Recommendations based on The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Lessby Barry Schwartz

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

    by Robert B. Cialdini
    An analysis of the psychology of persuasion and how to use it to influence people.

    Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say "yes"—and how to apply these understandings. Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding ... (Goodreads)

  2. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

    by Chip Heath
    Exploring why certain ideas are remembered and others are forgotten, focusing on practical ways to make ideas ‘stick’.

    NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER - The instant classic about why some ideas thrive, why others die, and how to improve your idea's chances–essential reading in the "fake news" era. Mark Twain once ... (Goodreads)

  3. Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness

    by Richard H. Thaler
    A groundbreaking exploration of how subtle influences can shape decisions and improve people's lives.

    From the winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Economics, Richard H. Thaler, and Cass R. Sunstein: a revelatory look at how we make decisions,New York Times bestseller,Named a Best Book of the Year by, ... (Goodreads)

  4. The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

    by Jonathan Haidt
    Drawing on philosophy, religion, and science, a guide to finding greater satisfaction in life.

    In his widely praised book, award-winning psychologist Jonathan Haidt examines the world’s philosophical wisdom through the lens of psychological science, showing how a deeper understanding of ... (Goodreads)

  5. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

    by Dan Ariely
    An exploration of why humans make irrational decisions, and how to overcome them.

    Why do our headaches persist after taking a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a 50-cent aspirin? Why does recalling the Ten Commandments reduce our tendency to lie, even when we couldn't ... (Goodreads)

  6. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

    by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
    An exploration of the concept of 'flow' and how it can be used to enhance optimal experience.

    Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, ... (Goodreads)

  7. The Wisdom of Crowds

    by James Surowiecki
    Examining the power of collective intelligence to solve problems, make decisions and drive innovation.

    In this fascinating book, New Yorker business columnist James Surowiecki explores a deceptively simple idea: Large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant–better at ... (Goodreads)

  8. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

    by David Allen
    A guide to improving efficiency and productivity through better organization.

    The book, Lifehack, calls ,"The Bible of business and personal productivity.","A completely revised and updated edition of the blockbuster bestseller from 'the personal productivity guru'",—,Fast ... (Barnes & Noble)

  9. Thinking, Fast and Slow

    by Daniel Kahneman
    An exploration of the two systems of the mind, and how they influence decision-making.

    In the highly anticipated Thinking, Fast and Slow , Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and ... (Goodreads)

  10. The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are - The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology

    by Robert Wright
    A scientific exploration of how evolutionary psychology shapes human behavior and morality.

    Are men literally born to cheat? Does monogamy actually serve women's interests? These are among the questions that have made The Moral Animal one of the most provocative science books in recent ... (Goodreads)

  11. Stumbling on Happiness

    by Daniel Todd Gilbert
    A scientific exploration of why we often fail to predict what will make us happy and how we can find happiness in unexpected ways.

    • Why are lovers quicker to forgive their partners for infidelity than for leaving dirty dishes in the sink? • Why will sighted people pay more to avoid going blind than blind people will pay to ... (Goodreads)

  12. Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

    by Tony Hsieh
    A business leader's journey from success to significance, showing how to build a corporate culture of happiness.

    You want to learn about the path that we took at Zappos to get to over $1 billion in gross merchandise sales in less than ten years. You want to learn about the path I took that eventually led me to ... (Goodreads)

  13. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ

    by Daniel Goleman
    Examines the importance of emotional intelligence and how it affects success.

    #1 BESTSELLER • The groundbreaking book that redefines what it means to be smart, with a new introduction by the author “A thoughtfully written, persuasive account explaining emotional intelligence ... (Barnes & Noble)

  14. The Art of Thinking Clearly

    by Rolf Dobelli
    A guide to common thinking errors and how to avoid them, providing practical advice for making better decisions in life and business.

    In engaging prose and with practical examples and anecdotes, an eye-opening look at human reasoning and essential reading for anyone with important decisions to make. Have you ever: • Invested time ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone - Especially Ourselves

    by Dan Ariely
    Examines why people lie and how dishonesty affects our lives.

    Het wetenschappelijk bewijs liegt er niet om: zelfs de meest eerlijke mensen nemen meerdere keren per dag een loopje met de waarheid. Hóé (on)eerlijk we zijn blijkt verrassend genoeg afhankelijk van ... (Goodreads)

  16. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

    by Charles Duhigg
    Uncovering the science of habit formation and how to use it to achieve success.

    A young woman walks into a laboratory. Over the past two years, she has transformed almost every aspect of her life. She has quit smoking, run a marathon, and been promoted at work. The patterns ... (Goodreads)

  17. Free: The Future of a Radical Price

    by Chris Anderson
    Examination of the power of free products and services in the modern economy.

    Reveals how to run an online business profitably in spite of the Internet's inherently free culture, disseminating the principles of a ''priceless economy'' in six categories that pertain to ... (Goodreads)

  18. Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

    by Chip Heath
    Exploring ways to make change easier in life and work, using practical strategies.

    Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives? The primary obstacle is a conflict that's built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors ... (Goodreads)

  19. Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets

    by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
    A critical examination of the impact of randomness/chance in life and financial markets.

    Fooled by Randomness, is a standalone book in Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s landmark Incerto series, an investigation of opacity, luck, uncertainty, probability, human error, risk, and decision-making in a ... (Goodreads)

  20. SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes And Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance

    by Steven D. Levitt
    An exploration of human behavior and economics, challenging accepted social norms and traditional wisdom.

    The New York Times best-selling Freakonomics was a worldwide sensation, selling over four million copies in thirty-five languages and changing the way we look at the world. Now, Steven D. Levitt and ... (Goodreads)

  21. Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets

    by Sudhir Venkatesh
    An exploration of urban poverty and gang life, through the eyes of an unlikely researcher.

    The story of the young sociologist who studied a Chicago crack-dealing gang from the inside captured the world's attention when it was first described in, Freakonomics,., Gang Leader for a Day, is ... (Goodreads)

  22. Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior

    by Ori Brafman
    A fascinating exploration of the irrational forces that shape our decisions and behavior, and how we can learn to recognize and resist them.

    A fascinating journey into the hidden psychological influences that derail our decision-making,, Sway, will change the way you think about the way you think., Why is it so difficult to sell a ... (Goodreads)

  23. A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

    by Daniel H. Pink
    Exploring the rise of right-brain thinking and how creativity and emotion are shaping our world.

    The future belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind: artists, inventors, storytellers-creative and holistic "right-brain" thinkers whose abilities mark the fault line ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book that Will Change the Way You Do Business

    by Clayton M. Christensen
    Examines disruptive innovation and how to manage it in a business setting.

    Harvard professor Clayton M. Christensen says outstanding companies can do everything right and still lose their market leadership – or worse, disappear completely. And he not only proves what he ... (Goodreads)

  25. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

    by Susan Cain
    An exploration of the power of introversion, examining the implications of modern society's emphasis on extroversion.

    The book that started the Quiet Revolution, At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike ... (Goodreads)

  26. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation

    by Lynne Truss
    A humorous look at the importance of punctuation and its effect on language.

    In Eats, Shoots & Leaves , former editor Lynne Truss, gravely concerned about our current grammatical state, boldly defends proper punctuation. She proclaims, in her delightfully urbane, witty, and ... (Goodreads)

  27. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't

    by James C. Collins
    A guide to building a successful company, examining the practices and values of leading organizations.

    To find the keys to greatness, Collins's 21-person research team read and coded 6,000 articles, generated more than 2,000 pages of interview transcripts and created 384 megabytes of computer data in ... (Goodreads)

  28. Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

    by Kerry Patterson
    A guide to effectively navigate difficult conversations, build trust, and create mutual understanding.

    Learn how to keep your cool and get the results you want when emotions flare. When stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong, you have three choices: Avoid a crucial conversation and ... (Goodreads)

  29. Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality

    by Christopher Ryan
    An exploration of the evolutionary and cultural origins of human sexuality.

    Since Darwin's day, we've been told that sexual monogamy comes naturally to our species. Mainstream science–as well as religious and cultural institutions--has maintained that men and women evolved ... (Goodreads)

  30. The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable

    by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
    A study of the role of randomness in life, and how it can lead to unexpected events.

    A black swan is a highly improbable event with three principal characteristics: It is unpredictable; it carries a massive impact; and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appear ... (Goodreads)