Book Reading #39: Why We Make Mistakes Microblog

Reference Information

   Title: Why We Make Mistakes

   Author: Joseph T. Hallinan

   Editors: Broadway Books (2009)

Chapter 0: Introduction (10 Pages)

Summary

The chapter talks about the ideas that are going to be discussed throughout the book. Hallinan describes what mistakes are and how the world is designed as to expect us to see things clearer than than they appear. The topics to be discussed: similar mistakes that happen, what one can do to make fewer errors and understanding context.

Chapter 1: We Look But Don't Always See (14 Pages)

Summary

In this chapter, Hallinan talks about how we don't see things as clearly as we think we do. He gives many examples of this such such as the door experiment. He also talks about movie mistakes. Towards the end, the author goes on to explain the beer-in-the-fridge problem and how people have a threshold at which point they will quit searching for something.

Discussion

I really enjoyed the first chapter and introduction. I don't normally read introductions when reading books but perhaps I should. Giving an outline of what is going to be discussed will help me focus more on what is coming. In regards to the reading, I thought the quitting threshold was interesting. I myself know that there are times when if I can't find something, I just give up.