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Loading... The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Lessby Barry Schwartz
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. In a society where anything is possible, picking just one thing can be overwhelming. This book vividly details the causality of anxiety in choice of plenty and sites remedies in appreciating the everyday. This book is an excellent source on the road to finding satisfaction in the culture of abundance, as it is well written and sited. (  )Sovranty | May 10, 2009 |   A wonderful book that argues that while some choice is a good thing, too much choice makes us very unhappy. It shows us in what parts of our lives we get too much choice, and what psychological mechanisms play a part, and some ways we can stop ourselves from sufering more than necessary. Recommended. (  )wester | Jul 17, 2008 | Paradox of Choice offers an interesting theory that there is such thing as too much choice, and shows how choice restricts freedom albeit not convincingly. Still it is thought provoking, and some people who are sure they need to have the 'best' choice (a.k.a the perfect choice, just another more narrow version of perfectionism) are people who suffer. The author calls them maximizers. The author then argues that the unlimited choice actually creates maximizers, and this is the part that is unconvincing. My own struggles with perfectionism lead me to believe that perfectionism is not always pervasive. Perfectionism with regard to the knowledge I have and the way I express it, but never with my choices of clothing or groceries (I guess I am not a maximizer), but yes with my choice of computer and computer games/software/hardware (so yes a maximizer here). So, maximizers are not always pervasive. Yes, agreed that the seemingly unlimited choice is sometimes irritating, but you have to try the jeans or khakis on before you leave anyway (different manufacturers have different ideas of sizing). So, I still think the problem lies with the PERCEPTION and not with the seemingly UNLIMITED CHOICE itself. Being able to make decisions easily is one of the attractive qualities of a leader, and since most of the society is at least somewhat lacking in leadership abilities it is not surprising that the society has trouble choosing the 'good enough' (author calls them satisficers) choices rather than anguishing over the 'best' choice. With that said, this book deserves 4 stars. (It made me think about other ways in which I COULD express my perfectionism, but thank goodness, I have up till now chosen not to.) ( )fullhouse7 | Jul 8, 2008 | A solid read in the same vein as 'Blink', 'The Tipping Point, and 'The Wisdom of Crowds'. I think a lot of my life is based on the philosophy this book espouses... My Dad thinks my motto at restaurants is "He knows what he likes and he likes what he knows". This seems to go along with this book's position of satisficing when a menu of options is large. Some noteworthy quotes: "A New Yorker piece about this phenomenon identified at least six different kinds of casual: active casual, rugged casual, sporty casual, dressy casual, smart casual, and business casual. As writer John Seabrook put it, "This may be the most depressing thing about the casual movement: no clothing is casual anymore." - pg 36 "One way of achieving this goal is by keeping wonderful experiences rare. No matter what you can afford, save great wine for special occassions. No matter what you can afford, make that perfectly cut, elegantly styled, silk blouse a special treat. This may seem like an exercise in self-denial, but I don't think it is. On the contrary, it's a way to make sure that you can continue to experience pleasure. What's the point of great meals, great wines, and great blouses if they don't make you feel great?" - pg187 ( )dvf1976 | Apr 23, 2008 | The information in the book was interesting, but the writing was not great. It was like the author (who is a college professor) had someone transcribe his lectures for the semester, and he then did slight editing to make a book. Something was missing. And he referenced points, like "wouldn't it be interesting to know...?" and never followed up-fine for a class, but I would expect an author to do that. (  )lfamous | Apr 18, 2008 | 0.458 seconds to build listing  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0060005696, Paperback)In the spirit of Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock, a social critique of our obsession with choice, and how it contributes to anxiety, dissatisfaction and regret. This paperback includes a new P.S. section with author interviews, insights, features, suggested readings, and more. Whether we’re buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long-distance carrier, applying to college, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions--both big and small--have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented. (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:20 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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