Citing decades of cutting-edge behavioral science research, the authors demonstrate that sensible choice architecture can successfully nudge people towards the best decisions without restricting their freedom.

About the Author

Richard H. Thaler is the Ralph and Dorothy Keller Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Economics and the director of the Center for Decision Research at the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business. Cass R. Sunstein is Karl N. Llewellyn Distinguished Service Professor of Jurisprudence, University of Chicago Law School and Department of Political Science.

Reviews

In the first of these two books exploring human behavior and the choices we make, organizational expert Ori Brafman (coauthor, The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations) and his psychologist brother, Rom, an organizational expert, discuss the various psychological forces (e.g., diagnosis bias and loss aversion) that cause people to act irrationally. To help illuminate their discussion, they draw on the latest research in social psychology, behavioral economics, and organizational behavior. In Nudge, Thaler (behavioral science & economics, Graduate Sch. of Business, Univ. of Chicago) and Sunstein (jurisprudence, Univ. of Chicago Law Sch.) consider how the science of choice can gently "nudge" individuals toward making life-improving decisions. They divide the text into five parts--"Humans and Econs," "Money," "Health," "Freedom," and "Extensions and Objections"--and employ numerous examples throughout. Easy to read, conversational in tone, and story-driven, Sway is suitable for public libraries. Nudge, a more research-based analysis full of practical solutions to real-life problems, is strongly recommended for public libraries.--Anita N. Jennings, Newport News P.L., VA Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

"Fundamentally changes the way I think about the world. . . . Academics aren't supposed to be able to write this well."
-Steven Levitt, co-author of "Freakonomics"
"[An] utterly brilliant book. . . . "Nudge" won't nudge you-it will knock you off your feet."
-Daniel Gilbert, author of "Stumbling on Happiness"
""Nudge" is as important a book as any I've read in perhaps twenty years. It is a book that people interested in any aspect of public policy should read. It is a book that people interested in politics should read. It is a book that people interested in ideas about human freedom should read. It is a book that people interested in promoting human welfare should read. If you're not interested in any of these topics, you can read something else."
-Barry Schwartz, "The American Prospect"
"This book is terrific. It will change the way you think, not only about the world around you and some of its bigger problems, but also about yourself."
-Michaels