Andrew Sellon's pleasing performance makes the authors' conversational writing and fascinating insights a treat to hear. His vocal tone is hushed, which makes him sound like he's unfolding a secret or sharing something startling--a good way to interpret an audiobook that is full of surprising perspectives. Two psychologists unpack the habits of mind and perceptual biases that make us believe something merely because it seems familiar. They spell out the myriad reasons we resist questioning new information, especially in social settings, by looking for flaws in an idea or presentation. It's a wonderful lesson for the Information Age. Delivered with natural-sounding enthusiasm, these insights and pointed advice will help listeners be less vulnerable to today's scams and polarizing misinformation. T.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

04/10/2023

Simons, a psychology professor at the University of Illinois, and Chabris, a behavioral science professor at Geisinger Health System, follow up their The Invisible Gorilla with an eye-opening examination of the thought patterns that render people vulnerable to duplicity. From Ponzi schemes to art forgeries, the authors write, scams exploit cognitive patterns that “serve us well most of the time”—the tendency to focus only on information that’s “right in front of us,” or make predictions based on experience—but reveal blind spots when fraudsters hijack them. Simons and Chabris dig into a trove of scams, among them Bernie Madoff’s $20 billion “mother of all Ponzi schemes,” which duped investors in part thanks to the “smooth, consistent” upward returns he fabricated; phishing emails that replicate the format of legitimate messages; and TV psychics who capitalize on emotionally vulnerable audiences. The authors explain that while fraud can’t be entirely prevented, one can be less vulnerable to it by fact-checking claims, being skeptical of studies with unrealistically potent results, and learning to recognize “nonresponses” to information requests. Replete with fascinating examples, including the 2022 FTX cryptocurrency collapse and the classic “Nigerian prince” email scam, this entry provides smart, succinct analyses based in solid cognitive science principles. The gullible and skeptical alike will find plenty to chew on. (July)

Affable and fleet-footed … fascinating examples … even if we can’t be nobody’s fool, we may become a bit less foolish.”—Wall Street Journal

“In their fascinating new book, they weave outrageous examples of art frauds and scholarly work with meticulously researched insight into why we fall for these deceivers, how we can avoid becoming patsies and why we shouldn’t take it personally when someone tried to dupe us.”—Salon

"An outstanding guide to nonsense for critical readers."—Kirkus (Starred)

"This entry provides smart, succinct analyses based in solid cognitive science principles. The gullible and skeptical alike will find plenty to chew on."—Publishers Weekly

“To know if you have been deceived, you must question what you believe—but we can’t always question everything. In Nobody’s Fool, Simons and Chabris address the more difficult and intriguing question: When should you question what you believe?”—Apollo Robbins, theatrical thief and deception expert

“Through captivating storytelling and insightful analysis, Nobody’s Fool provides a fascinating exploration of the human mind’s vulnerability to deception and offers practical tools to help us become more rational decision-makers."—Annie Duke, author of Thinking in Bets and Quit

“Nobody’s Fool is a fascinating and fun read that explores the limits of the human mind and teaches you how to avoid being hoodwinked. Simons and Chabris are outstanding storytellers and scientists who’ve written just the book we all need in a world where misinformation, scams, and everyday duplicity put us at increasing risk.”—Katy Milkman, author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller How to Change

“Rarely do you find such practical advice combined with such delicious entertainment. In an age of con artists, charlatans, and conspiracy peddlers, Nobody’s Fool is an essential survival guide for investors, consumers, and citizens. I wondered if the authors could possibly top The Invisible Gorilla, a classic in its field. They have—and we’re all better armed against fraud as a result.”—Diana B. Henriques, author of the New York Times bestseller The Wizard of Lies

“Nobody's Fool is science writing at its best. A must-read for anybody who loves reading about fascinating social-science studies and compelling stories—or just wants to get tricked less.”—Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, New York Times–bestselling author of Everybody Lies and Don’t Trust Your Gut

“The vast menagerie of scams detailed in Nobody's Fool makes for entertaining — albeit frightening—reading. Thankfully, Simons and Chabris excavate the inner workings of con-artistry and explain in great detail why we fall for it, again and again, and how we can stop. This book is an inoculation for your brain.”—David Epstein, author of the New York Times bestseller Range

“This book is worth vastly more than its purchase price. It shows, in rich detail, that con artists around the world use strikingly similar tactics to ensnare their victims. Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris offer an engaging master class in how to foil purveyors of false promises.”—Philip E. Tetlock, author of Superforecasting

“Whether you are wondering how frauds like Enron, Theranos, and FTX managed to fool so many people for so much of the time or just want to know how to protect yourself from the Next Big Fleece, Simons and Chabris have got you covered in this tour of how con artists, hoaxers, and troll farms prey on human cognitive weaknesses.”—Gary Marcus, author of Guitar Zero, Kluge, and Rebooting AI

“In an era when more information is available to us than ever before, when claims of ‘fake news’ might themselves be fake news, Simons and Chabris offer a vital tool to not only inoculate ourselves against getting infected by misinformation, but also prevent us from spreading it to others.”—David McRaney, author of How Minds Change

"Nobody's Fool is a must-buy for all investors who want to improve their decision-making."—Guy Spier, Managing Partner of Aquamarine Capital and author of The Education of a Value Investor

"It's hard enough to think well in everyday life, much less when someone is trying to swindle you. Nobody's Fool is well written, has lots of great stories, and guides you to think twice appropriately."—Michael J. Mauboussin, author of Think Twice and The Success Equation

Andrew Sellon's pleasing performance makes the authors' conversational writing and fascinating insights a treat to hear. His vocal tone is hushed, which makes him sound like he's unfolding a secret or sharing something startling--a good way to interpret an audiobook that is full of surprising perspectives. Two psychologists unpack the habits of mind and perceptual biases that make us believe something merely because it seems familiar. They spell out the myriad reasons we resist questioning new information, especially in social settings, by looking for flaws in an idea or presentation. It's a wonderful lesson for the Information Age. Delivered with natural-sounding enthusiasm, these insights and pointed advice will help listeners be less vulnerable to today's scams and polarizing misinformation. T.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

★ 2023-04-04
America is awash in lies, liars, and scams as well as books denouncing them, and this is among the best.

Simons, a professor of psychology, and Chabris, a cognitive scientist, are aware of the popularity of stories about scammers. In this collaboration, they deliver a steady stream of such tales in which the well known (Bernie Madoff, Elizabeth Holmes) barely scratch the surface. Mostly, scammers exploit habits that serve us well in daily life but make us easy prey. We believe what others tell us unless something seems fishy. We see what we expect to see. Without adequate critical thinking, it’s a formula for disaster. A respected psychology journal published a study in which subjects walking through dirty streets were more likely to think racist thoughts. Had the study—which turned out to be fake—reached the opposite conclusion, the editors might have paid more attention. We also tend to accept fascinating stories without question. Told that Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg are college dropouts who became billionaires and then asked if dropouts are more likely to strike it rich, most subjects answer yes. In fact, nearly all billionaires are college graduates. The authors promote Ronald Reagan’s dictum about negotiating with the Soviet Union: “Trust, but verify.” Readers will agree but also admit that we readily distrust statements that contradict our beliefs and accept without question information we agree with. The authors present a delightful parade of fakery in which scammers compete with equally dishonest entrepreneurs, scientists, journalists, and politicians, with special attention to the psychologists. As to the “What We Can Do About It” in the title, Simons and Chabris prescribe easy, common-sense rules, not-so-easy-to-implement but excellent advice on researching dubious claims, and repeated warnings to question our deeply held beliefs and distrust gut feelings.

An outstanding guide to nonsense for critical readers.