The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds

By Michael Lewis

The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds - Michael Lewis
  • Release Date: 2016-12-06
  • Genre: Science & Nature
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 549 Ratings

Description

“Brilliant. . . . Lewis has given us a spectacular account of two great men who faced up to uncertainty and the limits of human reason.” —William Easterly, Wall Street Journal
Forty years ago, Israeli psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky wrote a series of breathtakingly original papers that invented the field of behavioral economics. One of the greatest partnerships in the history of science, Kahneman and Tversky’s extraordinary friendship incited a revolution in Big Data studies, advanced evidence-based medicine, led to a new approach to government regulation, and made much of Michael Lewis’s own work possible. In The Undoing Project, Lewis shows how their Nobel Prize–winning theory of the mind altered our perception of reality.

Reviews

  • Top Non-Fiction Boom

    5
    By rsk22
    This is one of the best non-fiction books I have ever read and may be considered one of the best of all time. It’s very well written on the very deep topic of human psychology. It reads so easily as it is told as a story of two great minds, Amos Tversky and Daniel Kanehman, and their dynamic relationship. We learn throughout the book about their groundbreaking discoveries in human decision making and their relationship throughout the process. While their discoveries were being made, the general public perception was that Amos was the superior but we quickly learn from these accounts that Daniel was equally important in their discoveries. This does not discredit Amos contributions but reaffirms that Daniel was not the lightweight he was made out to be. The book also discusses in more details about the discoveries that they made, and presents it in a clear and interesting manner that is understandable and relevant. If you enjoy the subject of psychology and decision making, this is a highly recommended book.
  • A life-changing book

    5
    By juliamcorb
    It’s rare to find a book that resonates so powerfully and effectively to oneself - subconsciously enhancing our ability to see beyond the norm. Sparking creativity, insight, a needed understanding of purpose, thought, plans, ideas, that may well be lying subconsciously within ourselves. This book is powerful. It provided me direction to see deeper into relationships, to my work, to life, to my individual intentions and aspirations, that I know I am capable of, but never considered. The narrative, the story, Michael Lewis beautifully illustrates throughout this book, can create a new life beyond what we think we are capable of obtaining. Read it all the way through and hopefully you too, shall agree.
  • A story of friendship

    3
    By MLS7474
    For those interested in Amos and Danny’s work, read Thinking Fast, Thinking Slow. For those interested in a story of friendship, read this book. Amos and Danny are two different people whose minds work as one. The bravado of one earned him accolades the shyer one envied, and ultimately tore them apart. Death brought them back together. As usual, Micheal Lewis writes engaging prose that seamlessly blends this story of friendship with the complex psychology that bound it together.
  • Ćhm fzj

    5
    By czegar
    Bj
  • Long read

    2
    By Juan deRamos
    Didn’t understand why he had to go soooo deep into both Amos and Danny’s background. Opening loores you in with exciting real world example on b-ball, then goes all academic and story of both these guys which not sure it’s that relevant to what they achieved
  • Who proofread this?

    1
    By Dean130130
    This book is a disappointment. I’ve heard the author is very good, however, if this book is the example, I certainly can’t recommend him. I found several logic flaws in the book, for example, regarding the study on the names of famous people and your ability to recall lists of names made up of predominantly men or women; seems nobody proofread that section (if you buy the book, and actually pay attention while reading, you should easily be able to pick out this discrepancy). Several other examples of these discrepancies exist (which I will not fully describe for brevity). Also, the book seemed to ramble, for chapters it talked about the subjects’ history and unremarkable relationships, then it would switch to psychology and the research that was being done. In sum, if you are looking for accurate writing that won’t frustrate a detailed reader don’t read this book.
  • How the two became one

    5
    By BdavisGriggs
    A great look at the birth of behavioural economics and a history of two iconic features in the study of the way we make decisions.
  • 25% through and no clue where it's going

    2
    By TornMoon
    I love psychology but this book was just a bunch of draw out stories about Jewish guys with no real substance. Stopped reading.
  • Fascinating story

    5
    By Beto de Bernal
    Think fast and slow is a great book, a wonder. This book tells the story of two of the brightest minds of the world, spending a lifetime on writing a book. Easy to read, great narrative of one of the most prominent scientific pair in history
  • Disappointing

    2
    By ajoffe
    I eagerly await all of Michael Lewis's new books as I have read them all. This book unfortunately was not his best. The subject while interesting just droned on and on.