Nudge

“Self-control restrictions are easier to adopt if they take place sometime in the future. (Many of us
are planning to start diets soon, but not today.)”

1. What’s the deal?

1. Nudge is a book about choice architecture.
2. Choice architecture is about organising the context in which people make decisions.
3. In simple terms, anyone who can change a given environment to impact the actions of people interacting with the environment is a choice architect.
4. For example, a mother keeping candies on the inaccessible shelf but loading healthy snacks around the play area of her five-year-old is a choice architect.
5. This is because by making these “environmental” changes, she is increasing her child’s chances of consuming healthy snacks.
6. Similarly, someone who decides what products go on what shelf at a supermarket is a choice architect.
7. So is the menu designer at a restaurant who could put high-profit items on the first page.

2. Things we liked

1. The concept of choice architecture is quite fascinating.
2. And so is its existing (fly in the urinal is mind-boggling) and potential applications.

3. How much did we like them?

4. Things we didn’t like

1. The book doesn’t read interesting — at places, you feel you are reading a research report.
2. The style of writing comes across as defensive — for such prominent researchers to feel too careful about what “some” readers may feel is pitiful.
   1. “We are keenly aware that this term [Libertarian Paternalism] is not one that readers will find immediately endearing.”
   2. “The folks we know are not like [Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi].”
3. The book is heavily “contexted” to the US – TIAA CREF, Medicare – Prescription Drug Coverage Part D, Regulation Z, FAFSA, FTC, FHA, CARES, etc.

5. How much did we dislike them?

6. You are likely to enjoy it if…

1. You like behavioural psychology books such as Predictably Irrational (Dan Ariely), The Art of Choosing (Sheena Iyengar) but haven’t read many yet.
2. You are well-versed with American systems and jargons.
3. You don’t mind reading through value-adding research reports.

7. You may not like it if…

1. You enjoy fast-paced non-fiction (The Four by Scott Galloway).
2. You have read quite a few behavioural psychology books such as Thinking Fast & Slow (Daniel Kahneman), The Art of Thinking Clearly (Rolf Dobelli)

8. Our Rating

Give the same content to Malcolm Gladwell (Blink) or James Clear (Atomic Habits), and you would have a 4.5 starrer in your hands.