Thinking, Fast and Slow

by Daniel Kahneman

PaperbackFirst published 2011Psychology★★★★★ 3.5 (2 reviews)

Why read it

The book that gave everyone a shared vocabulary for how judgment goes wrong. Read it once for the big picture, then keep it nearby as a field guide to your own snap decisions.

Key ideas

1. We switch between a fast, automatic way of thinking and a slow, effortful one that is lazier than we like to admit.
2. Mental shortcuts such as anchoring and availability quietly steer our estimates, even for experts.
3. Losses feel bigger than equal gains, so the way a choice is framed changes what people pick.