PREDICTABLY IRRATIONAL

My son gave me a book last fortnight to read: PREDICTABLY IRRATIONAL, authored by an Israeli, Dan Ariely. My first reaction was to dismiss the offer but when he insisted real hard, I was tempted to have a glimpse. But instead of a mere glimpse, I got glued to this book and couldn't wait to finish the book from cover to cover!

Dan is the Professor of Psychology & Behavioral Economics at Duke University. Dan

earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Tel Aviv University, his master’s and doctorate degrees in cognitive psychology from the University of North Carolina, and a doctorate in Business Administration from Duke University.

Using simple experiments, the author demonstrates how expectations, emotions, social norms and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities.

Have you ever wondered as to why do our headaches persist after taking a cheap painkiller but disappear when we take a more expensive one? No? Well, go on and read the book described by George Akerlof, Nobel Laureate in Economics in 2001, as 'wildly original.'