Sunday, March 21, 2010

Book Review: Sway

When I first started reading the book, Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior by Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman, I first thought that this was a copy of the Malcolm Gladwell style of book. But as I started getting into it, I realized that the book has a completely different approach and provides very useful information.

One of the most fascinating stories in the book was about the $20 experiment. A professor would auction off a $20 bill to his students, starting at a one dollar initial bid, and it would end up selling for over $200. It runs like a regular auction except that the second highest bidder, in addition to not winning, has to pay what he bid. The authors cover why this happens and how it can affect your decisions, especially with regards to owning stocks.

The book also covers group dynamics and why it is good to have one dissenter. There is even a section on why people would turn down free money.

What I really like about this book is the fact that all their stories are backed up by scientific research, and all research is annotated at the back of the book.

Find out why you think the way you think. Anyone who runs their own business or trades stocks should read Sway.

No comments: