REVIEW: Human Errors: A Panorama of Our Glitches, from Pointless Bones to Broken Genes by Nathan H. Lents (3 Stars)

I really enjoyed the first half to two thirds of this book -- it was a straight forward, conversational and highly accessible discussion of quirks of evolution such as human vision, overly long nerves, and sinuses that drain the wrong way -- along with explanations of how they came to be and the advantages or disadvantages. It's comprehensive enough and covers comparisons to other species (mammal and non) -- and extremely interesting.

I especially enjoyed the chapter on diet and nutrition -- this is one of the most clear discussions around micronutrients I have read. I could actually hear this in my head like it was a seminar or an interview on "Fresh Air." The chapter on DNA and then disease were also interesting -- with particular focus on how autoimmune diseases are puzzling (esp lupus). Even the chapter on reproduction being a rather flawed process was interesting.

Then, the book makes a bit of a switch into neuroscience and cognition -- talking about how humans carry certain errors with them (like gambler's fallacy) and the advantages of young people being reckless. Near the end -- the author turns more to a bit of an existential and philosophical discussion around the impending demise of humanity due to our selfishness and potential solutions.

I can't help but feel that this is at once sincere but also a reaction to the usual charge of social science books not providing enough of a solution to the issues they raise. It's sort of general and helpful/not-helpful and doesn't really fit as a conclusion to the first 2/3 of the book: "Our population growth, environmental destruction, and poor stewardship of natural resources threaten the prosperity that we have sought to create for ourselves."

I hope future editions have a more relevant conclusion or summary -- this conclusion seemed a bit disconnected.

REVIEW: Human Errors: A Panorama of Our Glitches, from Pointless Bones to Broken Genes by Nathan H. Lents 

RATING: 3 stars

© Jennifer R Clark. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You may share and adapt this content with proper attribution.

REVIEW: Influence: Science and Practice by Robert B. Cialdini (5-stars)

This is a thorough examination of different tactics and techniques involved in influence and persuasion -- lots of great information from research and great examples.  

The book is very nicely structured and includes summaries at the end of each chapter, along with questions for discussion.  He even offers sections titled "Defense" to help understand how to diffuse or deflect the different types of influence.  He delves into reciprocation, liking, social proof, compliance to authority, scarcity, and consistency/conformity.

The premise of the book is that humans are all wired in certain ways -- we look for cognitive shortcuts to save time and energy in making decisions.  Sometimes this is useful and sometimes, not so much.  We're wired to accept things that are familiar, and to reciprocate and like people and to want to get along in certain ways.

Cialdini talks a lot about "compliance professionals" -- folks in marketing and sales who understand the concepts he describes in the book, and at the end of the book -- advises us to rebel against those unscrupulous types who seek to manipulate us with false information.  

Since the book was written in 2009 - I was curious to see what Cialdini has written more recently, especially on the recent presidential elections in the US.  It turns out that "Team Cialdini" has written quite a bit  and it's interesting reading (start here: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-presidential-election-was-donald-trumps-to-lose-2016-12-13).

REVIEW: Influence: Science and Practice by Robert B. Cialdini 

RATING: 5-stars

© Jennifer R Clark. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You may share and adapt this content with proper attribution.