David McRaney – författare

In an increasingly polarised world, it sometimes feels impossible to talk to someone you disagree with, let alone change their mind. However, you could be just one conversation away from reshaping someone's world view – here's how...‘In a time when too many minds seem closed, this is a masterful analysis of what it takes to open them.’ ADAM GRANT, AUTHOR OF THINK AGAIN Self-delusion expert and psychology nerd David McRaney sets out to discover not just what it takes to influence others, but why we believe in the first place. Along the way he meets a former Westboro Baptist Church member who was de-radicalised on Twitter, goes deep canvassing to see how quickly people will surrender their character-defining views, finds a former 9/11 Truther who turned his back on it all, and reveals how, within a few years, half a country can go from opposing the ‘gay agenda’ to happily attending same-sex weddings.Distilling the latest research in psychology and neuroscience, How Minds Change reveals how beliefs take hold, not over hundreds of years, but in less than a generation, in less than a decade, and sometimes in an instant.***‘Optimistic, illuminating and even inspiring.’ GUARDIAN‘A tonic for those who might scratch their head at how others could be so nonsensical.’ NEW SCIENTIST‘How Minds Change brings us face to face with the radically weird science of how our thoughts, perceptions, and beliefs are actually formed, and how they can, for better or worse, be modified.’ JORDAN ELLENBERG

An entertaining illumination of the stupid beliefs that make us feel wise.

You believe you are a rational, logical being who sees the world as it really is, but journalist David McRaney is here to tell you that you''re as deluded as the rest of us. But that''s OK- delusions keep us sane. You Are Not So Smart is a celebration of self-delusion. It''s like a psychology class, with all the boring parts taken out, and with no homework.

Based on the popular blog of the same name, You Are Not So Smart collects more than 46 of the lies we tell ourselves everyday, including:

Dunbar''s Number - Humans evolved to live in bands of roughly 150 individuals, the brain cannot handle more than that number. If you have more than 150 Facebook friends, they are surely not all real friends. Hindsight bias - When we learn something new, we reassure ourselves that we knew it all along. Confirmation bias - Our brains resist new ideas, instead paying attention only to findings that reinforce our preconceived notions. Brand loyalty - We reach for the same brand not because we trust its quality but because we want to reassure ourselves that we made a smart choice the last time we bought it.

Packed with interesting sidebars and quick guides on cognition and common fallacies, You Are Not So Smart is a fascinating synthesis of cutting-edge psychology research to turn our minds inside out.

The author of the bestselling You Are Not So Smart shares more discoveries about self-delusion and irrational thinking, and gives readers a fighting chance at outsmarting their not-so-smart brains David McRaney’s first book, You Are Not So Smart, evolved from his wildly popular blog of the same name. A mix of popular psychology and trivia, McRaney’s insights have struck a chord with thousands, and his blog--and now podcasts and videos--have become an Internet phenomenon.Like You Are Not So Smart, You Are Now Less Dumb is grounded in the idea that we all believe ourselves to be objective observers of reality--except we’re not. But that’s okay, because our delusions keep us sane. Expanding on this premise, McRaney provides eye-opening analyses of fifteen more ways we fool ourselves every day, including:The Misattribution of Arousal (Environmental factors have a greater affect on our emotional arousal than the person right in front of us)Sunk Cost Fallacy (We will engage in something we don’t enjoy just to make the time or money already invested “worth it”)Deindividuation (Despite our best intentions, we practically disappear when subsumed by a mob mentality)McRaney also reveals the true price of happiness, why Benjamin Franklin was such a badass, and how to avoid falling for our own lies. This smart and highly entertaining book will be wowing readers for years to come.

Think you’re rational? Think again...‘Want to get smarter quickly? Read this book.’ David Eagleman, author of The Brain: The Story of YouHow many of your Facebook friends do you think you know? Would you help a stranger in need? Do you know why you’re so in love with your new smartphone? The truth is: you’re probably wrong. You are not so smart.In this international bestseller, award-winning journalist David McRaney examines the assorted ways we mislead ourselves every single day. A psychology course with all the boring bits taken out, prepare for a whirlwind tour of the latest research in the subject, fused with a healthy dose of humour and wit. You’ll discover just how irrational you really are, which delusions keep you sane, how to boost your productivity, and why you’ve never kept a New Year’s resolution.***‘A much-needed field guide to the limits of our so-called consciousness. McRaney presents a witty case for just how witless we all are.’ William Poundstone, author of How to Predict the Unpredictable‘Simply wonderful. An engaging and useful guide to how our brilliant brains can go badly wrong.' Richard Wiseman, author of 59 Seconds‘You Are Not So Smart is a dose of psychology research served in tasty anecdotes that will make you better understand both yourself and the rest of us. It turns out we're much more irrational than most of us think, so give yourself every advantage you can and read this book.’ Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit

In the follow-up to the international bestseller You Are Not So Smart, McRaney helps us to overcome our quirks and think more effectively. Informed by the latest studies in psychology, You Can Beat Your Brain is a pocket-sized primer packed with wry humour and astonishing facts. You’ll discover why tall people earn more money, why a rickety bridge is a good place for a first date, and how to avoid irrational beliefs and self-delusion.

In the follow-up to the international bestseller You Are Not So Smart, McRaney helps us to overcome our quirks and think more effectively. Informed by the latest studies in psychology, You Can Beat Your Brain is a pocket-sized primer packed with wry humour and astonishing facts. You’ll discover why tall people earn more money, why a rickety bridge is a good place for a first date, and how to avoid irrational beliefs and self-delusion.

In an increasingly polarised world, it sometimes feels impossible to talk to someone you disagree with, let alone change their mind. However, as David McRaney reveals, you could be just one conversation away from reshaping someone''s world view – here''s how. ‘In a time when too many minds seem closed, this is a masterful analysis of what it takes to open them.’ ADAM GRANT, AUTHOR OF THINK AGAIN Self-delusion expert and psychology nerd David McRaney sets out to discover not just what it takes to influence others, but why we believe in the first place. Along the way he meets a former Westboro Baptist Church member who was de-radicalised on Twitter, goes deep canvassing to see how quickly people will surrender their character-defining views, finds a former 9/11 Truther who turned his back on it all, and reveals how, within a few years, half a country can go from opposing the ‘gay agenda’ to happily attending same-sex weddings. Distilling the latest research in psychology and neuroscience, How Minds Change reveals how beliefs take hold, not over hundreds of years, but in less than a generation, in less than a decade, and sometimes in an instant. *** ‘Optimistic, illuminating and even inspiring.’ GUARDIAN ‘A tonic for those who might scratch their head at how others could be so nonsensical.’ NEW SCIENTIST ‘How Minds Change brings us face to face with the radically weird science of how our thoughts, perceptions, and beliefs are actually formed, and how they can, for better or worse, be modified.’ JORDAN ELLENBERG

Think you’re rational? Think again...‘Want to get smarter quickly? Read this book.’ David Eagleman, author of The Brain: The Story of YouHow many of your Facebook friends do you think you know? Would you help a stranger in need? Do you know why you’re so in love with your new smartphone? The truth is: you’re probably wrong. You are not so smart.In this international bestseller, award-winning journalist David McRaney examines the assorted ways we mislead ourselves every single day. A psychology course with all the boring bits taken out, prepare for a whirlwind tour of the latest research in the subject, fused with a healthy dose of humour and wit. You’ll discover just how irrational you really are, which delusions keep you sane, how to boost your productivity, and why you’ve never kept a New Year’s resolution.***‘A much-needed field guide to the limits of our so-called consciousness. McRaney presents a witty case for just how witless we all are.’ William Poundstone, author of How to Predict the Unpredictable‘Simply wonderful. An engaging and useful guide to how our brilliant brains can go badly wrong.' Richard Wiseman, author of 59 Seconds‘You Are Not So Smart is a dose of psychology research served in tasty anecdotes that will make you better understand both yourself and the rest of us. It turns out we're much more irrational than most of us think, so give yourself every advantage you can and read this book.’ Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit