New York Times Bestseller
“Ariely is a genius at understanding human behavior: no economist does a better job of uncovering and explaining the hidden reasons for the weird ways we act.” — James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds
Behavioral economist and New York Times bestselling author of Predictably Irrational Dan Ariely offers a much-needed take on the irrational decisions that influence our dating lives, our workplace experiences, and our temptation to cheat in any and all areas. Fans of Freakonomics, Survival of the Sickest, and Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink and The Tipping Point will find many thought-provoking insights in The Upside of Irrationality.
How can large bonuses sometimes make CEOs less productive?
Why is revenge so important to us?
How can confusing directions actually help us?
Why is there a difference between what we think will make us happy and what really makes us happy?
In his groundbreaking book, Predictably Irrational, Ariely revealed the multiple biases that lead us to make unwise decisions. Now, in The Upside of Irrationality, he exposes the surprising negative and positive effects irrationality can have on our lives. Focusing on our behaviors at work and in relationships, he offers new insights and eye-opening truths about what really motivates us on the job, how one unwise action can become a long-term bad habit, how we learn to love the ones we’re with, and more. The Upside of Irrationality will change the way we see ourselves at work and at home—and cast our irrational behaviors in a more nuanced light.
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"Ariely is a behavioral economist. He addresses various questions by using real life tests that I found quite brilliant at times. His book is much like Freakonomics. Two issues he addressed I found interesting were the quality and results of online dating sites (he had a great test and even better ideas about how to improve them) and if large bonuses increase performance (they do not)."
— Smith (4 out of 5 stars)
“As in his previous book, the bestselling Predictably Irrational, the experiments Ariely describes generate entertaining and often counterintuitive insights…deciding how to apply [these] insights is a pleasure that lingers long after the book is finished.”
— New York Times“Arielly examines the powerful sway that irrational motivations and urges have on our personal and professional lives. His discussion mixes both his personal experiences and a variety of research, including many experiments performed by him and colleagues. With his crisp English accent and assertive delivery, Simon Jones can be wonderful to listen to.”
— Publishers Weekly“Entertaining and clever…Ariely shows us the other side of the irrationality coin: the beneficial outcomes and pleasant surprises that often arise from irrational behavior…Ariely is an engaging and efficient writer, amusing us with stories about irrational behavior while staying away from needless technical terminology and bafflegab. Thought-provoking, entertaining, and smart: a winning combination.”
— Booklist" Ariely was the most engaging keynote speaker of the 2010 JMP Discovery Conference. I disagree with his interpretative conclusion for a couple experiments in this book, but generally he presents accurate observations of human nature. "
— Mike, 2/8/2014" Interesting, thought provoking book. The sections on adaptation and decision making are definitely applicable. I did enjoy the style of Predictably Irrational better. "
— Kat, 2/4/2014" I do not find (Traditional) economics useful to a point when in certain circumstances it should not be even considered (empiric) science, but Behavioral economics, presented by Dan Ariely, is a completely different story ... "
— Karol, 1/17/2014" A good, interesting read. As a single guy trying to find love online, I especially liked the chapters on online dating, but it's full of interesting facts and studies, and great stuff to bring up at cocktail parties. If you ever get invited to cocktail parties. "
— Anthony, 1/17/2014" extremely interesting book. I kind of want to be experimented on now. "
— YingYing, 1/14/2014" This is a continuation of his first book. Although it was good, it did not, for me, have as much impact as the first one, which was excellent. "
— Donna, 1/14/2014" Interesting read but not much useful information. "
— Ellen, 1/13/2014" One of my all-time favorite books. This is the kind of stuff that really intrigues me. Understanding one's own psychology for better decision making and overall functioning. I prefer you read the first book though, Predictably Irrational, before reading this one. "
— Alaeddin, 1/10/2014" Fascinating look at what motivates our ethics in the workplace and at home. "
— Sally, 1/9/2014" Super book. Both entertaining and informative. Great experiments that are fairly simple to both carry out and understand, yet they reveal deep insights into human behavior. "
— Otter57, 1/3/2014" This is another case where it seems the author used some of his best material for the first book. While I thought Predictably Irrational was a great book and would highly recommend it, I wouldn't recommend The Upside of Irrationality. "
— Chris, 12/18/2013" Extremely interesting and applicable to daily life! "
— Vicki, 12/6/2013" Predictably Irrational, part 2 "
— Chip, 11/11/2013" Not as good as "Predictably Irrational" but still a fun and light read. If you like books on human behavior its a good choice. "
— Dayna, 10/16/2013" The anecdote about cake mix and our need to be involved in the process was really interesting, but a lot of the rest of the book seemed too familiar. Perhaps I've read too many in this genre. "
— Dave, 7/16/2013" It's good to know that we are not purely computers which only act rationally. Irrationality has its advantages and it's what makes us human. "
— Xiaomin, 2/24/2013" This book is as well done or better than his first one. There were a couple slow parts in there like the online dating stuff, but overall I'd recommend it. Learned about the effects of bonuses or high pay, revenge, hedonic adaptation, how emotions affect decision making, etc. "
— Darrin, 9/3/2012" Entertaining and has some thought-provoking tidbits. I like that it is focused on the positive. "
— Niniane, 8/19/2012" Fantastic, enlightening a good read to help understand many things . . . "
— Peter, 6/1/2012" Fascinating book. I found it quite interesting, the writing very enjoyable, and it makes me rethink the way I think about things. I will be looking for more books by him! "
— Emilia, 4/24/2012" fun read, fairly light, lots of cool experiments. not gonna blow your mind away but it'll keep you engaged and entertained. "
— Jihad, 3/2/2012" A blick refection of 'Predictably Irrational' "
— Luda, 2/23/2012" Another great book by Dan Ariely about our irrationality and the experiments he created to test them. "
— Jayson, 2/18/2012" Dan Ariely yet again manages to challenge our thinking and our "rational" decisions. The book unfurls the secret behind our irrational and biased decisions. It's got some really interesting and mind opening facts. Excellent book for psychology.This book deserves no less than 5 stars. "
— Shantnu, 1/11/2012" SIX WORD REVIEW: Behavior economist's life work/therapeutic memoir. "
— Sidik, 6/9/2011" Interesting, but the Kindle version has terrible formatting. "
— Damien, 6/1/2011" More of what's good about Ariely's writing! This is an approachable and enjoyable study of human behavior. "
— Jackie, 5/20/2011" Entertaining and has some thought-provoking tidbits. I like that it is focused on the positive. "
— Niniane, 5/12/2011" I thought this was very thought provoking. Lots to think about and munch on. "
— Sarah, 5/1/2011" While not as engaging as Predictably Irrational, there are a lot of interesting studies in this follow-up. Definitely worth a quick read.<br/> "
— Taner, 4/6/2011" Ariely does a great job of showing why we do the silly things we do, even though we usually know better. "
— Maureen, 3/30/2011" This book was good, but not nearly as interesting or well-written as Dan's first book (Predictably Irrational). "
— Brandon, 3/14/2011" Dan is very effective at engaging the reader and triggering self-examination of behaviors. He also reveals much more about his own journey than he did in Predictably Irrational. Great book. "
— Audrey, 3/11/2011Dan Ariely is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Predictably Irrational and The Upside of Irrationality. He is the James B. Duke Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University and is the founder of the Center for Advanced Hindsight. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and elsewhere.