Archimedes’ Lever A collection of Ideas that could move the world

Review: The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us

The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us by Christopher Chabris

My rating:
Read from April 22 to 29, 2011

Your brain sucks. You think you're smarter than you really are, your memory is flawed, you think that you notice more than you do and your confidence is fraudulent. In short, our brains are really stupid at at observing reality and are easily fooled. At least everyone is equally flawed. Memories can't be trusted, but at least everyone's memory can't be trusted. We think we are smarter than we are, but at least everyone thinks they're smarter than they are. We think we observe more than we do, but at least everyone is just as oblivious to the world around us.

Put succinctly: our brains are a design failure. They are evolved to maximize a very different world than the one we live in now.

Overall, an interesting book with lots of great research. Makes me a little depressed though. My only criticism is that Chabris seems to have a hate on for Malcolm Gladwell. I think every single fo Gladwell's books were bashed throughout the book (though sometimes warranted).