Sway

Most of us believe we make choices by weighing the facts. Sway argues that a surprising amount of what we decide is steered by quiet psychological forces we never notice. Ori Brafman, who writes on organizations, and his brother Rom Brafman, a psychologist, set out to explain why smart people keep doing things that make little sense: holding on to a stock that is sinking, staying in a relationship that is clearly finished, or taking advice simply because the speaker seems important. The brothers draw on social psychology, behavioral economics and research into organizational behavior to name the pulls at work. Loss aversion makes us go to extreme lengths to avoid a perceived loss. The diagnosis bias keeps us attached to our first read of a person or situation, even when the evidence changes. The chameleon effect leads us to take on traits that were assigned to us at random. The book also looks at why danger can heighten romantic attraction. The ideas are carried by stories. A Harvard Business School professor gets his students to pay $204 for a $20 bill. An airline safety chief sets aside his years of training, and the decision ends up reshaping an entire industry. A football coach throws out conventional strategy and wins. Elsewhere the authors look at the curse of the NBA draft, explain why job interviews are a poor predictor of future performance, and describe how the Supreme Court justices guard against the traps of group dynamics. The aim is practical as well as explanatory. By showing the logic behind many irrational habits, the Brafmans give readers a way to spot these forces in their own work and personal lives and to resist them.