Thursday, May 13, 2010

THE ART OF CHOOSING: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

THE ART OF CHOOSING
BY SHEENA LYENGAR

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Every day we make choices. Coke or Pepsi? Save or spend? Stay or go? Whether mundane or life-altering, these choices define us and shape our lives. Sheena Iyengar asks the difficult questions about how and why we choose: Is the desire for choice innate or bound by culture? Why do we sometimes choose against our best interests? How much control do we really have over what we choose? Sheena Iyengar's award-winning research reveals that the answers are surprising and profound. In our world of shifting political and cultural forces, technological revolution, and interconnected commerce, our decisions have far-reaching consequences.

LIFE IS FULL OF CHOICES. HOW DO WE MAKE THEM?

An Apple Store customer asks for the latest iPhone in black but suddenly changes his preference to white when he sees the choices others are making. A resident of a former communist country is offered a fizzy drink from a wide selection but picks at random; soda is soda, he says. Though the child knows she shouldn't press the big red button (absolutely not!), she finds her hand inching forward. A young man and woman decide to marry -- knowing that the first time they meet will be on their wedding day.

How did these people make their choices? How do any of us make ours? Choice is a powerful tool to define ourselves and mold our lives -- but what do we know about the wants, motivations, biases, and influences that aid or hinder our endeavors?

In The Art of Choosing, Columbia University professor Sheena Iyengar, a leading expert on choice, sets herself the Herculean task of helping us become better choosers. She asks fascinating questions: Is the desire for choice innate or created by culture? Why do we sometimes choose against our best interests? How much control do we really have over what we choose? Ultimately, she offers unexpected and profound answers, drawn from her award-winning, discipline-spanning research.

Here you'll learn about the complex relationship between choice and freedom, and why one doesn't always go with the other. You?ll see that too much choice can overwhelm us, leading to unpleasant experiences, from "TiVo guilt" over unwatched TV programs to confusion over health insurance plans. Perhaps most important, you'll discover how our choices -- both mundane and momentous -- are shaped by many different forces, visible and invisible. This remarkable book illuminates the joys and challenges of choosing, showing us how we build our lives, one choice at a time.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sheena Iyengar's groundbreaking research on choice has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the National Security Education Program. She holds degrees from UPenn, The Wharton School of Business, and Stanford University. She is a professor at Columbia University, and a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award. Her work is regularly cited in periodicals as diverse as Fortune and Time magazines, the NYT and the WSJ, in books such as Blink and The Paradox of Choice.

Audio and Video



REVIEW:

THE ART OF CHOOSING by Sheena Lyenga is a book that is incredibly filled with amazing facts and perceptiveness throughout. The author reveals scientific studies of what the reasons are that people act as we do and why we often make life changing choices. Certainly by making this information easy to comprehend for the reader is remarkable in itself. Using her surveys and research to relate this information in a very easily understood manner is a brilliant endeavor. She explains how apparently random actions and outside influences are what led her to be so interested in making choices.

All this for me was made even more interesting when I thought about the amount of research that Ms. Lyenga must have done to write this book. Not that she would have mentioned this if she was writing this review, but through my research, I found that Sheena Lyenga was diagnosed at the age of three with a very rare form of retinitis pigmentosa which is an inherited disease causing retina degeneration. By the time she was in about 6th grade, she had lost the ability to read and by her junior year in high school, she lost her sight entirely. She could still distinguish light from dark and of course, was being taught in different ways to accommodate her exceptionality. Add to this the fact that her father died suddenly when she was only thirteen, and I was even more impressed with the strength and determination of this woman. I read her book with immense interest because of the fascinating topic but also with enormous respect for her accomplishments.

The book gives many details and examples of how and why we make choices. This book includes basic knowledge that will enable one to see things in their own life differently and encourage you to take time when you are making decisions. Consider all your options when making choices. It also will help you to see why others make the decisions that they do and give you a background in how to handle certain experiences in both your life and social circles. What I honestly thought might be a “ho-hum” book, turned out to be quite valuable as well as fascinating reading.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO VALERIE AND
THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP,
I HAVE FIVE COPIES OF THIS
INTERESTING BOOK TO GIVEAWAY!



THE RULES:

--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY



HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING IN THE INFORMATION AND/OR REVIEW ABOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A CHOICE, LARGE OR SMALL, THAT WAS HARD FOR YOU TO MAKE, AND IF YOU'D LIKE, TELL US WHY

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY:
TELL ME IF YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG AND HOW (AND IF YOU ARE #700 ON GOOGLE FRIEND, LET ME KNOW!)


GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JUNE 1


GOOD LUCK!

61 comments:

traveler said...

I am an e-mail subscriber. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I am fascinated with this book and your wonderful review. Choices we make are crucial to our lives and they should not be taken lightly. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

A decision to move away from my home and roots was made and this was hard but beneficial to the entire family. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

M.A.D. said...

Mary D
zenrei57 (at) hotmail (dot) com

+1 Excellent review and I'm certainly interested in learning more about the process of making choices - one of the things I frequently have difficulty doing. (only to change my mind later on! very frustrating)

+1 One of the hardest choices for me to make is that of whether or not to hold onto material items. I'll get rid of something, only to want it back later on, only to want to get rid of it again. I'm not sure what motivates me to act this way lol

+1 I follow you both by Google friend and email :)

Thanks for another great giveaway!

Total entries = 3

Misusedinnocence said...

I have a hard time making decisions and I think this will help.

misusedinnocence@aol.com

Misusedinnocence said...

I follow on gfc/blogger.

misusedinnocence@aol.com

Misusedinnocence said...

When my Mom was sick I had to decide if I wanted to keep with my career in New York, or come home. I'm glad I chose to come home.

misusedinnocence@aol.com

petite said...

Making decisions is always an important part oflife and should be given the precious time it needs. Great review. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

A choice of continuing on in school and hopefully graduating. It worked out and was the best ever. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

debbie said...

I would like to see the author's research on why we make choices. I have a special needs son, who most of the time cannot make choices. I had to actually tell my family to never give him gift certificates, because it upset him too much. I would like to read this book.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

My most difficult choice was to let my son decide if he wanted any more surgeries on his legs. He has inoperable tumors, that are even more painful after surgeries. He decided not to have them, unless they are doing severe damage. It was tough for me to do this, because each one has the chance of being cancer. It was a hard choice for me.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

g.g. said...

I have seen this around but until I read your review didn't think about reading it. I think it would be interesting because we make choices all the time that effect the way we live

anjamie4 at gmail dot com

g.g. said...

I subscribe by email

anjamie4 at gmail dot com

g.g. said...

So many but one is that I made a choice to get my advanced degree and although it was hard for two years on me and my family had to adjust, we are glad about it ever since as it paid off

anjamie4 at gmail dot com

Jenna said...

I am a blogger follower
papajm25{AT}gmail{DOT}com

Jenna said...

Im interested because its amazing to think about how many choices we make every single day- there are choices around everything we do.

papajm{AT}gmail{DOT}com

Jenna said...

I had a hard choice to make when I decided to take my job 2 years ago... turns out now to be the best choice i ever made
papajm25{AT}gmail{DOT{com

Betty: Reflections with Coffee said...

Sometimes I have the hardest time to decide which hotel to stay at during vacation --- spend hours on the web researching.
bmcbroomATgmailDOTcom

Betty: Reflections with Coffee said...

+1 Interesting that the author had RP.
bmcbroomATgmailDOTcom

Betty: Reflections with Coffee said...

I follow your blog through google and am a FB fan.
bmcbroomATgmailDOTcom

Beverly said...

This seems like an interesting book. I am interesting in why we make choices that seem to go go against our better judgment or what is good for us.

beachlover20855[AT]yahoo[DOT]com

Beverly said...

I choose I had to make was to stay with a current boyfriend while he traveled through Europe or to move on with my life.

beachlover20855[AT]yahoo{DOT]com

Angie said...

I am an email subscriber and GFC follower

aksimmo at brainerd dot net

Angie said...

What a fascinating subject! I would really be interested in what the author has to say about this one.

aksimmo at brainerd dot net

Angie said...

I once had a job I loved. I wasn't making a ton of money but I loved the people I worked with and enjoyed going to work evry day. It was a really hard decision to make when I was offered a job with more pay. Would I like this job? Was it secure? Would I dread going to work every day? I finally chose the new job and I am so happy I did.

aksimmo at brainerd dot net

Unknown said...

I find the book fasinating. I know I tend to make chocies by what I want at that moment and some of those choices really did change my life and not for the better. I always wish we had a seond chance at things like that. Where I was 10 years ago is no where near where I am today, to many bad choices.
I definately want to reas this book!

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

You know I make choices on impluse. I don't know that any one of them was hard to make at the time, but one. It was a surgical procedure. I now wish I hadn't had it done. I went back and forth wether to do it or not. But everyone was behind me on it so I did it.

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

tweet: http://twitter.com/Romantic73/status/14103929040

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I follow you on GFC

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I'm an email subscriber

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I follow via RSS

chirth7@yshoo.com

Unknown said...

I follow you on twitter-Romantic73

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I liked you on facebook.
Christine Hundelt H

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I follow through network blog

chirth7@yahoo.com

Shirley said...

I'd love to read this book. I never thought about it before but a lot of descions I've made have changed my life. I guess i've made my share of bad choices. I'd love to win this book, sounds very interesting.

shundelt@yahoo.com

Shirley said...

http://twitter.com/Grandmamaof10/status/14164413154

shundelt@yahoo.com

Shirley said...

Getting pregnant at 16 with my very first boyfriend. My parents made me marry him, It didn't work out actually it was awful, I wish I could have made my own choice in that case. I would have choose to stay single until my Mr. right came along. Which he did when I was 21 and adopted my 2 boys. Maybe it turned out alright after all. But I would have liked to avoid those couple married years.

shundelt@yahoo.com

Shirley said...

I follow network blog
shundelt@yahoo.com

Shirley said...

I follow GFC. shundelt@yahoo.com

Shirley said...

I liked you on facebook.
shundelt@yahoo.com

Shirley said...

I subscribe via email
shundelt@yahoo.com

Shirley said...

I follow you on twitter. I'm grandmamaof10 shundelt@yahoo.com

Shirley said...

I follow via RSS
shundelt@yahoo.com

Jolee said...

Is interested by the premise that choice and freedom don't always go together. joleehamlin at comcast dot net

Jolee said...

gfc follower joleehamlin at comcast dot net

Jolee said...

Choosing a career was a challenge, but I am so happy with how it has turned out! joleehamlin at comcast dot net

suzie said...

I think it would be interesting learning the "how & why" of the choices we make
9oofus@gmail.com

suzie said...

tweet
http://twitter.com/suzquiz/status/14317436833

suzie said...

I had to make a choice this summer between being with my Mum for her surgery for breast cancer & being in a different city with my daughter who was having her first baby.
I elected to look after my Mum for the first week & our baby arrived 2 days after I came home

suzie said...

follow on google friend connect
suzquiz
9oofus@gmail.com

Annmarie Weeks said...

This book looks very interesting, especially considering how many BAD choices people make every day.

Annmarie Weeks said...

One of the 1st "biggest" choices that I (and many others) ever had to make was where to go to college. There are so many things to take into consideration - size, classes offered, proximity to home, etc.

annmarieweeks at verizon dot net

Annmarie Weeks said...

I subscribe via email at annmarieweeks at verizon dot net! (and I follow on friend connect as well!)

Annmarie Weeks said...

I tweeted! http://twitter.com/amweeks/status/14615287421

annmarieweeks at verizon dot net

Anonymous said...

It will be interesting to learn how my choices are shaped by many different forces, visible and invisible.
june_spirit2628 at hotmail dot com

Anonymous said...

my choice what to major in college was difficult - there were many subjects I was interested in, but my ultimate path led me to science
june_spirit2628 at hotmail dot com

Wendi P said...

OMGoodness this book sounds so interesting! I am very curious about
learning about the relationship between choice and freedom, and why one doesn't always go with the other. Thanks to you and Hachette for the chance to win this book!

Wendi P said...

OMGoodness this book sounds so interesting! I am very curious about
learning about the relationship between choice and freedom, and why one doesn't always go with the other. Thanks to you and Hachette for the chance to win this book!

Wendi P said...

I follow you on google friend, thanks!

Wendi P said...

I tweeted this giveaway, thanks again :-)

http://twitter.com/WendiP/status/15138514860

Wendi P said...

I have the hardest time making choices. Even on a menu, please give me just 2 choices and I will be less neurotic making that choice.

A good choice I made was to go back to school when I was 27 years old. I got my nursing degree :-)

CLICK HERE TO
SEE MY POLICY