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Title details for The Invisible Gorilla by Christopher Chabris - Available

The Invisible Gorilla

And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us

by Christopher Chabris
Daniel Simons
Audiobook
3 of 3 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
3 of 3 copies available
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Our minds don’t work the way we think they do. Two renowned psychologists explain how and why our intuitions lead us astray, “[spinning] the plain world [we] know into a wonderment of surprising new insights” (Time).
 
“A must-read for anyone who wants to better understand how the mind works.”—Associated Press 
 
In The Invisible Gorilla, Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, creators of one of psychology’s most famous experiments, use remarkable stories and counterintuitive scientific findings to demonstrate an important truth: We think we see ourselves and the world as they really are, but we’re actually missing a whole lot.
 
Chabris and Simons combine the work of other researchers with their own findings on attention, perception, memory, and reasoning to reveal how faulty intuitions can lead us to make shocking, costly—even life-threatening—mistakes. In the process, they explain:
 
• Why a company would spend billions to launch a product that its own analysts know will fail
• Why award-winning movies are full of editing mistakes
• What criminals have in common with chess masters
• Why measles and other childhood diseases are making a comeback
• Why money managers could learn a lot from weather forecasters
The Invisible Gorilla reveals the myriad ways that our intuitions can deceive us, but it’s much more than a catalog of human failings. Chabris and Simons explain why we succumb to these everyday illusions and what we can do to inoculate ourselves against their effects. Ultimately, the book provides a kind of x-ray vision into our own minds, making it possible to pierce the veil of illusions that clouds our thoughts and to think clearly for perhaps the first time.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 18, 2010

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780307735782
      • File size: 269175 KB
      • Duration: 09:20:46

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Dan Woren conveys a bright-eyed fascination with this collection of surprising research on the ways we mentally process the world around us. Though his diction is precise and his phrasing is carefully matched to the nuances of the text, his narration is natural and appealing. The authors summarize research showing how most people are ridiculously overconfident about what they think they see, remember, and know and how they are frequently wrong when making evaluations, attributing causality, and estimating their own potentials. Familiar language and spare writing make the often-lengthy research and anecdotal reports accessible. Helped immensely by near-perfect production, this is a stimulating educational experience for anyone. T.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 5, 2010
      Professors of Psychology Chabris and Simons write about six everyday illusions of perception and thought, including the beliefs that: we pay attention more than we do, our memories are more detailed than they are, confident people are competent people, we know more than we actually do, and our brains have reserves of power that are easy to unlock. Through a host of studies, anecdotes, and logic, the authors debunk conventional wisdom about the workings of the mind and what "experts" really know (or don't). Presented almost as a response to Malcolm Gladwell's blink, the books pay special attention to "the illusion of knowledge" and the danger of basing decision-making, in areas such as investing, on short-term information; in the authors' view, careful analysis of assumed truths is preferred over quick, intuitive thinking. Chabris and Simons are not against intuition, "...but we don't think it should be exalted above analysis without good evidence that it is truly superior."

    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 26, 2010
      Chabris and Simons provide an eye-opening exploration of the miscalculations and false logic that surround our senses. From cellphone use to courtroom identification, the authors illustrate a variety of ways our sight and memory are unpredictable. Their insightful research will inevitably make listeners reconsider their own sensory awareness and challenge assumptions about everyday actions. Dan Woren has a deep and gentle voice that guides listeners through anecdotes and intellectual discussions; he is playful with stories and patient with the research and detailed analyses. However, some sections of the book, particularly the details of studies, might be better read than heard. A Crown hardcover (Reviews, July 5).

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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