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Using a wealth of anecdotes, data from academic literature, and original research, this very accessible little book highlights how we all struggle to cope with the maelstrom of choices, influences and experiences that come our way. The authors have slogged through piles of dry research papers to provide many wonderful nuggets of information and surprising insights. For example: Why is an upside-down red triangle such a powerful warning sign on the road? What is the best kind of alibi? What makes the number 7 so special? Why is it better to whisper words of love into the left ear? Will that recent marriage last? Why is it that the French eat snails but not slugs? The reader will discover the amazing tools and shortcuts that millennia of evolution have built into our brains. And this knowledge is power! Knowing more about how the human mind connects the dots helps us understand why decision-making is so tricky. With insights from evolutionary psychology, we become better equipped to understand ourselves and others and to interact and communicate more effectively.
List of contents
Introduction.- Embark on the mind tour.- Better be paranoid to survive.- We like things the way they are.- Our detective mind grasps clues and narrates.- Images call more to mind than words and numbers.- How to balance pros and cons and other helpful hints.- I frame, you're framed.- Epilogue: does it really pay to weigh up our biases.
Report
"The book provides clear and accessible definitions of complex concepts captured in behavioral theories and models ... . This book is a nice read for a wide variety of minds, tastes, and training, with something to offer everyone in terms of entertainment, helping to better understand one's self and others, and providing a valuable collection of scientific, artistic, and popular resources on the matter of how our minds work." (Shabnam Mousavi, Journal of Bioeconomics, Vol. 19 (2), January, 2017)
"Jerome Boutang and Michel De Lara explore how evolution shaped our psychology, in an attempt to unravel what makes people 'tick'. ... subjects are most interesting, and laymen will find a lot of food for thought to munch on. ... . I really enjoyed the pace and the authors' voices - direct, humorous and very reader friendly. ... There also some very fun quizzes and exercises that you can take to test how biased you are, which nicely add to engagement." (Tibi Puiu, zmescience.com, November, 2015)
