Publishers Weekly
05/28/2018
Economics professor Baddeley employs a multidisciplinary approach to tackling a key question about human behavior—why do some people go with the flow, and others buck societal conventions? In easy-to-understand prose, replete with accessible anecdotes (Baddeley opens with the mass outpouring of grief following the death of Princess Diana as an illustration of people’s “strong instincts to copy and conform”), she examines how economists, such as Italian polymath Vilfredo Pareto, “link their assumptions about our capacity for rational choice with human social behavior.” But she moves beyond economics to incorporate recent discoveries in neuroscience and psychology, arriving at nuanced answers; for example, not all conformity is bad, and there are “rational reasons to... look to the group, to copy and to herd.” Baddeley is a forceful advocate for the value of contrarians, and urges societies to make it easier for their members to take risks in advancing new ideas or theories. Her observations on how both risk-taking and conformism contributed to Donald Trump’s election, and on how social media affects “copycats,” make for a well-timed and valuable study. (July)
From the Publisher
An admirable literature survey, well researched, accessible and comprehensive. . .”—Helga Drummond, THES“Baddeley is a forceful advocate for the value of contrarians, and urges societies to make it easier for their members to take risks in advancing new ideas or theories. Her observations on how both risk-taking and conformism contributed to Donald Trump’s election, and on how social media affects ‘copycats,’ make for a well-timed and valuable study.”—Publishers Weekly“Baddeley is a truly exceptional scholar, with terrific writing skills and real originality . . . this might well become the defining book, for this decade and more, on the topic of herding and social influence.”—Cass Sunstein, co-author of Nudge"A tremendous read: we badly need to understand the psychological undercurrents of society more thoroughly, and Copycats & Contrarians is vital reading."—Julia Hobsbawm, author of Fully Connected"Why do we herd? From the financial crisis to Beatlemania, death cults to the rise of populism, Michelle Baddeley brings her rare academic expertise to bear in this richly researched, timely and highly readable book."—Eric Kaufmann, author of Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?"Copycats and contrarians make for powerful economic and social forces across the world today, in ways which affect us all. Michelle Baddeley's dissection of these forces is a rare thing: breadth, depth, and though-provoking throughout."—Jonathan Aldred, author of The Skeptical Economist"A wide-ranging cross-disciplinary perspective of why we run with—or avoid—the crowd, and why it matters, from choosing a restaurant in a tourist trap to believing fake news. I learned a lot, and you may too."—Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist
Tim Harford
'A wide-ranging cross-disciplinary perspective of why we run with—or avoid—the crowd, and why it matters, from choosing a restaurant in a tourist trap to believing fake news. I learned a lot, and you may too.'
Jonathan Aldred
'Copycats and contrarians make for powerful economic and social forces across the world today, in ways which affect us all. Michelle Baddeley's dissection of these forces is a rare thing: breadth, depth, and though-provoking throughout.'
Eric Kaufmann
'Why do we herd? From the financial crisis to Beatlemania, death cults to the rise of populism, Michelle Baddeley brings her rare academic expertise to bear in this richly researched, timely and highly readable book.'
Julia Hobsbawm
'A tremendous read: we badly need to understand the psychological undercurrents of society more thoroughly, and Copycats & Contrarians is vital reading.'
