The Knowledge Illusion
The myth of individual thought and the power of collective wisdom
Published on 23. August 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-1-5098-1308-7 (ISBN)
Description
The human mind is both brilliant and pathetic. We have mastered fire and have stood on the moon, and yet every one of us is fundamentally ignorant, irrational and prone to making simple mistakes every day. Why?
'In The Knowledge Illusion, the cognitive scientists Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach hammer another nail into the coffin of the rational individual . . . positing that not just rationality but the very idea of individual thinking is a myth.' - Yuval Harari, bestselling author of Sapiens and Homo Deus
In this groundbreaking book, cognitive scientists Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach show how our success as a species is down to us living in a rich community of knowledge where we are drawing on information and expertise outside our heads. And we have no idea that we are even doing it.
Utilizing cutting-edge research, The Knowledge Illusion explains why we think we know more than we do, why beliefs are so hard to change and why we are so prone to making mistakes. Providing a blueprint for successful ways to work in collaboration to do amazing things, it reveals why the key to human intelligence lies in the way we think and work together.
Dispel the myth of individual cognition, explore the real origin of our intelligence, and uncover the power of the collective mind with The Knowledge Illusion.
'In The Knowledge Illusion, the cognitive scientists Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach hammer another nail into the coffin of the rational individual . . . positing that not just rationality but the very idea of individual thinking is a myth.' - Yuval Harari, bestselling author of Sapiens and Homo Deus
In this groundbreaking book, cognitive scientists Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach show how our success as a species is down to us living in a rich community of knowledge where we are drawing on information and expertise outside our heads. And we have no idea that we are even doing it.
Utilizing cutting-edge research, The Knowledge Illusion explains why we think we know more than we do, why beliefs are so hard to change and why we are so prone to making mistakes. Providing a blueprint for successful ways to work in collaboration to do amazing things, it reveals why the key to human intelligence lies in the way we think and work together.
Dispel the myth of individual cognition, explore the real origin of our intelligence, and uncover the power of the collective mind with The Knowledge Illusion.
Reviews / Votes
In The Knowledge Illusion, the cognitive scientists Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach hammer another nail into the coffin of the rational individual . . . positing that not just rationality but the very idea of individual thinking is a myth. -- Yuval Harari, bestselling author of <i>Sapiens </i>and <i>Homo Deus</i> Sloman and Fernbach offer clever demonstrations of how much we take for granted, and how little we actually understand . . . The book is stimulating, and any explanation of our current malaise that attributes it to cognitive failures - rather than putting it down to the moral wickedness of one group or another - is most welcome. Sloman and Fernbach are working to uproot a very important problem. * Financial Times * We all know less than we think we do, including how much we know about how much we know. There's no cure for this condition, but there is a treatment: this fascinating book. The Knowledge Illusion is filled with insights on how we should deal with our individual ignorance and collective wisdom. -- Steven Pinker We radically overestimate how much we know. In this fascinating book, Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach examine the origin and consequences of this knowledge illusion, exploring both the extent of our ignorance and the clever ways in which we overcome it. This is an exceptionally clear and well-reasoned book, and it has some important and radical things to say about everything from the allure of stories to how iPhones make us smarter to the pros and cons of democracy. This is psychology at its best. -- Paul Bloom I love this book. A brilliant, eye-opening treatment of how little each of us knows, and how much all of us know. It's magnificent, and it's also a lot of fun. Read it! -- Cass R. Sunstein, coauthor of <i>Nudge</i> and founder and director, Program on Behavioral Economics and Public Policy, Harvard Law SchoolMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Target group
Interest Age: From 18 years
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 199 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
214 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5098-1308-7 (9781509813087)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Steven Sloman | Philip Fernbach
The Knowledge Illusion
The myth of individual thought and the power of collective wisdom
E-Book
04/2017
Picador
€18.49
Available for download
Persons
Steven Sloman, who trained under world-renowned cognitive psychologist Amos Tversky, is a Professor of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences at Brown University where he has worked since 1992. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of the journal Cognition.
Phil Fernbach is a cognitive scientist and professor of marketing at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has written for and had his work profiled in numerous publications such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and BBC World News.
Phil Fernbach is a cognitive scientist and professor of marketing at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has written for and had his work profiled in numerous publications such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and BBC World News.