BOOK: Thinking, Fast and Slow. Daniel Kahneman. (2011)

Thinking, Fast and Slow.

KAHNEMAN, Daniel.

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (2011)

*Thinking, Fast and Slow* is a best-selling book published during 2011 by Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences laureate Daniel Kahneman. It was the 2012 winner of the National Academies Communication Award for best creative work that helps the public understanding of topics of behavioral science, engineering and medicine.

The book summarizes research that Kahneman performed during decades, often in collaboration with Amos Tversky. It covers all three phases of his career: his early work concerning cognitive biases, his work on prospect theory, and his later work on happiness.

The main thesis is that of a dichotomy between two modes of thought: “System 1” is fast, instinctive and emotional; “System 2” is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. The book delineates rational and non-rational motivations/triggers associated with each type of thinking process, and how they complement each other, starting with Kahneman’s own research on loss aversion. From framing choices to people’s tendency to replace a difficult question with one which is easy to answer, the book summarizes several decades of research to suggest that people have too much confidence in human judgement.

The book also shares many insights from Kahneman’s work with the Israel Defense Forces and with the various departments and collaborators that have contributed to his education as a researcher.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow