Commenter Contest and More Misc. Stuff
I ended up with an extra, brand-new copy of this book, Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely.
This is how Publisher’s Weekly describes the book:
Irrational behavior is a part of human nature, but as MIT professor Ariely has discovered in 20 years of researching behavioral economics, people tend to behave irrationally in a predictable fashion. Drawing on psychology and economics, behavioral economics can show us why cautious people make poor decisions about sex when aroused, why patients get greater relief from a more expensive drug over its cheaper counterpart and why honest people may steal office supplies or communal food, but not money. According to Ariely, our understanding of economics, now based on the assumption of a rational subject, should, in fact, be based on our systematic, unsurprising irrationality. Ariely argues that greater understanding of previously ignored or misunderstood forces (emotions, relativity and social norms) that influence our economic behavior brings a variety of opportunities for reexamining individual motivation and consumer choice, as well as economic and educational policy. Ariely’s intelligent, exuberant style and thought-provoking arguments make for a fascinating, eye-opening read.
Sounds cool, doesn’t it? Haven’t read it yet, but I look forward to it.
Since I have this extra copy, I figure I’d have fun with it and do a giveaway. So what I’ll do is have a commenter contest. Starting from today, every comment made for the next two weeks will be an entry into the book giveaway contest. Anywhere in the world is fair game, I will pay to ship the book to you regardless of where you live should you win the contest. The catch? I’m not going to reveal the judging criteria. It could be sheer quantity, it could be intellectual insight, it could be humor, it could be a random drawing, or it could be a combination of one or more of the above. Or maybe I haven’t come up with the criteria yet. I’m not telling. Just comment away and see what happens.
Also, there’s no time limit for the posts you comment on. You can comment as far back as my very first blog post if you want. Hell, you can even comment on the “About” page. If commenter frequency increases during these two weeks I’ll make the giveraway a regular event.
Also, I’m travelling to Sweden and Amsterdam in August. If anyone lives in those places, has lived in those places or has even just travelled there, please share your insights, advice and travel tips with me in the comments section below or via email at t (at) therawness (dot) com.
Bonus Videos from the book author:
Here he talks about online dating and how the less specific you are about yourself, the more likely people are going to be to fill in the gaps with positive, appealing information. Tell me if his logic sounds familiar.
Here he discusses who the best presidential candidate is. Note that he commends Obama for using a lottery system for a one-on-one dinner to raise funds rather than a traditional, large fundraising dinner where everyone who pays gets to attend. Using the lottery system led to a much more passionate response and increased fundraising. And what is a lottery an example of? Click here for a hint.

