Bookshelf: On Second Thought

On Second Thought

By Wray Herbert

Millions of years of evolution bequeathed us with heuristics, the hard-wired mental shortcuts that often shape our lives—for example, the Default Heuristic tells us to coast instead of changing course, and the Scarcity Heuristic indicates that rare equals better. But just when you thought you could trust those instincts, Herbert tells you to reconsider. Heuristics are necessary for, say, grocery shopping, he contends—they help us make snap decisions in the cereal aisle instead of analyzing every box. But when it comes to decisions like whether or not to hit a familiar ski slope during poor weather conditions, cognitive rules of thumb (along the lines of “I’ve skied this hill a dozen times” and “The rest of the group isn’t bothered”) can be dangerous—and can even cost us our lives. Herbert explores the origins and effects of 20 everyday heuristics. The umbrella problem, he believes, is that most of us can’t tell when we’re having logical, calculated thoughts and when we’re slipping into autopilot. He aims to illuminate the difference, so we can decide when to engage the deliberate thought process and when to let heuristics do their magic. Taking a cue from Herbert, we asked the authors of new and forthcoming reads what biases and instincts they overcame while writing their books.—Lauren Gerber

Origins

By Annie Murphy Paul

In the nature-nurture debate, there’s an historic no-man’s land between the pairing up of chromosomes at conception and the environmental onslaught we encounter after birth. Paul explores the nine dark months humans spend in utero, when gene expression is especially dependent on the environment, and developing bodies soak up clues about the world they’ll soon enter. Paul, who wrote the book during her own pregnancy, elegantly discusses research linking fetal experience to outcomes from asthma to addiction.

• The instinct: Prenatal stress is bad for the baby.
• On second thought: “It can actually be good for babies’ brains,” Paul says. “Studies have found that the babies of women who experience moderate anxiety during pregnancy show accelerated brain development as newborns, and score higher on motor and mental development tests at age 2.”

Getting More

By Stuart Diamond

As social creatures, we’re constantly negotiating—brokering deals, arguing our cases, and trusting others to respond like rational beings. The problem, of course, is that people are often vengeful, fearful, delusional, or just plain irrational. Diamond, who leads negotiation courses at Wharton, offers up a flexible toolkit for getting your way, whether the subject is a million-dollar deal, a botched restaurant dish, or a petulant 4-year-old with zero interest in going to bed.

• The instinct: The goal of any negotiation is a win-win outcome.
• On second thought: “Sometimes you’re better off losing today so you can gain more tomorrow,” Diamond says. “Often, people act against their goals because they need to be ‘right,’ but moving closer to your mission should be the only objective.”

Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat

By Hal Herzog

Cats are our buddies; cows are delicious. Rats are research subjects and snake food, except when they’re family pets. Human-animal relations expert Herzog takes on our often incongruous feelings toward critters. You’ll come away with stats to share at cocktail parties, while peering thoughtfully at the beef pâté and cocktail wieners.

• The instinct: Children who are cruel to animals become violent adults.
• On second thought: “Most animal abuse is committed by kids who will grow up to be perfectly normal adults,” Herzog says. “Most serial killers and school shooters have no history of animal cruelty, and the rates of early animal abuse are as high in male college students as among aggressive criminals.”