You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself

Written by David McRaney

Narrated by Don Hagen

An entertaining illumination of the stupid beliefs that make us feel wise.

You believe you are a rational, logical being who sees the world as it really is, but journalist David McRaney is here to tell you that you're as deluded as the rest of us. But that's OK- delusions keep us sane. You Are Not So Smart is a celebration of self-delusion. It's like a psychology class, with all the boring parts taken out, and with no homework.

Based on the popular blog of the same name, You Are Not So Smart collects more than 46 of the lies we tell ourselves everyday, including:
* Dunbar's Number - Humans evolved to live in bands of roughly 150 individuals, the brain cannot handle more than that number. If you have more than 150 Facebook friends, they are surely not all real friends.
* Hindsight bias - When we learn something new, we reassure ourselves that we knew it all along.
* Confirmation bias - Our brains resist new ideas, instead paying attention only to findings that reinforce our preconceived notions.
* Brand loyalty - We reach for the same brand not because we trust its quality but because we want to reassure ourselves that we made a smart choice the last time we bought it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ascent Audio
• Release date: Dec 5, 2011
• ISBN: 9781596593121

David McRaney

David McRaney is a journalist, author and podcaster. His blog exploring how we delude ourselves laid the groundwork for his first book, You Are Not So Smart, which became an international bestseller and was translated into fourteen languages. He lives in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. @davidmcraney davidmcraney.com

Reviews for You Are Not So Smart

[Alissa Toh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am now convinced I'm not so smart, thanks for priming me.

[Kelsey Dodds · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great and approachable look into all the different ways our brains trick us. The author uses real life examples of past psychology research to explain why you are not so smart.

[Richard Haralson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So many a ha moments. Helped me deconstruct groups clubs and a final nail in the coffin of religion.

[progmetal420 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of those books that is fun and entertaining the first time through, but upon rereading and really studying the sources as well, a book that makes you look not only at reality in a different way, but also at yourself and the way you look at reality. Recommended for all!

[sharrona_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Informative, entertaining, and downright FUN! Even after hearing about many pitfalls and traps our brains are subject to, there's really no preventing it. We are human, after all!

[anna_in_pdx · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I bought this book (in ebook format) because I am a big fan of McRaney's blog of the same name. It is very entertaining and an easy read. The descriptions of the experiments are well done and he explains the concepts so that a lay person can easily understand it. The second-person narrative is funny and constantly reminds the reader that these cognitive biases affect us all, not just other people. Some of the chapters were less than convincing and I would argue that at times he misdiagnosed what was going on (an example was the chapter on marketing and anti consumerist movements). Also, the overall tone was so "internetty" and blog-like that it did not feel like a book. But it was still very much worth reading and I will certainly want to dip into it again and again.

[jefware · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Forty-four illusions we have about ourselves and others. Presents the studies that make social psychologist believe this. Not a good book for building up self esteem, but an excellent step in understanding yourself.

[chuewyc_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

depressing and interesting at the same time. Really goes in to depths all the mistakes we make and it caught me several times thinking that i am smarter than i am. The book gets a little tiresome as you read on but overall worth the read

[aliceinpains · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting read. It will make you think about thinking and learn about imperfections of that process, and you'll probably keep bringing it up during discussions with your friends for some time, to show them they're not as smart as they thought.Though I've already been aware of most of the things presented here (before you tell me it's just a hindsight bias, I'm an anthropologist interested in cognition and stuff, and happen to know how irrational human beings are), I still found it useful & appealing and can't say I was bored reading it through.But I did have a (not so tiny) problem with this book. See, it's not really a book. "You are not so smart" is a collection of blog posts and should be read as such, or else you might find it underwhelming, like I did when tried to read more than 5-6 chapters in a row (unless that's how you usually read blogs). Also, some chapters are much weaker than others, there seems to be a lot of repetition, examples are not always the best and sometimes I felt there were either too many or too few of them. Most of these weaknesses could have been eliminated if there had been less copy-pasting from the blog (I'm just guessing) and more editing/rewriting & reorganizing in terms of content presentation. There are also non-structural objections I could add (for example I'd suggest leaving out those chapters concerning logical fallacies, cause I feel they don't belong here), but I wouldn't go that far this time. Cause I'm not so smart. And I have no time.

[apfergus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

McRaney's delivery humbles without humiliating the reader. You Are Not So Smart, the book and the blog, have earned a place on my recommended reading list for skeptics. While there is an extensive bibliography in the back of the book, it lacks inline citations--my only real complaint.

[Monica Magallanes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting and informative book. But what should I know, I’m not so smart. Haha

[jeffjardine · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is just fantastic, as is McRaney's blog. It is a catalogue of reminders (some gentle, some not so much) that these human brains we lug around were developed for use in small groups on the wild African veldt millennia ago, and that adapting them for navigating modern life comes with many pitfalls. After spending some time thinking about the many cognitive and logical fallacies we all suffer from, it's hard not to be a little more compassionate and understanding of one's fellow humans.It is a quick and enjoyable read. I'd say it is an ideal toilet book - the chapters are just the right length, and a daily reminder that 'You are Not so Smart' is just what the world needs.

[hayduke_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In reality, I would give this book three-and-a-half stars. It started off as a blog called "You Are Not So Smart," and Mr. McRaney was convinced to turn his psychology posts into a book. This book then reads as a collection of short essays, each one dealing with a different mind process. The book is filled with interesting information, based on years of research. In fact the book made me want to seek out the original works that the author continually refers to. The snippets contained within are funny, interesting and might even have you rethink the way you think.

[dickmanikowski · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The author presents highly readable brief chapters on nearly four dozen ways in which our memory, logic, and judgment aren't quite what we think we are. He illustrates each of them with summaries of psychological experiments.If you're looking for a book to savor in brief pretty much self-contained chunks, this is for you.

[satyridae · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a really interesting and fun book. Basically, everything you know about yourself and how your mind works is wrong. McRaney breaks down all sorts of assumptions and shortcuts. It's accessible, it's amusing, it's sobering and hard to hold on to. Highly recommended.

[shanaqui_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't normally consider myself a reader of non-fiction. Okay, yeah, lit crit, and funny things like Damn You Autocorrect! I've even read some Dawkins and such. But I didn't expect this to be something I didn't want to put down. But it is: it made me think a lot about the way I behave, and showed me some of the hypocritical things we all do -- it made me laugh at myself, actually.

It's very easy to understand, but references real psychological experiments and has a reasonably extensive bibliography. It's fairly informal, and has short chapters, so it's very easy to digest. If you're looking to get stuck deep into considering some small aspect of human behaviour, don't pick this: it covers a lot of ground without elaborating beyond the core ideas.

It's the sort of book which will probably have you telling your friends anecdotes from it. I know I've been talking about it a lot, anyway.

[clmerle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book. It's true we are not so smart. I am not so smart. If you are a consumer, a voter, this may help you cut through the nonsense and deceptions bombarding you every day. I'd recommend checking the blog the book is based on, read a few and if you like the essays, pick up a copy of the book like I did. It is an eye opening book and as the author said, even though we are not so smart, it's OK because we are human.

[hollyboggie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating. Great insights into our self-delusions, with scientific studies to back up the position. Very engaging. It's sobering to realize how deluded we humans can be, but good information to use for self-awareness and self-improvement. I listened to it on audible, but I imagine it would also be a real "page-turner" if read in hard copy.

[teknokat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book told me what I already knew: I am a freak of pragmatism who does not function like a 'normal' person. If you are wondering whether you are a 'normal' person, here are some delusional traits that you should exhibit:

1) Belief that you are a rational, logical being. (I do try to impose as much rational thought as possible with the hope of occasionally wrestling my silly brain into submission...but like a celebrity marriage, it never lasts.)

2) Belief that you are not being manipulated. (People who know how the brain works have been using that knowledge against us for ages...it's called advertising.)

3) Belief that you know when you are lying to yourself. (I like to think of my brain as a committee of party animals who are always looking for an excuse to adjourn the meeting and pop down to the pub.)

4) Belief that you collect information in an unbiased manner. (The more serious we are about collecting data, the more likely that we have an agenda...and that always interferes with properly hearing what the 'other side' thinks, and why.)

5) Belief that after you learn something new, you will remember that you were wrong...

I could go on, but I'm hoping you will see a trend here. IMO, the 'normal' person is totally obsessed with believing stuff. So here is my advice if you are a 'normal' person who would like to join the ranks of the happy-go-lucky, freakish pragmatists: first read this book to learn what sneaky tricks your brain is playing on you. Then stop telling yourself that you have to be 'right'. Instead, consider yourself to be on a never-ending adventure to seek out strange new thoughts, ideas and perceptions. And don't forget to have fun.