Author, Science Journalist
David McRaney is an American science journalist and two time winner of the William Randolph Hearst Award, best known for his internationally bestselling book You Are Not So Smart and its companion podcast. His work explores cognitive biases, logical fallacies, and the ways in which human thinking goes astray. His most recent book, How Minds Change, examines the science of belief, opinion, and persuasion.
by David McRaney
McRaney catalogs forty-eight cognitive biases, heuristics, and logical fallacies (confirmation bias, the Dunning-Kruger effect, hindsight bias, the Texas sharpshooter fallacy) in short, pop-culture-rich chapters. By the last page, readers are meant to leave thoroughly disabused of the idea that they are reliable narrators of their own minds.
by David McRaney
McRaney investigates deep canvassing, street epistemology, and motivational interviewing to show that people rarely change their minds through argument but often do through nonjudgemental dialogue that surfaces the reasons behind their beliefs. He weaves neuroscience, former cult members, and persuasion researchers into a playbook for durable attitude change.
The books David McRaney references, cites, and recommends most frequently.
by Daniel Kahneman
Kahneman reveals that our minds run on two systems: fast intuition and slow deliberation. Most errors in judgement come from trusting System 1 when the situation demands System 2's careful analysis.
by Dan Ariely
Ariely demonstrates through experiments that human irrationality is not random but systematic and predictable. Understanding these patterns reveals why we make the same costly mistakes repeatedly.
by Robert Cialdini
Cialdini identifies six universal principles of persuasion: reciprocity, commitment, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity. Understanding these triggers explains why we say yes, and how others get us to comply.
by Daniel Gilbert
Gilbert reveals that humans are remarkably poor at predicting what will make them happy. Our psychological immune system distorts future expectations in systematic, measurable ways.
by Adam Grant
Grant argues the ability to rethink and unlearn beats raw intelligence in a changing world. The best thinkers treat their own opinions with a scientist's curiosity, not a preacher's conviction.
by Philip Tetlock
Tetlock shows forecasting accuracy depends less on intelligence than on cognitive style. The best forecasters are humble, numerate, and constantly update beliefs, foxes outperform hedgehog experts.
Who David draws from, and who draws from David — aggregated across every book in this collection. Counts show the number of citation links, not the depth of each one.