You are Not So Smart

Think you’re rational? Think again... ‘Want to get smarter quickly? Read this book.’ David Eagleman, author of The Brain: The Story of You How many of your Facebook friends do you think you know? Would you help a stranger in need? Do you know why you’re so in love with your new smartphone? The truth is: you’re probably wrong. You are not so smart. In this international bestseller, award-winning journalist David McRaney examines the assorted ways we mislead ourselves every single day. A psychology course with all the boring bits taken out, prepare for a whirlwind tour of the latest research in the subject, fused with a healthy dose of humour and wit. You’ll discover just how irrational you really are, which delusions keep you sane, how to boost your productivity, and why you’ve never kept a New Year’s resolution. *** ‘A much-needed field guide to the limits of our so-called consciousness. McRaney presents a witty case for just how witless we all are.’ William Poundstone, author of How to Predict the Unpredictable ‘Simply wonderful. An engaging and useful guide to how our brilliant brains can go badly wrong.' Richard Wiseman, author of 59 Seconds ‘ You Are Not So Smart is a dose of psychology research served in tasty anecdotes that will make you better understand both yourself and the rest of us. It turns out we're much more irrational than most of us think, so give yourself every advantage you can and read this book.’ Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit

Think you’re rational? Think again... ‘Want to get smarter quickly? Read this book.’ David Eagleman, author of The Brain: The Story of You How many of your Facebook friends do you think you know? Would you help a stranger in need? Do you know why you’re so in love with your new smartphone? The truth is: you’re probably wrong. You are not so smart. In this international bestseller, award-winning journalist David McRaney examines the assorted ways we mislead ourselves every single day. A psychology course with all the boring bits taken out, prepare for a whirlwind tour of the latest research in the subject, fused with a healthy dose of humour and wit. You’ll discover just how irrational you really are, which delusions keep you sane, how to boost your productivity, and why you’ve never kept a New Year’s resolution. *** ‘A much-needed field guide to the limits of our so-called consciousness. McRaney presents a witty case for just how witless we all are.’ William Poundstone, author of How to Predict the Unpredictable ‘Simply wonderful. An engaging and useful guide to how our brilliant brains can go badly wrong.' Richard Wiseman, author of 59 Seconds ‘ You Are Not So Smart is a dose of psychology research served in tasty anecdotes that will make you better understand both yourself and the rest of us. It turns out we're much more irrational than most of us think, so give yourself every advantage you can and read this book.’ Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit

An entertaining illumination of the stupid beliefs that make us feel wise, based on the popular blog of the same name. Whether you're deciding which smartphone to purchase or which politician to believe, you think you are a rational being whose every decision is based on cool, detached logic. But here's the truth: You are not so smart. You're just as deluded as the rest of us--but that's okay, because being deluded is part of being human. Growing out of David McRaney's popular blog, You Are Not So Smart reveals that every decision we make, every thought we contemplate, and every emotion we feel comes with a story we tell ourselves to explain them. But often these stories aren't true. Each short chapter--covering topics such as Learned Helplessness, Selling Out, and the Illusion of Transparency--is like a psychology course with all the boring parts taken out. Bringing together popular science and psychology with humor and wit, You Are Not So Smart is a celebration of our irrational, thoroughly human behavior.

An entertaining illumination of the stupid beliefs that make us feel wise, based on the popular blog of the same name. Whether you're deciding which smartphone to purchase or which politician to believe, you think you are a rational being whose every decision is based on cool, detached logic. But here's the truth: You are not so smart. You're just as deluded as the rest of us--but that's okay, because being deluded is part of being human. Growing out of David McRaney's popular blog, You Are Not So Smart reveals that every decision we make, every thought we contemplate, and every emotion we feel comes with a story we tell ourselves to explain them. But often these stories aren't true. Each short chapter--covering topics such as Learned Helplessness, Selling Out, and the Illusion of Transparency--is like a psychology course with all the boring parts taken out. Bringing together popular science and psychology with humor and wit, You Are Not So Smart is a celebration of our irrational, thoroughly human behavior.