How We Decide

ThefirstbooktousetheunexpecteddiscoveriesofneurosciencetohelpusmakethebestdecisionsSincePlato,philosophershavedescribedthedecision-makingprocessaseitherrationaloremotional:wecarefullydeliberate,orwe“blink”andgowithourgut.Butasscientistsbreakopenthemind’sblackboxwiththelatesttoolsofneuroscience,they’rediscoveringthatthisisnothowthemindworks.Ourbestdecisionsareafinelytunedblendofbothfeelingandreason—andtheprecisemixdependsonthesituation.Whenbuyingahouse,forexample,it’sbesttoletourunconsciousmulloverthemanyvariables.Butwhenwe’repickingastock,intuitionoftenleadsusastray.Thetrickistodeterminewhentousethedifferentpartsofthebrain,andtodothis,weneedtothinkharder(andsmarter)abouthowwethink.JonahLehrerarmsuswiththetoolsweneed,drawingoncutting-edgeresearchaswellasthereal-worldexperiencesofawiderangeof“deciders”—fromairplanepilotsandhedgefundinvestorstoserialkillersandpokerplayers.Lehrershowshowpeoplearetakingadvantageofthenewsciencetomakebettertelevisionshows,winmorefootballgames,andimprovemilitaryintelligence.Hisgoalistoanswertwoquestionsthatareofinteresttojustaboutanyone,fromCEOstofirefighters:Howdoesthehumanmindmakedecisions?Andhowcanwemakethosedecisionsbetter?