Book Summaries

In Influence, Robert Cialdini tells the story of two brothers, Sid and Harry, who ran a clothing store in 1930s America. Sid was in charge of sales and Harry led the tailoring department. Whenever Sid noticed that the customers who stood before the mirror really liked their suits, he became a little hard of hearing. … Read more

What is authority and when should we trust it? Every walk of life has its so-called “experts.” Some of these experts are not very trustworthy because their fields are inherently risky or immature. It is much more logical to trust a medical expert than it is to trust an expert on gambling or a stock … Read more

There are two problems with confirmation bias. One, it is tempting to fall for it. Two, it is profitable to exploit it. Whenever we act, we have a goal, whether explicit or not. We feel great when we feel that we are coming close to our goal. We feel bad when we feel that we … Read more

We’ve all been there. You’ve been pouring money into a doomed project for weeks, months, maybe even years. But you can’t seem to stop yourself. Even though you know it’s a lost cause, you keep throwing good money after bad. Why? Because of the sunk cost fallacy. What is the sunk cost fallacy? The sunk … Read more

You’ve probably heard of the power of social proof. The idea is that we are more likely to do something if we see other people doing it. And it makes sense, right? If other people are doing something, it must be worth doing. One of the hardest things to admit about human beings is that … Read more

In Body By Science , we learn about a common misunderstanding. You look around and you see bodybuilders and joggers. You feel that the body builders are too broad, and look rather stupid, but then the joggers look scrawny and miserable. Then you look at swimmers, they seem to have the best of both worlds. … Read more

Think of how many people, while growing up, who thought they’re good enough to become a professional NBA or NFL player, how many thought they could become a professional poker player or investor, how many thought they could become an award-winning actor, writer, scientist, director, or musician. If you’re like most people, you probably think … Read more

The Good Gut by Justin Sonnenburg is about the human microbiome, what it is, why it is important, and what we can do to keep it healthy. The species of bacteria and fungi that colonize the gut may determine our interactions with the environment, protecting us from or predisposing us to the development of allergy … Read more

The Stranger by Albert Camus. Highlights All day long there was the thought of my appeal. I think I got everything out of it that I could. I would assess my holdings and get the maximum return on my thoughts. I would always begin by assuming the worst: my appeal was denied. “Well, so I’m … Read more