How We Know What Isn't So: The Fallibility of Human Reason in Everyday Life Reprint Edition

by Thomas Gilovich (Author)

91 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0029117064

ISBN-10: 0029117062

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Thomas Gilovich offers a wise and readable guide to the fallacy of the obvious in everyday life.

When can we trust what we believe—that "teams and players have winning streaks," that "flattery works," or that "the more people who agree, the more likely they are to be right"—and when are such beliefs suspect? Thomas Gilovich offers a guide to the fallacy of the obvious in everyday life. Illustrating his points with examples, and supporting them with the latest research findings, he documents the cognitive, social, and motivational processes that distort our thoughts, beliefs, judgments and decisions. In a rapidly changing world, the biases and stereotypes that help us process an overload of complex information inevitably distort what we would like to believe is reality. Awareness of our propensity to make these systematic errors, Gilovich argues, is the first step to more effective analysis and action.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Thomas Gilovich is a professor of psychology at Cornell University and author of The Wisest One in the Room (with Lee Ross), How We Know What Isn’t So, Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes, and Social Psychology. He lives in Ithaca, New York.

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Free Press; Reprint edition (March 5, 1993)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0029117062
ISBN-13: 978-0029117064
Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.6 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 91 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,697 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #32 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Philosophy > Logic
- #70 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Logic & Language
- #86 in Books > Textbooks > Social Sciences > Psychology > Cognitive Psychology

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Stanton

A great guide for those who want to know about the inner workings behind what you believe

February 25, 2018

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In How We Know What Isn’t So, author Thomas Gilovich sets out to answer the question of why we fall victim to non-scientific hyperbole and beliefs by using scientific research in the field of psychology, as well as a plethora of topical examples, to show readers what are potential causes in the errors of their thinking. Gilovich presents logical arguments, backed up by clinical research, as to the consequences of clichéd beliefs and how over-generalizing challenging subjects lead not only to logical fallacies but to an incorrect understanding of the general human condition.

Part One of the book looks at the reasoning behind why we are susceptible to ideas and conclusions that are not supported by fact. An example is given about pattern recognition in the realm of sports that deftly demonstrates how the human brain is programmed to seek out patterns, sometimes even if there aren’t any to be found. Likewise, this phenomenon convinces the subject erroneously and leads to one believing false information. The example revolves around a basketball player’s belief that scoring comes in streaks, and that one can develop a “hot-hand”. Research, however, shows that statistically, a prior make or miss has no bearing on the success of a future shot attempt. This belief in a player’s mind leads them to believe that if they have made one or two shots in a row, that they will continue to make them at a greater percentage, leading them to change the way they play; such as not passing to open teammates. This idea is further proven incorrect by the introduction of regression and how the concept shows that some decline must occur once a peak has been achieved.

Part Two of the book delves into the motivations behind our beliefs, such as how social standards, biases, and overstated conversations can convince us of false realities. Again, the author uses several practical examples: one going back to the sports world and describing the biasing effects of referees who unfairly penalize certain jersey colors, as well as conditioning story of Albert, a young boy who was subjected to conditioning tests with animals and sounds.

The final section takes an unexpected turn and goes after a handful of unconventional beliefs such as alternative medicine and extrasensory perception (ESP). Gilovich reveals himself to be quite the skeptic as he skillfully pokes holes in the non-scientific nature of these activities.

Using his extensive background in social and behavioral psychology, Gilovich has created an insightful book that is essentially a "how-to" guide to avoiding irrational thinking. By giving the reader a set of tools to critically think about data, long-held beliefs, and newer fringe philosophies, Gilovich has empowered his audience to challenge the status quo by analyzing and evaluating the information that goes into making decisions or choosing what to believe as fact. The biggest criticisms of the book are related to how some topics seem to be discussed longer than necessary, and that several of the references are outdated. That being said, for a book that is 25+ years old, the content is written in a way that keeps the reader engaged, and explains the core concepts in a way that the layperson can sufficiently understand.

3 people found this helpful4 people found this helpful

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John Bailey

Best Book that I Have Read In a Few Years

February 22, 2018

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One of the most worthwhile books that I have read in a long, long time. If not one of the top ten books that I have read, it is definitely in the top 20!

This book will help you improve your thinking. To me that is very worthwhile. The book read fairly easily and I am currently on my third reading of the book while taking detailed notes from which to teach my son.

If you want to better understand how people think and improve your own thinking get this book!

One person found this helpful2 people found this helpful

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Jim DavisTop Contributor: DC Comics

Excellent book, Kindle edition quite readable but with quirks

April 17, 2012

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This book had me from the very first sentence. "It is widely believed that infertile couples who adopt a child are subsequently more likely to conceive than similar couples who do not." That was certainly my belief, founded on one part personal acquaintance with such couples and one part confirmation from everyone I've ever discussed this with. Yet, it just isn't so. This book is all about the pitfalls of fallacious thinking. Many of us like to think we're immune to such fallacies but this book will demonstrate that virtually everyone is subject to them.

I decided to check the book out after hearing it highly recommended by Dr. Steven Novella on the Skeptics Guide to the universe podcast. I expected the book to be of more recent vintage but in fact it dates from 1991. That explains the frequency of AIDS related examples in the book. But the book is not as dated as the twenty odd years since its publication would suggest. Doubtless more contemporary examples would have been nice but the underlying principles are as sound as ever and the need for critical thinking as important as well.

In books such as these where the author is spending a lot of time pointing out popular foibles and errors I try to read between the lines and see if I can detect if an author has his own blind spots. In some like Sagan's excellent "Demon Haunted World" and Dawkin's equally excellent "God Delusion" one does detect places where sound principles are giving way to personal convictions. The present book is largely free from that; the author chooses examples equally from across political and economic spectra. He seems to be going out of his way to fair and objective.

I purchased the Kindle edition. The book is quite readable but not completely up to the latest Kindle standards. There is no Table of Contents in the menu although there is a linked Table of Contents at the beginning. The progress bar only marks out the Parts of which there are only four. Each Chapter (eleven total) should have been marked on the bar. The index is not linked; it just mirrors the print edition. There are a few tables which might be hard to decipher at font sizes higher than the smallest. On the plus side the chapter reference notes and footnotes are linked.

Highly recommended. The book is an enjoyable read because the author has a very conversational style which places the reader at ease.

5 people found this helpful6 people found this helpful

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Deborah A. Deckert

We really don't know anything

May 22, 2014

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Purchased the book for a class I was taking online and read it over a period of about two months as I took the class.

Written in the 80s so a great deal of it is terribly outdated but the fundamental information supplied is still valuable if you want some insight on how people think...or don't think. How people see patterns where there are none. Why people believe something when all the evidence points to the contrary (in this day and age, think climate control) and why we believe the unbelievable.

2 people found this helpful3 people found this helpful

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