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William Poundstone

Head in the Cloud: Why Knowing Things Still Matters When Facts Are So Easy to Look Up Hardcover – July 19, 2016

by William Poundstone (Author)

25 customer reviews

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The real-world value of knowledge in the mobile-device age.

More people know who Khloe Kardashian is than who Rene Descartes was. Most can't find Delaware on a map, correctly spell the word occurrence, or name the largest ocean on the planet. But how important is it to fill our heads with facts? A few keystrokes can summon almost any information in seconds. Why should we bother learning facts at all?

Bestselling author William Poundstone confronts that timely question in HEAD IN THE CLOUD. He shows that many areas of knowledge correlate with the quality of our lives--wealth, health, and happiness--and even with politics and behavior. Combining Big Data survey techniques with eye-opening anecdotes, Poundstone examines what Americans know (and don't know) on topics ranging from quantum physics to pop culture.

HEAD IN THE CLOUD asks why we're okay with spelling errors on menus but not on resumes; why Fox News viewers don't know which party controls Congress; why people who know "trivia" make more money than those who don't; how individuals can navigate clickbait and media spin to stay informed about what really matters.

Hilarious, humbling, and wildly entertaining, HEAD IN THE CLOUD is a must-read for anyone who doesn't know everything.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"True fact: People who read Poundstone's extraordinary books are smarter (and happier) than people who don't."
―Seth Godin, author of The Icarus Deception

"This breezy, pop-research overview of the decline of basic knowledge in the age of information overdrive could provide plenty of nuggets for journalists and hand-wringers over how many more millennials are familiar with the Kardashians than Descartes and can't name a single South American novelist or locate most African countries on a map."―Kirkus Reviews

"A lot of fun."
―Rebecca Schinsky, Book Riot

About the Author

William Poundstone is the author of fourteen books--including Rock Breaks Scissors, Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google?, How Would You Move Mount Fuji?, and Fortune's Formula, which was Amazon Editor's pick for the number one nonfiction book of the year. He has written for the Believer, the Economist, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Esquire, Harper's, Harvard Business Review, the New York Times op-ed page and Book Review, and Village Voice. Follow Poundstone on Twitter (@WPoundstone) and learn more at his website, home.williampoundstone.net.

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (July 19, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316256544
ISBN-13: 978-0316256544
Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
Average Customer Review: 25 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,118,042 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #885 in Computers & Technology Industry
- #520 in Human-Computer Interaction (Books)
- #886 in Memory Improvement Self-Help

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Scott Groves

Ever wonder why people do stupid stuff?

March 10, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Ever wonder why people do “stupid” things? I mean really really stupid thing. Think about this: hopefully soon we will be deploying a satellite that carries no fuel that will travel to the closest nearby solar system being powered by a gigantic ground based laser-beam. It will be moving so fast (a small fraction of the speed of light) it will reach its destination within our lifetime but we still can’t convince a part of the population that inoculates don’t cause problems, we actually did land on the moon, and the Earth isn’t flat.

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ARGTop Contributor: Pets

Poundstone details a great deal of survey data about general knowledge and things ...

May 4, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Interesting book, but not quite what I expected from it. Poundstone details a great deal of survey data about general knowledge and things that correlates with. The survey results are fascinating and I even sought out the full studies for more detail. As for the meat of why it matters, it wasn't as well developed as I had anticipated. Knowing things indicates some level of education, leisure, and background status that correlates with income and future status but also age, interests and nothing. Interesting engaging read, but lacking meat

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John Pedemonti

Neat book!

September 6, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Very interesting book. It can be a bit overwhelming with the sheer amount of numbers, statistics and surveys within. I guess that is expected when taking into consideration what the author intends for people to realize or learn. I did take away a lot from it though.

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Amazon Customer

Eye opening demonstration of human nature. A must read for the young. Scary outlook for democracy.

October 4, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Thought provoking and learning experience in a fun and easily accessible framework.
The subject matter is essentially life in complex society and how to cope and improve as we muddle along.
As the book demonstrates so elegantly, some muddle more than others!

3 people found this helpful

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Gil Edgar III

Four Stars

July 31, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

An interesting read.

One person found this helpful

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Kate Paulson

Four Stars

June 1, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Good read!

One person found this helpful

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djm

Good and easy read

January 3, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

In this age of twitter and soundbites, it is good to be reminded occasionally of why it is important to know stuff (details, facts, etc.)

2 people found this helpful

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gerluck

Interesting book

October 12, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book includes a lot of statistics, but the basic premise that knowledge wins over ignorance makes it a really good read.

3 people found this helpful

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