John Elbing

I like Dan Ariely's curiosity, open mind, his data-based approach and his direct style.

The (honest) truth about dishonesty is a fascinating read, challenging our intuitive ideas about who, when and why we all cheat. It is a little bit scarry and sad.

We are pulled between our desire to gain (by cheating) and our image of ourselves as "good" people. The "fudge factor" helps us reconcile them through (obvious) rationalisations.

We cheat for personal gain, but also to help others. Cheating is contagious, through changes in our perceived social norms. There are a few "tricks" to reduce cheating, moral reminders for example. But basically, it's pretty bad.

Understanding what is going on is a first step, but there is no silver bullet...

Good read. On a personal level, but also for managers, teachers and people in other professional settings.

Great - eye opening great - book on how we are victim of illusions of attention, memory, talent, knowledge, cause, potential in our everyday lives.

The title comes from the experiment where half of viewers (me included) miss a gorilla walking through a group of people ponding his chest... We don't notice nearly as much as we would like to believe.

Illusion of memory is particularly salient in trials where inocents are jailed based on eye-witness accounts, but it plagues our every memory.

We believe we know more than we do, and the less we know the more we think we know... giving us less chance of noticing the fact.

We confuse correlation with causation, especially when there is a timely sequence: what comes after must be caused by what comes before! The terrible example of associating autism with vacinations has caused avoidable sickness and even death...

You must read this book and take a step back from all your evryday illusions. Hard to fight, but it's a first step.

Interesting, fun read. They run with the elephant and the rider metaphor. The rider is our rational side trying to pilot our lumbering emotional side. Full of real life examples. Recommended.

I love Dan Ariely's attitude, intelligence and his writing is great fun. Follow his blog here.

This book got me hooked on behavioral economics! A data-based look on the world. Great stories, great fun!

I get hooked with Galdwell. He is a great story teller. It does lack some scientific backgroud, he is not really a behavioral economist. So take it all with a grain of salt.