Customer Reviews

Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I must start by saying I only read the first 65 or so pages (about 1/3rd of the book) before the author lost my attention. She filled the first several pages with a shallow discussion of commom tenets your parents or teachers probably already shared with you. I paraphrase: 'Stop and think before you act'; 'What you don't know CAN hurt you'; 'Don't miss the forest for the trees.'

In the subsequent chapters, she attempted to dive more deeply into the reasons these tenets ring true. As I read through the discussion, I came away with the distinct impression that I was stuck in an entry level class on human behavior at a community college. Her analysis lacked depth; her analogies were flat or did not fit. She offered little insight into an intriguing topic.

Based on the reviews I read before purchasing the book, I expected more rigor and critical analysis than I found. The book's concept has promise. Unfortunately, the author did not deliver.

Because I was intrigued by the topic, I've continued to look for books that could better help me understand common blind spots. Although narrowly focused on the idea of self-deception, I thought "Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)" gave a thorough analysis of a common blind spot many of us experience.

I also found meaningful insights about the physiology of the brain that creates some of our blind spots in "On Being Certain." The author's statements were supported by conclusions drawn from peer-reviewed studies - the type of rigor I expected but did not find in 'Blind Spots.'

If every person in a position of responsibility read this book, perhaps there would be fewer catastrophes! Granted, there are so many things at play in complex situations, a mere human may not be able to change entire outcomes. However, there are so many stupid decisions that contribute to ruin ... and that can be changed. That's why this book is so important.

Van Hecke presents 10 Blind Spots:
1. Not Stopping to Think
2. What You Don't Know Can Hurt You
3. Not Noticing
4. Not Seeing Yourself
5. My-side Bias
6. Trapped by Categories
7. Jumping to Conclusions
8. Fuzzy Evidence
9. Missing Hidden Causes
10. Missing the Big Picture

While listing the chapters may seem like the Cliff Notes, it would be a mistake to conclude that the list is the whole story. The author does a complete, substantiated and entertaing job of describing each blind spot and shows how prevalent (sadly) they are. This book is a great way to keep you grounded when the smart people around you are doing dumb things, and, of course, to prevent you from making the same mistakes.

To say I recognized myself and so many others I know in this book would be an understatement! It has changed the way I think about many things, especially when driving. I'm prone to road rage, and after reading this, it put a different spin on the guy in the other car; it has saved many people already. Every chapter was a revelation, and I really enjoyed the example stories. They made it easy to see the ways in which we bypass our own intelligence. A good book for business groups, or anyone wishing they didn't stumble over their own "forehead smacking" blunders. This could be a good gift for colleagues who think they know it all, or those who don't and need help.

This book is engaging, smart, and playful, even though it deals with stuff we really ought to know. Van Hecke points out some mysteries we haven't noticed, and makes the mysterious feel manageable. She starts with the conviction that the more we understand about our thinking, the more likely we are to produce results that satisfy us in the long term. Van Hecke's witty and insightful daytrip through some of the knobbier kinds of thinking is lots of fun. I discovered plenty of surprises and quite a few points that proved things I had almost thought of myself. Blind Spots includes just enough unforgettable examples. They keep coming to mind as I catch myself doing some of my own favorite dumb things. Highly recommended to anyone wanting to think about thinking--students, teachers, armchair philosophers, and all the rest of us who wonder how things happen. Nice gift for someone recovering from doing a dumb thing. That's probably anyone: as Ven Hecke points out, it comes with having a brain built like ours.

I don't read self-help books as a rule but this one (a gift) kept me hooked. All the blind spots were real to me and pertained in one way or another to me and/or someone I know. I am going to give this book to everyone I know and do business with. It will go a long way towards making my life easier!

This is one of a recent spurt of pop neuropsychology books that very user friendly.

In this short, accessible volume, one learns the many ways in which human prejudice and lack of foresight can cause even the most experience of us to misstep.

In terms of using real life examples, this book excells. In terms of covering of the overarching clinical data, this book is not as helpful.

For those who find their interest in neuropsychology piqued by this book I would suggest:

How the Mind Works by Harvard's Steven Pinker

Why We Love by Dr. Helen Fisher

Religion Explained by Pascal Boyer

And pretty much anything by V. Ramashandran or Matt Ridley.

Neuropsychology...the idea that human behavior is just as molded by evolution as human morphology...is an inherently and unendling fascinating field. To those for whom this is the first step in the pond, I encourage you to follow this up with a long educational swim.

Blind Spots is much more readable than the typical self-help book. The author's personal experiences described are fun and believable, and give the reader the opportunity to identify with similar blind spots of their own. This book gives more than ample reasons for us to pause and think before we speak/act. The plausible strategies outlined are sure to bring results, which I plan to put into practice. I hope all my friends to whom I've given a copy, will feel the same!

I breezed through this book like I would do with a novel. The examples Dr. Van Hecke uses are nicely interspersed with "theory" and the theories easy to understand and apply to my and I really do think anyone's life. The book touches upon many aspects of an ordinary person's world so everyone will find some blind spot they have or would like noticed in someone they love or work/interact with. This is a useful, enlightening and at the same time entertaining and accessible book. I would like to see it get the mass attention it deserves.

Some great topics and one liners and an important topic to tackle, but not as coherent as I was hoping for, and as I read on, a long way between highlights, but this quote alone was worth trying to tackle the subject - " we spend millions on tests attempting to measure how bright people are and to predict who has the intelligence to succeed, but we pay little attention to what makes even the brightest people sometimes squander their gifts in "amazing, breathtaking acts of stupidity." its just a pitty the book started so well then began to ramble a bit and not be more specific.

This book is a lighter read. It is well sourced, organized, and written.

The author takes ten themes of poor thought and examines them in a sensitive and practical way.

While the book is practical, it would have been more to my tastes if the author had gone into more detail.

This book is a good introduction to many topics that also provides documentation of sources that should allow interested parties to look at specific topics in more depth should it be desired.