Why Were Wrong About Nearly Everythi..., Bobby Duffy
Why Were Wrong About Nearly Everythi..., Bobby Duffy
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Why We're Wrong About Nearly Everything
A Theory of Human Misunderstanding

Author: Bobby Duffy

Narrator: Nicholas Tecosky

Unabridged: 6 hr 37 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 11/26/2019


Synopsis

A leading social researcher explains why humans so consistently misunderstand the outside world
How often are women harassed? What percentage of the population are immigrants? How bad is unemployment? These questions are important, but most of us get the answers wrong. Research shows that people often wildly misunderstand the state of the world, regardless of age, sex, or education. And though the internet brings us unprecedented access to information, there's little evidence we're any better informed because of it.
We may blame cognitive bias or fake news, but neither tells the complete story. In Why We're Wrong About Nearly Everything, Bobby Duffy draws on his research into public perception across more than forty countries, offering a sweeping account of the stubborn problem of human delusion: how society breeds it, why it will never go away, and what our misperceptions say about what we really believe.
We won't always know the facts, but they still matter. Why We're Wrong About Nearly Everything is mandatory reading for anyone interested making humankind a little bit smarter.

About Bobby Duffy

Bobby Duffy is one of the UK's most respected social researchers. A professor of public policy and the director of the Policy Institute at King's College London, he previously directed public affairs and global research at Ipsos MORI and the Ipsos Social Research Institute. He is the author of Why We're Wrong About Nearly Everything. His research has been covered by a range of outlets. He lives in London.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Brian on August 28, 2019

How we see the world is not the way it really is. There have been several books based on this premise in the last few years, from Hans Rosling's impressive Factfulness to the distinctly fanciful The Case Against Reality by Donald Hoffman. In The Perils of Perception, Bobby Duffy takes an approach th......more

Goodreads review by J TC on February 13, 2025

Não é um bom livro. Cheio de lugares comuns, perde-se no início na apresentação de múltiplos estudos de opinião efectuados em mais de uma vintena de países para no final elaborar - as pessoas têm uma percepção muito diferente da realidade. Nisto gasta mais de metade do texto, quase 2/3 para chegar a......more

Goodreads review by MJ on July 16, 2024

A random non-fiction plucking from a library shelf is my usual remedy for a reading slump, allowing me the chance to sober up from a month-long binge of glorious fiction with the hard slap of fact. This book from a polling wonk at IPSOS presents a series of charts and glosses on those charts showing......more

Goodreads review by Mircea on December 29, 2024

Psihologii vorbesc despre "raționamente motivate direcțional", care ne fac să căutăm informații care ne reconfirmă preferințele ("prejudecată de confirmare") și să negăm informațiile care ne contrazic preferințele ("prejudecată de contrazicere"). Rob Dobelli denumește acest grup de efecte "mama tutu......more

Goodreads review by Ell on August 24, 2019

This is an immensely interesting book steeped in research and anecdotal information. Cognitive bias and heuristics shape our perceptions much more than we are aware. Why We're Wrong About Nearly Everything: A Theory of Human Misunderstanding is a thought-provoking book perfect for readers interested......more


Quotes

"Illuminating. Reading this book is like stepping from the shadows into the light. You will see the world anew."—Julia Gillard, 27th Prime Minister of Australia

"A first class book with hugely important and relevant analysis, really pertinent to the issues we're thinking about today... incredibly well-written and easy to read."—Dame Margaret Hodge, Labour Party MP

"A tour de force of delusion. In Why We're Wrong About Nearly Everything, master social researcher Bobby Duffy offers a thoroughly convincing account of how our false beliefs often tell us more about who we are than our true ones."—Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, author of Everybody Lies

"With wit and wisdom, Bobby Duffy reveals how the misperceptions we share shape the world we live in. Required reading for a post-truth era."—Jonah Berger, author of Invisible Influence

"Mandatory reading. This mind-altering book show how most of us are badly deluded about the state of the world."—Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Enlightenment Now

"Illuminating and important. Duffy has spent a decade finding the gaps between our perceptions and reality. The result is this fascinating study."—Dan Gardner, co-author of Superforecasting

"A masterful overview of how our perceptions are repeatedly off the mark. Consequential and timely."—David Halpern, chief executive of the Behavioural Insights Team

"Simply indispensable. Marrying fascinating data with superb analysis, this is a unique book."—Matthew d'Ancona, author of Post-Truth and editor-in-chief of Drugstore Culture

"A great read that will help you get a better fix on reality. This book will help you understand why many of the things you think are probably wrong."—Hetan Shah, executive director of The Royal Statistical Society

"Fantastic: there are eye-opening and shocking statistics on every page. This book may force you to reconsider your most deeply held views."—Jamie Bartlett, author of The Dark NetDancyger