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Jan Rice's Reviews > Thinking, Fast and Slow
Thinking, Fast and Slow
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Whew! Wrestled this one down to the ground. It's got so much in it; I've got all I can for now. I'm leaving it out in the living room for now, though--for refreshers.
The author's aim is to prove to us that we are not rational beings to the extent we think we are, that evolution has seen to that. And that being the case, the book outlines what we need to know so as not to mess up decisions like we have been doing--like we all do.
And he's made it accessible. He pulls you in. You will get your share of "Aha!" moments.
You can read it at whatever level you want. You can skim over the more complicated parts and go for the pithy conclusions. Or if you are really into the science and scholarship, there are footnotes in the back--stealth footnotes without the little numbers on the book's pages, so as not to intimidate the general audience.
All based on science. It's true whether you like it or not. And it is applicable to your life. You can't go over it, you can't go under it, so go through it--with this book.
If we all used our brains just a little more, what couldn't we accomplish!
News for August 9, 2013: Daniel Kahneman is one of the sixteen Medal of Freedom recipients for this year -- http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/ar... .
February 11, 2019: Heard on NPR (Krista Tippett's On Being) Sunday a week ago -- a good review/overview https://onbeing.org/programs/daniel-k...
The author's aim is to prove to us that we are not rational beings to the extent we think we are, that evolution has seen to that. And that being the case, the book outlines what we need to know so as not to mess up decisions like we have been doing--like we all do.
And he's made it accessible. He pulls you in. You will get your share of "Aha!" moments.
You can read it at whatever level you want. You can skim over the more complicated parts and go for the pithy conclusions. Or if you are really into the science and scholarship, there are footnotes in the back--stealth footnotes without the little numbers on the book's pages, so as not to intimidate the general audience.
All based on science. It's true whether you like it or not. And it is applicable to your life. You can't go over it, you can't go under it, so go through it--with this book.
If we all used our brains just a little more, what couldn't we accomplish!
News for August 9, 2013: Daniel Kahneman is one of the sixteen Medal of Freedom recipients for this year -- http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/ar... .
February 11, 2019: Heard on NPR (Krista Tippett's On Being) Sunday a week ago -- a good review/overview https://onbeing.org/programs/daniel-k...
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Reading Progress
December 11, 2011
– Shelved
February 9, 2012
–
Started Reading
March 15, 2012
–
52.51%
"I have this on audio and the hard copy. I am STUDYING it. I think it is life-changing. But let me see what my verdict is after I finish and the spell of reading it fades."
page
262
March 20, 2012
–
Finished Reading
June 29, 2013
– Shelved as:
science-math
June 29, 2013
– Shelved as:
favorites-best-books
June 29, 2013
– Shelved as:
psychology
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Ian
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Apr 03, 2013 05:19PM
Sorry I missed this review when you first posted it. I love your term "stealth notes"
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Thanks, Ian. Yes, I don't think I've ever seen another book that did that with its footnotes.Lately my reviews aren't usually as abbreviated as this one was!
Quality doesn't need to be abbreviated.
Thank you for your encouraging words, Ian!
Oh, it is. I really was more flippant in my reviews when I started. Thinking, Fast and Slow was remedial education for me, as cognitive psychology was not a part of my education "back in the day." He was a very good first choice for me because of his clarity and ability to teach so that the reader can see what he's saying applies to oneself. I'm so glad I read him first and Haidt second, because, otherwise, I may have gotten turned off. Haidt can come across like he's pushing something. Kahneman is "just the facts, ma'am." He may be a better writer than speaker, but I shouldn't say that with such limited evidence; I just watched a TED talk, and it was also about an area toward the end of the book that I had questions about.
My husband LOVED this book! I remember him talking about how Khaneman wanted to improve "water cooler discussions." And, also how cognitive biases get in the way of decision making. Thank you for the review! :)
Elizabeth said, "My husband LOVED this book! I remember him talking about how Khaneman wanted to improve 'water cooler discussions.' And, also how cognitive biases get in the way of decision making."Thank you, Elizabeth. :-)
Yes, somehow apparently the water cooler image got in on the ground floor as a reference to gossip. It seems we humans are programmed to remember all those nuances and respond to it, too. It keeps us on our toes.
I had gotten it on audio first, and just as soon as I had heard a little bit, I had to have the book, too. I mean, audiobooks come with PDFs of any diagrams and charts, but I wanted that book so much I plunked down twice as much as Amazon wanted for it at a bookstore so I could take it home right then. I listened in the car and had the book with me too. It's conveniently located nearby at this very minute.
Jan wrote: "Elizabeth said, "My husband LOVED this book! I remember him talking about how Khaneman wanted to improve 'water cooler discussions.' And, also how cognitive biases get in the way of decision making..."I just love it when a book pulls you in like that! When I mentioned (to my husband) that I had just read a good review about this book he had the best knowing smile.
Elizabeth said, "I just love it when a book pulls you in like that! When I mentioned (to my husband) that I had just read a good review about this book he had the best knowing smile."Yes, it was one of those cases where I could tell right away it was going to be important.
As a society we are still struggling how to think about all this. Here is a David Brooks column that was reprinted in my local paper this morning: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/09/opi...
He broaches the subject, which is good, but I don't think he quite gets it, and the first of 400+ comments, the only one that showed up and that I read, accused him of being for government intrusion into our free will. The commenter thinks, then, that there is some province of free will that individuals have full control over, if only government would stay out of it.
I am trying to write something on the subject now, on rules, religion, and free will in light of the new cognitive science.
madam if u dont mind would u provide me pdf of this book i am interested to read it voltaram@gmail.com my email
Sam liked my review and asked if I would provide him with a pdf because he was interested in reading it.Sam, I'm glad my review whetted your interest in Thinking, Fast and Slow. It's one of my favorites and had a revolutionary impact on my thinking. Also, Daniel Kahneman doesn't look down on his readers or adopt a hectoring tone like some of the cognitive scientists tend to do. He has a respect for the reader that I think flows out of his ability to teach. I love this book! But I don't think a pdf is feasible for several reasons. I did look on Google Books, where a portion of it is available, although images weren't included, so that is not fully satisfactory. If anyone who happens to read this comment has a suggestion, please share. Meanwhile, I hope you can find a copy of the book. There is an ebook version.
Thank you, too, Elyse, for your supportive response!I may get the chance to do this one again next year with a book club, which would be a good thing.
It would be fun, but heaven forbid that I have another book to study these two months!!! I'm interested in how your book club session on this one goes.
Can anybody tell me how to read this book on good readers?
Sam wrote: "Can anybody tell me how to read this book on good readers?"Not sure I really understand that, Sam--although I notice I had a similar query from another Sam back in March of 2014.
Oddly enough, the book i just finished reading has what you call stealth notes. In fact, I thought about you while reading it and wished i had the means to see if you have read it already, Irena's Children by Tilar J Mazzeo.Its a harrowing experience thats added vividly to my understanding of what went on especially regarding the Warsaw ghetto. As you say about the book under review, its true whether you like it not, and imho its better to know than pretend it was just a footnote in the violent history of civilizations.
Magdelanye wrote: "Oddly enough, the book i just finished reading has what you call stealth notes. In fact, I thought about you while reading it and wished i had the means to see if you have read it already, Irena's ..."No, I haven't, and I can't read many like this. In fact, I pulled out Primo Levi's Survival in Auschwitz, and not sure I can take it on, despite how good it's said to be.
As to the stealth footnotes, they are more common than I realized when I read this book; have seen them a number of times since and think they are used to make a book less off-putting. Timothy Snyder's The Road to Unfreedom did something beyond that: used no footnote markers in the text but gave running documentation by first words of each paragraph at the end. That's a first for me!
