Book description
For a long time, economists have assumed that we were cold, self-centred, rational decision makers - so-called Homo economicus; the last few decades have shattered this view. The world we live in and the situations we face are of course rich and complex, revealing puzzling aspects of our behaviour. Optimally…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Optimally Irrational as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
From this book, I learned that cognitive errors and human misbehaviours are not necessarily in contradiction to rationality.
It taught me that the generally negative perspective on psychological mechanisms provided by behavioural economics is limited. By contrast, a deeper understanding of what rationality means is needed. This book enriched my own way of analyzing how psychological factors impact daily decisions.
From Enrico's list on diving into the next generation of behavioral finance.
I have followed the debate over the efficacy of the rational man model that underpins the theories of economics (so-called homo economicus) closely. Is, as many psychologists have claimed, homo economicus dead? Or does homo economicus still have a pulse and need to be revived? I like the way Lionel Page bravely tackles this debate.
Although he is not blind to the shortcomings of the rational man model, he illustrates that there are good reasons for the departures from it that have been identified over the past two to three decades. Far from trying to put another nail in the…
If you love Optimally Irrational...
These Blue Mountains
A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.
German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…
Want books like Optimally Irrational?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Optimally Irrational.
Share your top 3 reads of 2025!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,366
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like Optimally Irrational, you might also like...
The Go-Giver
The Go-Giver tells the story of an ambitious young man named Joe who yearns for success. Joe is a true go-getter, though sometimes he feels as if the harder and faster he works, the further away his goals seem to be.
Desperate to land a key sale at the end…
The Last Whaler
This book is an elegiac meditation on the will to survive. Tor, a beluga whaler, and his wife, Astrid, a botanist specializing in Arctic flora, are stranded during the dark season of 1937-38 at his remote whaling station in the Svalbard archipelago when they misjudge ice conditions and fail to…
