The Upside of Irrationality

In his new book, The Upside of Irrationality, Dan Ariely explores less-than-rational ways in which we actually make decisions. The behavioral economist emphasizes that when it comes to choosing, "irrational" doesn't have to be a dirty word. If we can understand why we make poor decisions, the DLD friend argues, we can better plan our own happiness, and in the long term, "design the world around us in a way that takes advantage of our incredible abilities while overcoming some of our limitations." The result is a lively tour of the human psyche.

Read the book review by Jamie Holmes on the Daily Beast and watch Daniel on stage at DLD 2009. In his keynote "Predictably Irrational", the Duke Professor explains how people act in the marketplace and how they decide under different emotional states.