Framers

Popular wisdom says people make poor choices and that more data will fix the problem. Kenneth Cukier pushes back on that view, arguing that human judgment is stronger than it is often credited to be, especially when we use mental models and imagine realities that data cannot show us. In his account, the quality of a decision depends less on the instant of choosing than on the range of alternatives available beforehand. Cukier calls the ability to build those alternatives framing. He treats it as a mental capacity that can be trained and used in personal life, at work, and in response to a world shaken by economic upheaval, social tension, and dangers that could threaten humanity's future. The book sets out how to develop it.