Book Review: 4/5 Impact On Me (Book By David McRaney)
Read more about the book here
Even after reading several psychology books on biases and mental heuristics, this book stood out. It is many years old, but it revealed my biases. I didn't know these biases or was not conscious of counteracting those biases for myself. For example, the ad hominem bias. If a person doesn't dress well, I am more likely to think they don't do their job well. Another example of the ad hominem fallacy is when I might disregard someone's opinion if they have a personal stake in it. For example, if they are from a certain religion and make a decision about a school, I might dismiss their opinion. Or, I might not listen to a smoker's argument about allowing smoking in a restaurant.
The normalcy bias also stood out. I always assumed I would be calm under stress and would act quickly during a crisis like a fire alarm. But it seems most people do not panic and start running around, as shown in movies. Instead, they do nothing at all.
I realized the distinction between a cult and a group is very thin. A group can be any collection of people with a common interest or goal. So is a cult.
I have become more aware of the just world fallacy. I am trying to teach my four-year-old that some things happen regardless of your actions, whether good or bad. Before reading this book, I didn't know why men find swaying hips attractive. I understand it after reading the chapter on supernatural arousal.
I also realized that we might be able to explain what we like, but it might be a made-up explanation. For example, when people choose posters, the more rational the decision, the less happy they are with it later. It's similar to analyzing the food you eat versus just eating it. The more you analyze, the less you enjoy it. But this flies against the concept of mindfulness in eating. I eat mindfully and savour and focus on every bite. Maybe that is not a good idea? Hard questions - making it a great book.
I rate the impact of this book 4 out of 5. There were many actionable and applicable learnings for me, but I already knew some of the other things.
I rated this book 4/5 because, while it offered many tips, I have already implemented them in my life. However, I'm not sure how long the book's advice will stay, but I'll need to change my decisions based on new research.