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I read this expecting more "anecdotal" writing as one reviewer put it, but I did not find this to be nearly as unexamined as the reviewer said. Conflicting reports were actually discussed many times, however, when there's a consensus and the conflicts have generally been resolved, there's no point going over old ground. Do we really need to listen to minority-opinion researchers who say cigarette smoking won't kill you? Could the astrophysicist who claims it's 0 Kelvin at the center of stars be right? No!
When you're writing for a non-scientist audience, you can bore them to tears with needless, excessive analysis. A formal survey of study results is generally meant for fellow scientists, but if the reader is interested, that's what the bibliography is for, and that is why one is included. It's not as comprehensive as some (e.g. any one of Dan Ariely's books), but it's there.
Alter also discusses many times how certain influences were ruled out. Sociology and psychology are hard subjects for setting up controlled experiments, for both ethical and practical reasons (although as Alter points out, this has not stopped some people, most notoriously the Nazis). Cross-cultural study is one way of distinguishing nature vs. nurture effects, as well as studies of children vs. adults. Both of these, and other, some more and some less rigorous methods were used in the research that he covers. I would say that instead of being unquestioning, the author tends to stick to well-established results.
I found the book hard to put down. A lot of modern research is finding that we are far less rational, self-aware, and in control than we think we are. But the nice thing about that realization is, as Alter suggests, we can teach ourselves to recognize how and when we're being influenced, and do something about that, both personally and organizationally.
All in all I was very satisfied and I've been strongly recommending this book to coworkers and friends.
- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: Penguin Books (February 25, 2014)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0143124935
- ISBN-13: 978-0143124931
- Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.4 inches
- Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
- Average Customer Review: 121 customer reviews
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