Review of How We Know What Isn’t So by Thomas Gilovich
This is a book on bias and on prejudice and stereotyping.
Everyday we all make decisions by relying on our biases — it is human nature. We misinterpret data, assume they are better then everyone else, and we believe what we are told.
This is a masterful book that Gilovich put together and I highly recommend it. First, the book is short. Second, it is the perfect companion to Influence: The Power of Persuasion (which is one of my favorite books of all time).
To really understand humans I suggest you read Influence, the Tipping Point, How We Know What Isn’t So, and Why We Buy. I haven’t yet read Gladwell’s new book, Blink, but I suspect that one too (on whether you should trust your gut) might join these four important books as a must read.