The co-op bookstore for avid readers
Book Cover for: The Intelligence Trap: Why Smart People Make Dumb Mistakes, David Robson

The Intelligence Trap: Why Smart People Make Dumb Mistakes

David Robson

Critic Reviews

Good

Based on 8 reviews on

BookMarks logo

The Intelligence Trap explores cutting-edge ideas in our understanding of intelligence and expertise, including "motivated reasoning," "meta-forgetfulness," and "functional stupidity." David Robson reveals the surprising ways that even the brightest minds and most talented organizations can go wrong?from some of Thomas Edison's worst ideas to failures at NASA--while offering practical advice to avoid mistakes based on the timeless lessons of Benjamin Franklin, Richard Feynman, and Daniel Kahneman.

Book Details

  • Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
  • Publish Date: Feb 16th, 2021
  • Pages: 336
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.40in - 5.50in - 0.90in - 0.60lb
  • EAN: 9780393541465
  • Categories: Cognitive Psychology & CognitionNeuropsychologyCognitive Science

More books to explore

Book Cover for: Being You: A New Science of Consciousness, Anil Seth
Book Cover for: A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain, Sara Manning Peskin
Book Cover for: The Idea of the Brain: The Past and Future of Neuroscience, Matthew Cobb
Book Cover for: Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It, Ethan Kross
Book Cover for: Two Heads: A Graphic Exploration of How Our Brains Work with Other Brains, Uta Frith
Book Cover for: Brainscapes: The Warped, Wondrous Maps Written in Your Brain--And How They Guide You, Rebecca Schwarzlose
Book Cover for: Consciousness Instinct, Michael S. Gazzaniga
Book Cover for: Everything in Its Place: First Loves and Last Tales, Oliver Sacks
Book Cover for: Feeling & Knowing: Making Minds Conscious, Antonio Damasio
Book Cover for: Nineteen Ways of Looking at Consciousness, Patrick House
Book Cover for: Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, Joshua Foer
Book Cover for: Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our Thinking, Leonard Mlodinow
Book Cover for: Hurts So Good: The Science and Culture of Pain on Purpose, Leigh Cowart
Book Cover for: Out of My Skull: The Psychology of Boredom, James Danckert
Book Cover for: Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World, Maryanne Wolf

About the Author

Robson, David: - David Robson has worked as an editor at New Scientist and BBC Future, and his writing has appeared in the Atlantic, the Observer, and the Washington Post. He lives in London.

More books by David Robson

Book Cover for: The Laws of Connection: The Scientific Secrets of Building a Strong Social Network, David Robson
Book Cover for: The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World, David Robson
Book Cover for: Supera Tus Expectativas, David Robson
Book Cover for: Heart of Steel: The Dan Lurie Story, Dan Lurie
Book Cover for: The Devil, David Robson
Book Cover for: Racism, David Robson
Book Cover for: Playing The Assassin, David Robson
Book Cover for: Man Measures Man, David Robson
Book Cover for: A Few Small Repairs, David Robson
Book Cover for: The Horrors of Auschwitz, Jennifer Lombardo
Book Cover for: The Kennedy Assassination, David Robson
Book Cover for: Encounters with Vampires, David Robson
Book Cover for: Cyclops, David Robson
Book Cover for: The Mummy, David Robson
Book Cover for: Weapons and Defense Research, David Robson
Book Cover for: Cliff Fields: The Hardest Man in Britain, David Robson

Critics’ reviews

Praise for this book

A fascinating and enjoyable investigation of what intelligence is and isn't, by one of the most exciting new voices in science writing. This thought-provoking and brilliantly researched guide to achieving true wisdom shows us how to be smarter--and how to protect ourselves from the cleverest fools.--Gaia Vance, author of Adventures in the Anthropocene
Essential reading for anyone who wants to think more clearly.--Rolf Dobelli, author of The Art of Thinking Clearly
Clearly, we need to find new and better ways to teach critical thinking and measure good judgement. Reading David Robson's book would be a good place to start.--Emily Bobrow "Wall Street Journal"
Impressively accessible, with engaging storytelling, depth of discussion, and counterintuitive conclusions.--Aron K. Barbey "Science"
I loved The Intelligence Trap. As fun to read as it is fascinating, it celebrates the power of humility and curiosity. Everyone, especially intelligent people, should read this brilliant and important book.--Anna Rosling Rönnlund, coauthor of Factfulness
The Intelligence Trap is a ceaselessly fascinating book written by one of our most consistently superb science writers. Its counter-intuitive argument, that intelligence is no inoculation against wrongness, explains so much about the fractious and baffling times in which we live.--Will Storr, author of Selfie