Another birthday book! In comparison with Do you think what you think you think?, this book is written by a 'cognitive neuroscientist', so the flaws in human reasoning are backed up by scientific research, rather than philosophic rambling. There's a lovely large pile of refernces in the back.
And what weaknesses the human mind has! The book comprehensively lists experiment after experiment showing what we do wrong. There are bits where it tries to suggest that knowing your weaknesses may help bypass them, but it happily avoids pretending cure-all solutions.
Fortunately, I don't suffer from any of these weaknesses. Especially the weakness mentioned in the book and suffered by many, where they believe that the findings don't apply to them.
Entertainingly written and convincing, depressing news has never been so fun.
Posted 2011-07-09.