Nudge
Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness
by Richard H. Thaler & Cass R. Sunstein
Synopsis
Two University of Chicago scholars argue that small changes in the way choices are presented — defaults, framing, ordering — can substantially improve decisions in health, retirement savings, organ donation, and more, without restricting freedom of choice.
Editorial review
Thaler and Sunstein's book founded 'libertarian paternalism' as a serious approach to public policy. Whether or not you accept the philosophy, the operational lessons — defaults are decisions, choice architecture is unavoidable — are essential.
Key takeaways
- 1
There is no neutral way to present a choice; you are always nudging.
- 2
Defaults dominate behavior in domains of friction and uncertainty.
- 3
Small design changes can produce large welfare gains in aggregate.
- 4
Liberty and good design are not opposed.
The right reader
Public officials, product designers, HR leaders, anyone who designs systems people use under stress.
What it touches
How it reads
Policy-minded, accessible.
Reading difficulty: Moderate
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