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Recommendation: McRaney book

I think I put this in "introduction" under this forum, because i thought that was what Dan's instructions said to do. Anyway, here it is in a repeat as its own forum topic. I had a link for each book so you could quickly get more info about it, but transferring to this format seems to have dumped most of my links.

I have been looking for a book about good thinking. After looking at several, the one I recommend is:

You are Now Less Dumb by David McRaney (2014, now inexpensive paper and kindle)

This book defines, demonstrates, and discusses several cognitive flaws, including both logical fallacies and biases/heuristics, with some emphasis on helping readers learn to avoid these problems and become better thinkers.

I like this book more than the others I have looked at mostly because I am tiring of the tone of self-congratulation that lies behind expositions of “look how stupid other people are.” We are all flawed thinkers and could use some self-improvement. (Yes, even Jeff Center members.) Some other reasons are that other books (1) too often discuss either fallacies or biases/heuristics, but not both; (2) are sometimes more like random collections of stories than a systematic organization of why our human minds lead us astray so often; (3) are unavailable at public or univ library so I can’t look at the book; (4) are too new to have come down in price.

The author of …Less Dumb had a previous book You are Not so Smart but reviewers said the second one covers the same territory with some (albeit still not enough) emphasis on self-improvement.. Look at the website also: http://youarenotsosmart.com/

Books I looked at but would read later if at all:

Freakononics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, by Steven D. Levigg and Stephen J. Dubner

How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking – May 29, 2014 by Jordan Ellenberg (Author)

Unnatural Acts: Critical Thinking, Skepticism, and Science Exposed!– July 29, 2012 by Robert Carroll (Author) (n/a jcls or Hannon)

The Improbability Principle: Why Coincidences, Miracles, and Rare Events Happen Every Day Paperback – February 17, 2015

The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail — but Some Don't (September 27, 2012) by Nate Silver

--Sandra

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