Download or read book Thinking Rationally in an Irrational World written by Alex Burdeshaw and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2017-02-28 with total page 109 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Have you ever been involved in a contentious, fruitless discussion about politics, science, or current events with a coworker, friend, or family member? Thinking Rationally in an Irrational World, by author Alex Burdeshaw, explores why those conversations get so contentious, and he offers easily applicable ways to make such talks less tense and more fruitful for everyone involved. Burdeshaw discusses the major factors that exacerbate a person's lack of rational, critical thinking skills. He offers a variety of culprits, including the flawed education system, poor dietary and exercise habits, the hyperpolarization and groupthink mentalities of the media, and the collective lack of well-trained interpersonal skills. In Thinking Rationally in an Irrational World, Burdeshaw proposes possible solutions to combat each of these identified areas.
Download or read book Rational Choice in an Uncertain World written by Reid Hastie and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2010 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the Second Edition of Rational Choice in an Uncertain World the authors compare the basic principles of rationality with actual behaviour in making decisions. They describe theories and research findings from the field of judgment and decision making in a non-technical manner, using anecdotes as a teaching device. Intended as an introductory textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, the material not only is of scholarly interest but is practical as well. The Second Edition includes: - more coverage on the role of emotions, happiness, and general well-being in decisions - a summary of the new research on the neuroscience of decision processes - more discussion of the adaptive value of (non-rational heuristics) - expansion of the graphics for decision trees, probability trees, and Venn diagrams.
Download or read book Adaptive Thinking written by Gerd Gigerenzer and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2002-03-07 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Where do new ideas come from? What is social intelligence? Why do social scientists perform mindless statistical rituals? This vital book is about rethinking rationality as adaptive thinking: to understand how minds cope with their environments, both ecological and social.Gerd Gigerenzer proposes and illustrates a bold new research program that investigates the psychology of rationality, introducing the concepts of ecological, bounded, and social rationality. His path-breaking collection takes research on thinking, social intelligence, creativity, and decision-making out of an ethereal world where the laws of logic and probability reign, and places it into our real world of human behavior and interaction. Adaptive Thinking is accessibly written for general readers with an interest in psychology, cognitive science, economics, sociology, philosophy, artificial intelligence, and animal behavior. It also teaches a practical audience, such as physicians, AIDS counselors, and experts in criminal law, how to understand and communicate uncertainties and risks.
Download or read book The Edge of Reason written by Julian Baggini and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2016-09-22 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An urgent defense of reason, the essential method for resolving—or even discussing—divisive issues: “A timely masterpiece.”—Patricia S. Churchland, author of Touching a Nerve Reason, long held as the highest human achievement, is under siege. According to Aristotle, the capacity for reason sets us apart from other animals, yet today it has ceased to be a universally admired faculty. Rationality and reason have become political, disputed concepts, subject to easy dismissal. Julian Baggini argues eloquently that we must recover our reason and reassess its proper place, neither too highly exalted nor completely maligned. Rationality does not require a cold, sterile worldview—it simply involves the application of critical thinking wherever thinking is needed. Addressing such major areas of debate as religion, science, politics, psychology, and economics, the author calls for commitment to the notion of a “community of reason,” where disagreements are settled by debate and discussion, not brute force or political power. Baggini’s insightful book celebrates the power of reason, our best hope—indeed our only hope—for dealing with the intractable quagmires of our time. “The toxic gloating of ‘gut feelings,’ hateful politics and heart-over-head attacks on good sense urgently need an antidote. Baggini has risen to the occasion…compelling.”—Patricia S. Churchland, author of Conscience: The Origins of Moral Intuition
Download or read book Rationality written by Steven Pinker and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021 'Punchy, funny and invigorating ... Pinker is the high priest of rationalism' Sunday Times 'If you've ever considered taking drugs to make yourself smarter, read Rationality instead. It's cheaper, more entertaining, and more effective' Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind In the twenty-first century, humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding - and at the same time appears to be losing its mind. How can a species that discovered vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, quack cures and conspiracy theorizing? In Rationality, Pinker rejects the cynical cliché that humans are simply an irrational species - cavemen out of time fatally cursed with biases, fallacies and illusions. After all, we discovered the laws of nature, lengthened and enriched our lives and set the benchmarks for rationality itself. Instead, he explains, we think in ways that suit the low-tech contexts in which we spend most of our lives, but fail to take advantage of the powerful tools of reasoning we have built up over millennia: logic, critical thinking, probability, causal inference, and decision-making under uncertainty. These tools are not a standard part of our educational curricula, and have never been presented clearly and entertainingly in a single book - until now. Rationality matters. It leads to better choices in our lives and in the public sphere, and is the ultimate driver of social justice and moral progress. Brimming with insight and humour, Rationality will enlighten, inspire and empower. 'A terrific book, much-needed for our time' Peter Singer
Download or read book The Logic of Life written by Tim Harford and published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This book was released on 2009-02-10 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Life sometimes seems illogical. Individuals do strange things: take drugs, have unprotected sex, mug each other. Love seems irrational, and so does divorce. On a larger scale, life seems no fairer or easier to fathom: Why do some neighborhoods thrive and others become ghettos? Why is racism so persistent? Why is your idiot boss paid a fortune for sitting behind a mahogany altar? Thorny questions–and you might be surprised to hear the answers coming from an economist. But award-winning journalist Tim Harford likes to spring surprises. In this deftly reasoned book, he argues that life is logical after all. Under the surface of everyday insanity, hidden incentives are at work, and Harford shows these incentives emerging in the most unlikely places.
Download or read book Irrationality written by Justin E. H. Smith and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-12-08 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "What every leader needs to know about dignity and how to create a culture in which everyone thrives. This landmark book from an expert in dignity studies explores the essential but under-recognized role of dignity as part of good leadership. Extending the reach of her award-winning book Dignity: Its Essential Role in Resolving Conflict, Donna Hicks now contributes a specific, practical guide to achieving a culture of dignity. Most people know very little about dignity, the author has found, and when leaders fail to respect the dignity of others, conflict and distrust ensue. She highlights three components of leading with dignity: what one must know in order to honor dignity and avoid violating it; what one must do to lead with dignity; and how one can create a culture of dignity in any organization, whether corporate, religious, governmental, healthcare, or beyond. Brimming with key research findings, real-life case studies, and workable recommendations, this book fills an important gap in our understanding of how best to be together in a conflict-ridden world."--
Download or read book Everyday Irrationality written by Robyn Dawes and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-02-19 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Robyn Dawes defines irrationality as adhering to beliefs that are inherently self-contradictory, not just incorrect, self-defeating, or the basis of poor decisions. Such beliefs are unfortunately common. This book demonstrates how such irrationality results from ignoring obvious comparisons, while instead falling into associational and story-based thinking. Strong emotion—or even insanity—is one reason for making automatic associations without comparison, but as the author demonstrates, a lot of everyday judgment, unsupported professional claims, and even social policy is based on the same kind of "everyday" irrationality.
Download or read book The Irrational Economist written by Erwann Michel-Kerjan and published by Public Affairs. This book was released on 2010-01-01 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authors explore how discoveries in decision sciences will enhance traditional ideas about economics and challenges the conventional wisdom about how to make the right decisions in an emerging new era, in a book that includes informative charts.
Download or read book Predictably Irrational written by Dan Ariely and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2008-02 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Intelligent, lively, humorous, and thoroughly engaging, "The Predictably Irrational" explains why people often make bad decisions and what can be done about it.
Download or read book A Guide to Rational Living written by Albert Ellis and published by . This book was released on 1961 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1 How Far Can You Go with Self-Analysis? 2 You Feel As You Think. 3 Feeling Well by Thinking Straight. 4 What Your Feelings Really Are. 5 Thinking Yourself Out of Emotional Disturbances. 6 Recognizing and Attacking Neurotic Behavior. 7 Overcoming the Influences of the Past. 8 How Reasonable is Reason? 9 The Art of Never Being Desperately Unhappy. 10 Tackling Dire needs for Approval. 11 Eradicating Dire Fears of Failure. 12 How to Stop Blaming and Start Living. 13 How to Be Happy Though Frustrated. 14 Controlling Your Own Destiny. 15 Counquering Anxiety. 16 Acquiring Self-Discipline. 17 Rewriting Your Personal History. 18 Accepting Reality. 19 Overcoming Inertia and Becoming Creatively Absorbed. 20 Living Rationally in an Irrational World.
Download or read book The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking written by Matthew Hutson and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-02-26 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A provocative and entertaining look at the psychology of superstition and religion, how they make us human—and how we can use them to our advantage What is so special about touching a piano John Lennon once owned? Why do we yell at our laptops? And why do people like to say, “Everything happens for a reason”? Drawing on cognitive science, anthropology, and neuroscience, Matthew Hutson shows us that magical thinking is not only hardwired into our brains—it’s been a factor in our evolutionary success. Magical thinking helps us believe that we have free will and an underlying purpose as it protects us from the paralyzing awareness of our own mortality. Interweaving entertaining stories, personal reflections, and sharp observations, The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking reveals just how this seemingly irrational process informs and improves the lives of even the most hardened skeptics.
Download or read book Rationality written by Steven Pinker and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2022-09-27 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “In our uncertain age, which can so often feel so dark and disturbing, Steven Pinker has distinguished himself as a voice of positivity.” – New York Times Can reading a book make you more rational? Can it help us understand why there is so much irrationality in the world? Steven Pinker, author of Enlightenment Now (Bill Gates’s "new favorite book of all time”) answers all the questions here Today humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding--and also appears to be losing its mind. How can a species that developed vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, medical quackery, and conspiracy theorizing? Pinker rejects the cynical cliché that humans are simply irrational--cavemen out of time saddled with biases, fallacies, and illusions. After all, we discovered the laws of nature, lengthened and enriched our lives, and set out the benchmarks for rationality itself. We actually think in ways that are sensible in the low-tech contexts in which we spend most of our lives, but fail to take advantage of the powerful tools of reasoning we’ve discovered over the millennia: logic, critical thinking, probability, correlation and causation, and optimal ways to update beliefs and commit to choices individually and with others. These tools are not a standard part of our education, and have never been presented clearly and entertainingly in a single book--until now. Rationality also explores its opposite: how the rational pursuit of self-interest, sectarian solidarity, and uplifting mythology can add up to crippling irrationality in a society. Collective rationality depends on norms that are explicitly designed to promote objectivity and truth. Rationality matters. It leads to better choices in our lives and in the public sphere, and is the ultimate driver of social justice and moral progress. Brimming with Pinker’s customary insight and humor, Rationality will enlighten, inspire, and empower.
Download or read book Staying Rational in an Irrational World written by Michael Edwin Bernard and published by Lyle Stuart. This book was released on 1991 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Offers an overview of the psychotherapy techniques developed by Albert Ellis, known as Rational-Emotive Therapy, and assesses their effectiveness in helping people cope with the stresses of everyday life
Download or read book Why Think written by Ronald de Sousa and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2007-06-25 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a world where natural selection has shaped adaptations of astonishing ingenuity, what is the scope and unique power of rational thinking? In this short but wide-ranging book, philosopher Ronald de Sousa looks at the twin set of issues surrounding the power of natural selection to mimic rational design, and rational thinking as itself a product of natural selection. While we commonly deem ourselves superior to other species, the logic of natural selection should not lead us to expect that nature does everything for the best. Similarly, rational action does not always promote the best possible outcomes. So what is the difference? Is the pursuit of rationality actually an effective strategy? Part of the answer lies in language, including mathematics and science. Language is the most striking device by which we have made ourselves smarter than our nearest primate cousins. Sometimes the purely instinctual responses we share with other animals put explicit reasoning to shame: the movements of a trained athlete are faster and more accurate than anything she could explicitly calculate. Language, however, with its power to abstract from concrete experience and to range over all aspects of nature, enables breathtakingly precise calculations, which have taken us to the moon and beyond. Most importantly, however, language enables us to formulate an endless multiplicity of values, in potential conflict with one another as well as with instinctual imperatives. In short, this sophisticated and entertaining book shows how our rationality and our irrationality are inextricably intertwined. Ranging over a wide array of evidence, it explores the true ramifications of being human in the natural world.
Download or read book Rational and Irrational Beliefs written by Daniel David and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 381 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Rational and Irrational Beliefs: Research, Theory, and Clinical Practice, leading scholars, researchers, and practitioners of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) and other cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBTs) share their perspectives and empirical findings on the nature of rational and irrational beliefs, the role of beliefs as mediators of functional and dysfunctional emotions and behaviors, and clinical approaches to modifying irrational beliefs, enhancing rational beliefs, and adaptive coping in the face of stressful life events. Offering a comprehensive and cohesive approach to understanding REBT/CBT and its central constructs of rational and irrational beliefs, contributors review a steadily accumulating empirical literature indicating that irrational beliefs are associated with a wide range of problems in living and that exposure to rational self-statements can decrease anxiety and other psychological symptoms, and play a valuable role in health promotion and disease prevention. Contributors also identify new frontiers of research and theory, including the link between irrational beliefs and other cognitive processes such as memory, psychophysiological responses, and evolutionary and cultural determinants of rational and irrational beliefs.A truly accessible, state-of-the-science summary of REBT/CBT research and clinical applications, Rational and Irrational Beliefs is an invaluable resource for psychotherapy practitioners of all theoretical orientations, as well as instructors, students, and academic psychologists.
Download or read book Investing and the Irrational Mind Rethink Risk Outwit Optimism and Seize Opportunities Others Miss written by Robert Koppel and published by McGraw Hill Professional. This book was released on 2011-04-22 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Behavioral finance expert and bestselling author Robert Koppel shows traders and investors how to invest your money rationally, even in an irrational world "Investing," according to Robert Koppel, "Involves far more than specific analytical and strategic skills. It requires the development of habits, thought patterns and creative attitudes that influence the way to think and act in the market." In Investing and the Irrational Mind, Koppel, author of the classic bestseller,The Inner Game of Trading, uses the latest advancements in behavioral finance and neuroeconomics to help you gain these habits, as well as the deep understanding of market risk factors necessary to successful portfolio building. Armed with 30 years' experience as an analyst, and fund manager, and interviews with top traders, behavioral economists, risk managers and neuroscientists, Koppel lets you build a personal arsenal of risk management skills ("quantitative architecture") necessary for investors at any level to develop a focused, disciplined, confident, and profitable approach to investing. Filled with surprising insights into human behavior, and rock-solid financial advice, this is the guide you need to invest in today's markets.
