The Undoing Project
First published 2016 · 362 pages · about 6 hours to read
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About this book
Examines the history of behavioral economics, discussing the theory of Israeli psychologists who wrote the original studies undoing assumptions about the decision-making process and the influence it has had on evidence-based regulation.
Will you like it?
Readers interested in how people make decisions under uncertainty will find the book useful, especially those who want the story behind behavioral economics. It is a biography of two psychologists, written in plain language with clear explanations of their experiments and ideas.
- human judgment
- cognitive bias
- friendship and rivalry
- uncertainty and risk
Written with AI.
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Quick answers
- What age is The Undoing Project for?
- Adults.
- Is The Undoing Project a standalone?
- Yes, it stands on its own.
- Is The Undoing Project based on a true story?
- Yes, it's a true story. The book reconstructs the working partnership of Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky at Hebrew University and beyond, from their collaboration beginning in 1969 through Tversky's death in 1996 and Kahneman's 2002 Nobel Prize.
- Does The Undoing Project have violence, sex or strong language?
- Nothing a reader needs warning about.
Written with AI from what's known about the book.
Reader's guide
Themeshuman judgment, cognitive bias, friendship and rivalry, rational choice, uncertainty and risk, scientific collaboration
human judgment · cognitive bias · friendship and rivalry · rational choice · uncertainty and risk · scientific collaboration
StyleNarrative nonfiction in the manner of Lewis's earlier books. The prose is plain and conversational, the chapters move between biography, anecdote and simple explanation of the experiments, and the pace is steady rather than fast. At about 362 pages it is a medium-length book.
Narrative nonfiction in the manner of Lewis's earlier books. The prose is plain and conversational, the chapters move between biography, anecdote and simple explanation of the experiments, and the pace is steady rather than fast. At about 362 pages it is a medium-length book.
How it was writtenMichael Lewis is an American writer known for Moneyball (2003) and The Big Short (2010). The Undoing Project was published in 2016 by W. W. Norton and drew on interviews and the published research of Kahneman and Tversky.
Michael Lewis is an American writer known for Moneyball (2003) and The Big Short (2010). The Undoing Project was published in 2016 by W. W. Norton and drew on interviews and the published research of Kahneman and Tversky.
How it was receivedThe book was widely reviewed and sold well in the United States. Reviewers generally praised how clearly it explains the research to non-specialists. Some critics said it leaned heavily on the personal story and the friendship, and that it gave less attention to the disagreements and criticisms of the work. It is still read as an accessible introduction to behavioral economics.
The book was widely reviewed and sold well in the United States. Reviewers generally praised how clearly it explains the research to non-specialists. Some critics said it leaned heavily on the personal story and the friendship, and that it gave less attention to the disagreements and criticisms of the work. It is still read as an accessible introduction to behavioral economics.
Questions to discussWhy did Kahneman and Tversky's idea that people use mental shortcuts meet so much resistance among economists at the time?
These may talk about the whole book.
- Why did Kahneman and Tversky's idea that people use mental shortcuts meet so much resistance among economists at the time?
- How much of the book's story depends on the personal relationship between the two men, and does that help or distract from the ideas?
- Which of the heuristics or biases described would you most likely recognize in your own decisions, and how?
- Prospect theory says people feel losses more strongly than equal gains. How does that idea change the way you read everyday choices or policy decisions?
- What does the book suggest about whether the research has changed how institutions make decisions in practice?
- Lewis is a storyteller as well as a reporter. Where do you think the narrative shapes the account of the science?
Written with AI from what's known about the book.
More by Michael Lewis
- Going InfiniteGoing Infinite2023
- The PremonitionThe Premonition2021
- The Fifth RiskThe Fifth Risk2018
- Flash BoysFlash Boys2014
- BoomerangBoomerang2011
- The Big ShortThe Big Short2010
Parts of this page are written with AI from what's known about the book, and can get details wrong. How BookSense works