Decisions, Decisions: The Art of Effective Decision Making [Paperback]

David A. Welch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2001

Whether you are faced with decisions momentous or trivial, how you go about resolving everyday dilemmas will definitely affect your level of satisfaction in life. In this engrossing and entertaining guide, David Welch, who has studied the decision-making process at the highest levels, shows how both the science and the art of decision-making are essential to us all. Welch lays out nine steps to effective decision-making and then demonstrates how to apply these steps to real-world situations. He gives readers the intellectual tools to assess their strengths and weaknesses and stresses that self-knowledge is critical for making the right decisions. This enjoyable, clearly written guide will enable decision-makers at every level to find the best possible solution for dilemmas both big and small.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Welch, an academic, offers a nine-step plan for making effective decisions in everyday life and then demonstrates how to apply these steps to real world situations; these nine steps include identifying your objective, doing a preliminary survey of options, focusing onthe values involved, assessing the importance of the decision, budgeting your time and energy, and making your choice. In developing habits of good decision making, we learn the importance of adroitly handling uncertainty; the author believes that the ability to handle uncertainty is the best predictor of success. Selfreflection is very important in skilled decision making, and we also need to understand principles and strategies, money and probability, and some psychology, philosophy, and sociology, in addition to learning to assess the needs of others and their reaction to our choices. This is a "must read"--a thought-provoking book written for a broad audience in an easy and entertaining manner. Mary Whaley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From the Publisher

"Professor Welch has done a marvelous job of translating the complex language of decision theory into a witty and compelling read." -- Debora L. Spar, Professor and Unit Head, Harvard Business School

"David Welch offers a clear and important window on the art of decision making. A delight to read, DECISIONS, DECISIONS is sure to enlighten and delight, as well as provoke the professional and amateur alike." -- Marc L. Busch, Associate Professor, Queen's School of Business, Kingston, Ontario

"Drawing on history, philosophy, and psychology, Welch's ground-breaking writing provides advice of practical value to every kind of decision maker. Home purchasers, gamblers, risk analysts, and international negotiators among others will all benefit from this entertaining and erudite guide to the high art of decision making. An enjoyable and highly instructive read for business people, students, and diplomats alike." -- Anthony Campbell, Former Director of the Privy Council Office Intelligence Secretariat, Canada

"Using engaging examples and a lively style, Professor David Welch adroitly translates the lessons of political decision analysis into a guide for decision making in everyday life." -- Sherry Glied, Associate Professor and Head, Division of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University

"DECISIONS, DECISIONS should be required reading for anyone working in financial markets. Professor Welch provides a link between how financial analysts expect people to make decisions and how those decisions are actually made." -- Arthur M. Heinmaa, Managing Partner, Toron Capital Markets, Inc.

"Professor Welch has provided a compelling book that experts will credit as reliable and everyone will credit as helpful. More than a few of us will see our foibles played out in the engaging anecdotes Welch uses to illustrate his points." -- Peter D. Feaver, Associate Professor, Political Science, Duke University

"A readable, thought-provoking book that helps us reexamine our own decision-making processes. Welch describes basic principles in a variety of disciplines, from philosophy to economics to probability, and entertainingly shows how they can offer concrete advice for personal decision making in everyday situations." -- Neal Madras, Professor, Mathematics and Statistics, York University

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books; 1st edition (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573929344
• ISBN-13: 978-1573929349
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #484,512 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Effective, February 11, 2008

By 

KT (SoCal, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Decisions, Decisions: The Art of Effective Decision Making (Paperback)

The most insightful advice in the book comes on the first page of Chapter 1 - "All decisions have three parts: 1) you identify your goals 2) you identify your options; and 3) you choose from among your options". The rest of the book goes downhill from there. Nothing much more is offered. The examples used tend to lack demonstration of insights into real-world effective decision-making, which is unexpected considering that he studied the decision-making process of Middle East leaders. The second half of the book I found to be tedious without much actual usefulness. Even the selling points, the 9 main steps to effective decision making, are redundant and can be reduced down to those 3 parts stated earlier. Very boring reading. You can throw out most of the chapters and it wouldn't make much of an impact on the overall book. Pass on this one.

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A breath of fresh air, November 12, 2001

By 

Rob MacGregor (Natick, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Decisions, Decisions: The Art of Effective Decision Making (Paperback)

I can't remember the last time I read a book so useful and so much fun at the same time. This is a sweeping tour of decision making chock full of insight and information that makes you laugh out loud (usually at yourself!) How nice it is to read a book that doesn't assume the reader is an idiot, too. I can think of about a dozen people I'd like to give this to for Christmas.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Success Science, November 2, 2004

By 

H. Arsham "Dr. Professor Hossein Arsham" (Baltimore, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Decisions, Decisions: The Art of Effective Decision Making (Paperback)

Some may feel that the ability to be a smart decision maker and one who resolves their personal matters in wise ways is something innate to the being. David A. Welch's guide explores the procedural manner in which one can learn to become a more effective decision maker for both large and small dilemmas in both personal and professional situations. Welch has authored several books examining war and the Cuban Missile Crisis and is an associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto. In the first chapter of the book, he looks at the ideal situation for decision-making and discusses the constraints that effect our decision making in the real world using everyday examples. Welch breaks down the steps to effective decision making into nine steps. In the second chapter, Welch explores many different types of decision-making situations and the different strategies that could be used depending on what type of decision is being made. In chapter three, Welch decisions that can be quantified such as any decisions that involve money. In chapter four, Welch discusses the effects of people's emotions, judgments, and perceptions on their decision making process and the importance of being aware of these personal biases when making a decision. Chapter five is devoted to philosophical issues and moral decision-making. In chapter six, Welch explores the belief that decision-making styles of women and men differ specific to their gender. Finally, the book discusses habits and the importance of developing a strong decision making style in order to overcome an ineffective decision-making style. This book was extremely informative and used many everyday scenarios that made the reading applicable to business people as well as household decision makers. In his approach to decision making, the one who analyzes and presents options for resolving the problem situations is also the decision maker. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge personal biases, gender issues, and moral issues, which do affect the decision-making process as well as the decision that is made.