Think Like a Freak

In their bestselling book Think Like a Freak, the authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner explain their title like this:

"The modern world demands that we all think a bit more productively, more creatively, more rationally; that we think from a different angle, with a different set of muscles, with a different set of expectations; that we think with neither fear nor favor, with neither blind optimism nor sour skepticism. That we think like -- ahem -- a Freak." (p. 7)

Makes sense, but didn't we already know that? Why is it necessary to write a book about that? Well, because...

"A growing body of research suggests that even the smartest people tend to seek out evidence that confirms what they already think, rather than new information that would give them a more robust view of reality." (p. 10)

So if you're a really smart person, you need this book. And if you're not so smart, well, then you really need to read it. Here are some of the things you'll learn:

... what the three hardest words in the English language are (hint: it's not "I love you").
... why Protestants in Germany earn more than their Catholic counterparts.
... why it's a good idea to start thinking like a child.
... what King Solomon and David Lee Roth have in common (besides being Jewish).
... what you can learn from a hot-dog-eating champion or an ulcer detective.
... how to convince people who don't want to be convinced.

A couple of key quotes:
"When people don't pay the true cost of something, they tend to consume it inefficiently." (p. 15)

"The key to learning is feedback. It is nearly impossible to learn anything without it." (p. 34)

"Thinking like a Freak means you should work terribly hard to identify and attack the root cause of problems." p. 65)

As George Bernard Shaw used to say: "Few people think more than two or three times a year. I have made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a week." (p. 10) Trust me though, you don't need to think too much about the decision to get this book. As always, if you'd like to support this blog, you can buy it here or in my bookstore. I appreciate it!

The Power of Habit

Every single day of your life you do things without really thinking about them. The way you get dressed, what you have for breakfast and the route you take to work: for most people, there is no need to think before engaging in these activities - they've become habits. How powerful these and other habits actually are and how we can create new and change old habits is the subject of Charles Duhigg's book The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do and how to change.

If you read the book, you will learn...

... how habits work and how they can help combat Alzheimer's.
... how to create new habits, like starting to exercise on a regular basis.
... why some people are able to stop overeating and others aren't.
... which habits matter most and how Starbucks uses good habits.
... how movements like the Saddleback Church and the Montgomery Bus Boycott happen.

And lastly, Duhigg will discuss the question of whether we are responsible for our habits or not. This was one of my favorite chapters in the book, which I highly recommend reading.

Here are a few quotes from the book...

The power of habits:
"Habits are powerful, but delicate. They can emerge outside our consciousness, or can be deliberately designed. They often occur without our permission, but can be reshaped by fiddling with their parts. They shape our lives far more than we realize - they are so strong, in fact, that they cause our brains to cling to them at the exclusion of all else, including common sense." (p. 25)

The power of believing:
"Belief was the ingredient that made a reworked habit loop into a permanent behavior." (p. 85)

"But we do know that for habits to permanently change, people must believe that change is feasible. [...] Belief is easier when it occurs within a community." (p. 89)

No one-size-fits-all solution:
"Individuals and habits are all different, and so the specifics of diagnosing and changing the patterns in our lives differ from person to person and behavior to behavior." (p. 275)

Change is possible:
"Change might not be fast and it isn't always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped." (p. 276)

So now that you want to get the book (I know you do ;-)), let me help you out: if you get it here, you will also be supporting this blog. Thanks!

For Soccer Fans Only

As a long-time soccer fan, I especially enjoyed reading Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski's book Soccernomics, an economic analysis of the world's most popular game. They really go into detail and  analyze everything from coaches to players to World Cups to most anything else that has to do with soccer. If you're a true soccer fan, you need to get this book.

You will learn a few secrets of the transfer market:

• A new manager wastes money on transfers; don't let him.
• Stars of recent World Cups or European championships are overvalued; ignore them.
• Certain nationalities are overvalued.
• Sell any player when another club offers more than he is worth.
• Replace your best players even before you sell them.
• Gentlemen prefer blonds (this is a good one ;-))
• including six more secrets that you'll find in the book...

You will also find out...

Cool It! - A Guide To Global Warming

I've just recently read a book that has been a bit of an eye-opener to me: Cool It by Bjorn Lomborg. If you're interested in or worried about global warming, this is a must-read. If you're skeptical about global warming, you need to read it. It is the most balanced account of what is actually happening and what we can/should do about the earth's problems that I have read so far.

Topics include the well-publicized decline of the polar bear population (true?) and the question of how global the warming process really is. Lomborg goes straight to the facts and shows the truth about melting glaciers, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, flooding, water shortages and more. Do we need to fear a new ice age in Europe? He answers this and other questions as well.

Here are a few quotes from the book, so you can get a feel for the content...

When You Were Born Matters....

Why are some people more successful than others? What's the recipe for becoming what some people may call a genius? Are they born or made? If you're willing to believe Malcolm Gladwell, it's a little bit of both -- but not in the way you're probably imagining it. In his bestselling book Outliers. The Story of Success, he makes it clear that success isn't handed to you at birth -- but it can have something to do with the day you were born...

If you look in the dictionary, you'll find the following definition for the term Gladwell chose as his title:

outlier  |ˈaʊtlʌɪə|
noun
1. a person or thing situated away or detached from the main body or system
2. a statistical observation that is markedly different in value from the others of the sample

Early on in the book, the English-Canadian journalist makes it clear that successful people don't come out of nowhere:

People don't rise from nothing. We do owe something to parentage and patronage. The people who stand before kings may look like they did it all by themselves. But in fact they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot. It makes a difference where and when we grew up. The culture we belong to and the legacies passed down by our forebears shape the patterns of our achievement in ways we cannot begin to imagine. It's not enough to ask what successful people are like, in other words. It is only by asking where they are from that we can unravel the logic behind who succeeds and who doesn't. (p. 19)

In his first chapter, entitled "The Matthew Effect", Gladwell tries to make his point by using the example of Canadian ice hockey.

Just Say "I Don't"

You've heard it before.

"If you just believe in it and tell yourself that it will happen, it will eventually happen."

And if you're faced with temptations, it's easiest to resist if you immediately tell yourself that you can't and shouldn't do that. Right? When it comes to self-help through self-talk, things might actually be a bit more complicated than that.

Contrary to self-help lore, there's little evidence that positive self-talk works like magic. Telling yourself you're beautiful, a confident public speaker or a future billionaire won't make you any of those things; if anything, it's liable to have the reverse effect. The true impact of self-talk is more subtle.

This is from a column by Oliver Burkeman of The Guardian, who believes his short article will change your life ;-) For example, according to him it's better to phrase something as a question if you need to motivate yourself for a challenging task. "I will talk to my boss about that promotion" might sound better in your head, but "Will I talk to my boss about that promotion?" will lead to more intrinsic motivation to actually go and have that tough conversation, because it reminds you of all the reasons you have to ask for said promotion.

Stop Wearing Those "Ray-Bans"

Why do we dress the way we do?

If you're willing to believe Dan Ariely, it has a lot to do with how we want other people to perceive us. In his recent book The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty, he writes the following: "Although our current sartorial class system is not as rigid as it was in the past, the desire to signal success and individuality is as strong today as ever." (p. 121) Interestingly enough, we don't just try to signal those things to other people -- we tend to self-signal as well. Ariely gives the example of helping a beggar on the streets. Instead of just walking by or giving him some change, you decide to buy him a sandwich. You now interpret this good deed as proof for your amazing character and believe more intensely in your own benevolence, even though this sole act does not define who you are.

So what happens when we deliberately choose to wear fake products, like the "Rolex" watch you bought for 10 Euros at that Italian beach last summer? We're obviously signaling success and wealth to ourselves and those around us, but does it make us more dishonest people if what we wear is a fake rather than the real deal? Ariely and his friends wanted to find out and decided to conduct an experiment using Chloé designer sunglasses (you can read all about it in the book). The results of the experiment...