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| Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior | 
 enlarge | List Price: $26.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 56 reviews)
Sales Rank: 129215
Category: Book
Author: Ori Brafman
Publisher: HighBridge Company
Studio: HighBridge Company
Manufacturer: HighBridge Company
Label: HighBridge Company
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Unabridged
Number Of Items: 4
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.9 x 5.1 x 0.6
ISBN: 1598876295
Dewey Decimal Number: 155.92
EAN: 9781598876291
ASIN: 1598876295
Publication Date: June 17, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Like the bestsellers Blink and Freakonomics, this lively narrative is a fresh view of the world, explaining the previously inexplicable and revealing hidden influences on human decision-making.
A Harvard Business School student pays over $200 for a $20 bill. Washington, DC, commuters ignore a free subway concert by a violin prodigy. A veteran airline pilot attempts to take off without control tower clearance and collides with another plane on the runway. Why do we do the wildly irrational things we sometimes do?
Drawing on cutting-edge research from the fields of social psychology, behavioral economics, and organizational behavior, brothers Ori and Rom Brafman reveal the dynamic forces that act on us repeatedly over time, affecting nearly every aspect of our personal and business lives. They show how we are sabotaged by loss aversion (going to great lengths to avoid perceived losses), the diagnosis bias (ignoring evidence that contradicts our initial take on a person or situation), and commitment (even when a plan isn't working, we are reluctant to change course). Weaving together colorful stories? about dot-com millionaires, game show audiences, NBA coaches, and the US Supreme Court?Sway tours the flip side of reason and points us toward a more rational life.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 51 more reviews...
 Anecdotal enjoyment, but lacks depth and insight January 2, 2009
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
SWAY helps to further the discussion of seemingly irrational human behavior through a series of interesting, enjoyable and quickly-read anecdotes about different physiological and psychological tricks the human mind plays in helping each of us to rationalize the decisions we make. From commitment bias to differences in mental cognition being affected by whether we are doing something for altruistic or financial reasons, the stories provide good reading. Unfortunately, the book is so driven by anecdotes and little stories that the authors fail to bring it together into a cohesive story that allows the reader to digest the points and gather greater insight. There are other books of similiar content that go deeper and with greater insight while still offering enjoyable anecdotes such as Nudge or Freakonomics.
Interesting, but short and redundant December 31, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
It's an interesting read. The authors make some good points and explain concepts in an easy-to-follow manner. However, the book is very short - 180 pages of text that are a fairly small size with large margins. The authors are also a bit redundant. There are some really good nuggets of information, but the same points are repeated several times.
Good insights December 16, 2008
Starts off a bit slow out offers some really excellent examples to demonstrate his key thesis. A solid primer especially for those in charge of HR or Marketing.
 Nothing New December 12, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
I didn't find the concepts in this book to be anything that I didn't already learn years ago in Psych 101. It's just Escalation of Commitment, Pygmalion Effect, etc. supported with stories and and sub-stories and countless tangents. It's almost exactly like a Gladwell book, but somehow just not as good. It's probably better to just buy a textbook. The info would be broader and deeper.
 Dissapointing Rehash of Other, Better Books December 8, 2008
6 out of 10 found this review helpful
I was excited when I purchased this book. I have read numerous titles in this genre, like Blink, Predictably Irrational, Influence, etc., and I was looking forward to more ineresting insights and anecdotes.
Unfortunately, almost the entire book has been covered (in more detail) by the books mentioned above.
I felt like I was reading a cliff's notes version of these previous works, with dumber (but warm!) authors.
If the book was just a regurgitation, I would let it slide. But, in some cases, the authors miss the point entirely.
For instance, when they are discussing the placebo effect, they mention the fact that "Prozac had about the same theapeutic effect" as a placebo (page 97).
They continue that although "the SSRI drugs are clinically ineffective, psychiatrists nevertheless kept diagnosing and prescribing. Once even the most seasoned professionals begin diagnosing, it's very hard to stop." (page 97 cont).
With a wave of the hand, the effectiveness of Prozac is disproven.
Or is it?
If these guys had bothered to read "13 Things That Dont Make Sense" by Michael Brooks, they might have uncovered the REALLY INTERESTING THING about Prozac and the placebo effect.
But no, instead they choose to become examples of the very dignostic bias that they advocate against.
This is one example. There are many, many more.
Sorry guys... you seem like nice fellows. But c'mon... if you are going to write a book, at least write one I haven't read before.
For any of the readers out there interested in original work, I recommend passing on this one and checking out some of these titles. They are MUCH better:
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins Business Essentials)
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
13 Things That Don't Make Sense: The Most Baffling Scientific Mysteries of Our Time
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