The Psychology of Stupidity - by Jean-Francois Marmion (Paperback)

About the Book

"Some of the world's smartest people explain stupidity, among them Daniel Kahneman, Dan Ariely, Alison Gopnik, Howard Gardner, Antonio Damasio, Aaron James, and Ryan Holiday. "We need books like this one." --Steven Pinker And so I proclaim, o idiots of every stripe and morons of all kinds, this is your moment of glory: this book speaks only to you. But you will not recognize yourselves... Stupidity is all around us, from the coworker who won't stop hitting "reply all" to the former high school classmate posting conspiracy theories on Facebook. But in order to battle idiocy, we must first understand it. In The Psychology of Stupidity, some of the world's leading psychologists and thinkers--including Nobel Prize winners and bestselling authors--will show you... -why smart people sometimes believe in utter nonsense; -how our lazy brains cause us to make the wrong decisions; -why trying to debate fools is a trap; -how media manipulation and Internet overstimulation make us dumber; -why the stupidest people don't think they're stupid. Their wisdom and wit are a balm for our aggrieved souls and a beacon of hope in a world of morons"--

Book Synopsis

"We need books like this one." --Steven Pinker

At last, stupidity explained! And by some of the world's smartest people, among them Daniel Kahneman, Dan Ariely, Alison Gopnik, Howard Gardner, Antonio Damasio, Aaron James, and Ryan Holiday.

And so I proclaim, o idiots of every stripe and morons of all kinds, this is your moment of glory: this book speaks only to you. But you will not recognize yourselves...

Stupidity is all around us, from the coworker who won't stop hitting "reply all" to the former high school classmate posting conspiracy theories on Facebook. But in order to vanquish it, we must first understand it. In The Psychology of Stupidity, some of the world's leading psychologists and thinkers--including a Nobel Prize winner and bestselling authors--will show you...

why smart people sometimes believe in utter nonsense;

how our lazy brains cause us to make the wrong decisions;

why trying to debate fools is a trap;

how media manipulation and Internet overstimulation make us dumber;

why the stupidest people don't think they're stupid.

The wisdom and wit of these experts are a balm for our aggrieved souls and a beacon of hope in a world of morons.

Review Quotes

"Remarkably comprehensive and accessible . . . The book has an easygoing, colloquial feel to it. . . . An illuminating look at a subject that is more complex than it might appear to be." ―Booklist

"Are people getting dumber, or does it just look that way? . . . A smart collection." ―Kirkus Reviews

"A comprehensive and witty inquiry into human folly in its myriad forms . . . [with a] wealth of insights . . . Urgent and transformative, this compendium will leave readers equally amused, appalled, and enlightened." ―Publishers Weekly

"A blunt and sometimes hilarious examination of human error." ―Business Day

"Fascinating . . . From morons to idots to *ssholes―they're all here." ―News24

About the Author

Jean-Francois Marmion (editor) is a psychologist, an associate editor of the French journal Sciences Humaines (Social Sciences), and a former editor-in-chief of the French magazine Le Cercle Psy (Psychological Circle). He lives in France, where The Psychology of Stupidity was a #1 bestseller.