Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior | 
 enlarge | Author: Ori Brafman
Creators: Rom Brafman, John Apicella
Publisher: HighBridge Company
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $16.14
You Save: $10.81 (40%)
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Rating:  34 reviews
Sales Rank: 117965
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Unabridged
Number Of Items: 4
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.9 x 5.1 x 0.6
ISBN: 1598876295
Dewey Decimal Number: 155.92
EAN: 9781598876291
ASIN: 1598876295
Publication Date: June 17, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
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Product Description
Like the bestsellers Blink and Freakonomics, this lively narrative is a fresh view of the world, explaining the previously inexplicable and revealing hidden influences on human decision-making.
A Harvard Business School student pays over $200 for a $20 bill. Washington, DC, commuters ignore a free subway concert by a violin prodigy. A veteran airline pilot attempts to take off without control tower clearance and collides with another plane on the runway. Why do we do the wildly irrational things we sometimes do?
Drawing on cutting-edge research from the fields of social psychology, behavioral economics, and organizational behavior, brothers Ori and Rom Brafman reveal the dynamic forces that act on us repeatedly over time, affecting nearly every aspect of our personal and business lives. They show how we are sabotaged by loss aversion (going to great lengths to avoid perceived losses), the diagnosis bias (ignoring evidence that contradicts our initial take on a person or situation), and commitment (even when a plan isn't working, we are reluctant to change course). Weaving together colorful stories— about dot-com millionaires, game show audiences, NBA coaches, and the US Supreme Court—Sway tours the flip side of reason and points us toward a more rational life.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 29 more reviews...
 Sway Is Okay August 27, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
SWAY has been described as a fun, quick read; a book based on the authors' argument that irrational behavior is fueled by loss aversion, diagnosis bias, and the "chameleon effect." Although somewhat entertaining, I wondered about other factors that also influence irrational behavior.
As an example, when the so-called "most experienced and accomplished pilot in the world" irrationally lifts off without takeoff clearance, Neil Weinstein's research regarding "optimistic bias" came to mind (the tendency to view oneself as less likely that others to experience negative life events).
Examples of optimistic bias include professional financial analysts consistently overestimating corporate earnings; smokers believing they are at less risk of developing smoking-related diseases than others who smoke, and let's not forget the research about college students rating themselves as much less likely than their peers to experience negative life events such as developing a drinking problem, having a heart attack, being fired from a job, or divorcing a few years after getting married. Based on the age-old concept of optimistic bias, I'm wondering if the celebrated pilot wasn't also in "full-on optimistic bias mode" ("'I' can make this happen!!"), when he made the decision to go forward?
In terms of "first-date interviewing," readers may rather prefer Marcus Buckingham's approach to interviewing explained in his book entitled "The One Thing You Need to Know." Buckingham shares practical and user-friendly strategies for fleshing out the so-called strengths and weaknesses offered up by potential employees.
The scant material in Sway might have been better condensed into a juicy article, but as a book, I wanted it to be better organized and better validated. People still talk about The Tipping Point and Blink by Gladwell, but will Sway stay the test of time? May I say: no sway?
 Fooled by Stubbornness August 13, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
If you like to say "Wow", "Cool", "Check that out", "Way cool", "Silly humans" when you read, then get Sway.
The story the Brafman Brothers tell shall bring these words from you.
Well-written, the Brafmans thoughts flow from one chapter into the next. The page count and tight writing reveals high intellects in Ori and Rom.
You can read through this book in one sitting.
Engaging Look At What SWAYS Our Thinking August 10, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I truly enjoyed Ori Brafman's last book The Starfish and the Spider so I was excited to read his latest work. This book didn't disappoint.
Given what I do for a living I am always fascinated with what makes people tick. SWAY is an engaging book that helps the reader understand the incredibly powerful undercurrent that influences our thinking and ultimately how we may make (good and bad) decisions.
The book is packed full of excellent stories which compliment and enhance the fundamental ideas presented in each chapter. I found the entire book to be thought provoking and extremely interesting.
A great read that I would recommend to everyone.
To err is Human....To change the error of your ways Divine. August 10, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I consider myself a super savvy chick. Someone who is shrewd and together.
But sometimes my own conduct makes me go, 'what the heck was I thinking ?'
I belong to Mashable.com's book club and received Sway last month.
Its a quick amusing and eye opening read. And it had such an impact that I reference it quite a lot lately.
It made me see in several key places where my decision making was faulty and leading me down paths to folly and failure.
Few books can change your worldview. This certainly has.
Irrational behavior August 9, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Illogical behavior is the norm, we all do it and we are all susceptible to it. In 'Sway' Ori Brafman walks through a collection of studies which single out and attempt to explain the reasoning behind our irrational behaviors: social pressure (value of dissent), chameleon effect (golden halo), swamp of commitment, first-impression bias, and a few others. Not surprisingly, many other authors have already extensively explored most of these behaviors - there is little new research in the book. 'Sway' can serve as a great intro to the subject, but if you've already invested time into similar books, you can probably safely forgo this one.
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