Written by a novelist and Swiss intellectual, this conversational audio guide explains how to recognize thinking errors like trusting social proof (if everybody believes it, it must be true) and succumbing to the "availability bias" (relying on information that is in front of us instead of what is relevant). Eric Conger's performance has a serious documentary quality that lightens from time to time but keeps the personality in this writing tamped down more than is necessary. While his tonal range sounds repetitive, his impeccable phrasing makes everything clear. This audio production offers an encyclopedia of insights that, more than just improving our thinking, is a fascinating overview of how instinctual thinking biases can lead us to crazy-wrong conclusions and diminish our effectiveness in everyday life.
Pub Date: May 14, 2013
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062239846
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Sylvia Nasar's excellent biography of the tragic but ultimately triumphant life of mathematician John Forbes Nash,, Jr., gets cheated by poor audio production. Anna Fields's volume is so low that some of her trailing sentences are inaudible except in a silent room. Blackstone compounds the problem with a very high-noise recording. The end result is a production that can't be listened to comfortably in a car or walking in public because Fields's voice ranges from near-whisper to just above normal volume. The listener who compensates for the whisper is overwhelmed by her louder sections. In future Fields projects, Blackstone needs to use compression. Read the excellent book instead.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2000
Duration: 19 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The authors, both neuroscientists, believe that Internet search logs offer an astounding research opportunity: a look at human sexuality that is anonymous and, thus, probably acutely honest. What do people search for, sexually, online? The results are enlightening, sometimes startling, and rather humorous. The potential for titillating smarminess in this topic is enormous, but narrator Andrew Garman never goes there. His demeanor is professional and full of good cheer. The graphic language, which he reads with clarity and humor, could come off equally as silly or scandalous, but his pace never feels like it's lingering or leering, and his tone is instructive. There are charts and lists in the text, and Garman easily incorporates them into the listening experience.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2011
Duration: 9 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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