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How We Decide Jonah Lehrer 0046442620116 Books

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How We Decide Jonah Lehrer 0046442620116 Books

While the author's reputation may have suffered and his books largely consigned to the rubbish bin, I'd had this on my shelf for a long time and finally decided to read it. It is well written, entertaining and enlightening. It's too bad that the author who wrote it made such bad decisions himself.


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How We Decide Jonah Lehrer 0046442620116 Books Reviews

How We Decide is another book in a increasingly-popular genre that uses anecdotal examples to advance neurological, psychological or economic patterns. More than a few authors have attempted to exploit the genre since Freakonomics exploded a few years ago. This book is another in long line of this genre, which cultural critic Adam Hanft has referred to as "pattern porn." I had high expectations for the book and its author, Jonah Lehrer, from reading his Frontal Cortex blog.

Throughout the book, Lehrer uses many examples that are already familiar to anyone who has read other books in this now-familiar genre. Examples include the propensity of wine experts to choose cheaper wines in blind tests; how experiment subjects based purchasing decisions on seemingly random items such as their social security numbers; and numerous others. He also reviews much familiar territory in behavorial economics/social psychology/neuroscience such as loss aversion, the anchoring effect, and the placebo effect.

One of the early messages of the book is that we should embrace emotion in our decision-making. This is contrary to the popular notion that emotions get in the way of "rational thinking." Emotions are actually critical to decision making. We are paralyzed without it. That is why Tom Brady identifies the right receiver in milliseconds; why a soap opera director can identify the "it" factor in actor rehearsals, and why a radar technician can distinguish an enemy missile from a friendly jet just by a literal blip on the radar.

The use of emotions as decision enhancement is valid technically from a physiological perspective. Lehrer deftly explains in an understandable manner the role of dopamine receptors as emotional decision makers. But, he tries very hard to maintain that ignorance is bliss. Lehrer contends Plato and his Enlightenment successors such as Decartes, Rousseau, and Jefferson (on this side of the pond) had it all wrong to promote reason over emotion. Reason is a blunt instrument suited only for the simplest of tasks. It is like a calculator - useful, but limited. And, there is such a thing as too much analysis.

EXCEPT - "Novel problems" also require reason, as Lehrer states toward the end of the book. He concedes that "intelligent intuition (emotion)" is the result of deliberate practice. So, emotions and gut feelings work well as long as you practice at it. But, then again, you cannot over think things either. In short, emotions are great usually, reason is great sometimes, but both can mislead. My main issue with the theme is that there really is no theme. He boasts the triumph of emotions over reason for the first part of the book. Then, he explains how emotions can lead us into traps. So, sometimes reason is good. But, then again, reason is limited.

The main takeaway from the book is "Think about how you think" as Lehrer states at the end of the book. And, from that perspective, Lehrer succeeds. The anecdotes have been used and re-used. There is some lack of cohesion in the overall development of the themes. But, the book will make you think about how you think.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read it on one (long) airplane flight, and was captivated by the material.

---The Good Points---

* Lehrer does an excellent job of summarizing what is known about the brain's process for making decisions. He takes the reader through many examples of what happens on a chemical/electrical/biological basis inside the brain when it is going through a specific thought process. I found this material fascinating.

* There is also a good amount of material presented on how the brain makes decisions, and how this decision process can be enhanced or corrupted based on outside factors-how busy the brain is, the external environment, preconceived notions. In one experiment that I found fascinating, people were asked to remember either a 2 or 7 digit number. Those tasked with the two digit number were far less likely to be tempted by an offer of chocolate cake. Explained very much about my diet...

* Lehrer also takes the reader through numerous real world examples of decisions made in real time, and under stressful circumstances. Airline pilots seem to be a favorite area or research, and some of the stories and analysis were fascinating.

* The book is easy to read, light on technical and medical jargon, and presented more as mass-market non-fiction than any sort of research or scholarly work. I found it to have just the right level of technical detail, but I am pretty much a novice as brain surgery.

---The Not-So-Good Points---

* There is nothing new in the book, at least that I could discern. Mostly it is a rehash of existing work, albeit with some explanatory verbiage wrapped around it. Anyone who has read other books in this general area would probably be disappointed.

* It ended too soon. For each of the chapters, I always wanted to read more material about the subject and explanations of the results observed.

---Summary---

An excellent book if you haven't read much material in this area.
Are you trying to decide whether to read this book? I would tell your rational brain that this book is more about good (and bad) decision making. I would tell your emotional brain that you may enjoy the many "real life" examples set forth in this book. If you still can't decide, maybe you should just flip a coin.
The real life examples from sports, politics, commercial aviation, gambling, etc may seem a little dated, but they are still applicable.
While the author's reputation may have suffered and his books largely consigned to the rubbish bin, I'd had this on my shelf for a long time and finally decided to read it. It is well written, entertaining and enlightening. It's too bad that the author who wrote it made such bad decisions himself.