviewed) comes a book which is must reading if you’re interested in learning more about the dynamic forces that influence our personal and business decisions. This book draws on many aspects of research from the fields of social psychology, behavioral economics, and organizational behavior. But while the concepts seem dry, the authors succeed in creating an eminently readable, enjoyable book that will likely shake your faith in your ability to make logical, objective decisions. To drive their points home the authors use contemporary examples, from Lyndon Johnson, George Bush, and Steve Spurrier and the Florida football team. The stories are revealing and support many of the causes of irrational behavior.

In exploring concepts of loss aversion, diagnosis bias, and the "chameleon affect", to name a few, the authors will provide examples of behavior which will impact the way you approach both personal and professional decisions in the future. As I read this book, I began to question many of the ways I’ve approached decision-making. After reading about the experience of the villages in Switzerland and their attempted solution to nuclear waste storage, one may question the concepts and impact of pay for performance in leading to the improvement in health care many of us are seeking.

While heavy in concept, the book is readable, understandable, and in fact, hard to put down, once you’ve begun reading it. I highly recommend it as an opportunity to learn more about how decisions are really made, and why we continue to see and personally make irrational decisions, leading to often times incomprehensible behavior

By the way, this review is an example of "sway" so be careful if you take my advice and purchase the book.