• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Farnam Street Logo

Farnam Street

Mastering the best of what other people have already figured out

  • Articles
  • Newsletter
  • Podcast
  • Books
  • Courses
  • Log In
  • Become a Member
TweetEmailLinkedInPrint
Decision Making|Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Best Books on The Psychology Behind Human Decision Making and Irrationality

**reader suggestions are at the bottom***

This is a great way to build your antilibrary.

Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
Mentioned by many others. Outstanding experimentally-driven analysis of human irrationality.

Nudge by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein
Great book that explains the disproportionate impact that initial conditions (priming, anchoring, etc.) have on our decision making.

Stumbling Toward Happiness, by Dan Gilbert
Very engaging book, focusing mostly on how we go awry when we try to make decisions based upon our recollection of past events or beliefs about how we will feel in the future. (I also really enjoyed Haidt’s Happiness Hypothesis, though it’s less focused on decision making than this book is.)

Sway: The Irresistable Pull of Irrational Behavior by Ori and Rom Brafman
Essentially, a quicker and more anecdotal version of Predictably Irrational.

Robert Axelrod’s, The Evolution of Cooperation (game theory & cooperative behavior)

Buyology by Martin Lindstrom

The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Fooled by Randomness by Nassim NicholasTaleb

Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz

The Psychology of Human Misjudgment by Charlie Munger

The Psychology of Judgment and Decision Making by Scott Plous

Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande

Seeking Wisdom by Peter Bevelin

Turning Numbers into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving

How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of “Intangibles” in Business

A Whole New Mind by Dan Pink

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert Cialdini

Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman

Your Are Not So Smart, David McRaney

On Being Certain by Robert Burton
A fascinating account of the neuroscience behind the feeling of “rightness” we get when we make decisions.

That’s an interesting list. I’d add:

Thinking and Deciding by Jonathan Baron, a recommendation from Nassim Taleb.

Judgment in Decision Making

Smart Choices: A Practical Guide to Making Better Decisions

Choices Values & Frames

Problem Solving, Decision Making, and Professional Judgment: A Guide for Lawyers and Policymakers

***Reader suggestions (Thanks!).***

Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts
Why do people dodge responsibility when things fall apart? Why the parade of public figures unable to own up when they screw up? Why the endless marital quarrels over who is right? Why can we see hypocrisy in others but not in ourselves? Are we all liars? Or do we really believe the stories we tell?

How We Know What Isn’t So: The Fallibility of Human Reason in Everyday Life
When can we trust what we believe – that “teams and players have winning streaks”, that “flattery works”, or that “the more people who agree, the more likely they are to be right” – and when are such beliefs suspect? Thomas Gilovich offers a guide to the fallacy of the obvious in everyday life.

Decision Traps: The Ten Barriers to Decision-Making and How to Overcome Them
Two experts in business management show how to avoid the ten common pitfalls that ensanre decision makers. The very latest research in the fields of business and psychology has been distilled into practical training methods that will save readers from ever making a bad decision again.

The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us
Reading this book will make you less sure of yourself—and that’s a good thing.

The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives
With the born storyteller’s command of narrative and imaginative approach, Leonard Mlodinow vividly demonstrates how our lives are profoundly informed by chance and randomness and how everything from wine ratings and corporate success to school grades and political polls are less reliable than we believe.

The Folly of Fools: The Logic of Deceit and Self-Deception in Human Life
In his bold new work, prominent biological theorist Robert Trivers unflinchingly argues that self-deception evolved in the service of deceit—the better to fool others. We do it for biological reasons—in order to help us survive and procreate. From viruses mimicking host behavior to humans misremembering (sometimes intentionally) the details of a quarrel, science has proven that the deceptive one can always outwit the masses. But we undertake this deception at our own peril.

Poor Charlie’s Almanac

The Psychology of Intelligence Analysis

The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement
Brooks turns to the building blocks of human flourishing in a multilayered, profoundly illuminating work grounded in everyday life.

Source: Quora

Read Next

Next Post:The Difference Between a Puzzle and a Mystery?An eloquent explanation on the difference between mysteries and puzzles by Gregory Treverton: There’s a reason millions of people try …

Discover What You’re Missing

Get the weekly email full of actionable ideas and insights you can use at work and home.


As seen on:

Forbes logo
New York Times logo
Wall Street Journal logo
The Economist logo
Financial Times logo
Farnam Street Logo

© 2023 Farnam Street Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Proudly powered by WordPress. Hosted by Pressable. See our Privacy Policy.

  • Speaking
  • Sponsorship
  • About
  • Support
  • Education

We’re Syrus Partners.
We buy amazing businesses.


Farnam Street participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising commissions by linking to Amazon.