Anatomy of Foolishness

The Overlooked Problem of Risk-Unawareness

Stephen Greenspan - Foreword by Robert B. Shilkret

Just days after publishing his first book on the theory of foolishness, Stephen Greenspan learned that he had been hoodwinked by Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, or more accurately the Madoff “feeder” fund he invested in. Greenspan published a featured essay on the topic in the Wall Street Journal a few weeks later, and that essay was widely cited and attracted great interest for Greenspan’s ideas about gullibility and in the United States and many other countries. Greenspan’s new book, The Anatomy of Foolishness, explains why and how individuals (of all ages and levels of intelligence) and organizations act in ways that undermine their interests and even their continued existence. He examines three types of foolishness, using vivid examples to illustrate each, including the many foolish actions of US President Donald Trump. Greenspan presents a multidimensional theory of foolishness that contributes to the literature on human competence, and this book is likely to attract broad interest in the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, political science, and psychiatry as well as among those members of the general public (basically everyone) who have acted foolishly or know someone who has acted in a way that went against their own interests.

Hamilton Books

Pages: 268 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-0-7618-7162-0 • Paperback • October 2019 • $31.99 • (£25.00)

978-0-7618-7163-7 • eBook • October 2019 • $30.00 • (£25.00)

Subjects: Psychology / Movements / Behaviorism, Psychology / Personality

Anatomy of Foolishness

The Overlooked Problem of Risk-Unawareness

Paperback

eBook

Summary

Just days after publishing his first book on the theory of foolishness, Stephen Greenspan learned that he had been hoodwinked by Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, or more accurately the Madoff “feeder” fund he invested in. Greenspan published a featured essay on the topic in the Wall Street Journal a few weeks later, and that essay was widely cited and attracted great interest for Greenspan’s ideas about gullibility and in the United States and many other countries. Greenspan’s new book, The Anatomy of Foolishness, explains why and how individuals (of all ages and levels of intelligence) and organizations act in ways that undermine their interests and even their continued existence. He examines three types of foolishness, using vivid examples to illustrate each, including the many foolish actions of US President Donald Trump. Greenspan presents a multidimensional theory of foolishness that contributes to the literature on human competence, and this book is likely to attract broad interest in the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, political science, and psychiatry as well as among those members of the general public (basically everyone) who have acted foolishly or know someone who has acted in a way that went against their own interests.

Details

Hamilton Books

Pages: 268 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-0-7618-7162-0 • Paperback • October 2019 • $31.99 • (£25.00)

978-0-7618-7163-7 • eBook • October 2019 • $30.00 • (£25.00)

Subjects: Psychology / Movements / Behaviorism, Psychology / Personality

Author

Stephen Greenspan is professor emeritus of educational psychology at the University of Connecticut. He serves often as an expert forensic witness in criminal and civil cases where social-cognitive impairment is a mitigating or explanatory factor. He writes a blog for Psychology Today on the topic of human incompetence.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ...

Foreword, by Robert B. Shilkret ...

Preface ...

Acknowledgments ...

Part I.Overview of Foolishness ...

OnePopular and Religious Conceptions of Foolishness ...

TwoFoolishness as Inattention to Risk ...

ThreeAn Explanatory Model of Human Foolishness ...

FourFactors That Contribute to Foolish Action ...

Part II.Forms of Foolishness ...

FivePractical Foolishness ...

SixNon-induced Social Foolishness ...

SevenInduced Social Foolishness ...

Part III.Implications of Foolishness ..

EightFoolishness in Collectivities ...

NineFoolishness in Vulnerable Populations ...

TenFoolishness and Crime ...

Part IV.From Foolishness to Wisdom ...

ElevenWhat Makes Donald Trump a Fool? ...

TwelveSome Advice for Surmounting Foolishness ...

ThirteenIn Pursuit of Common Sense ...

References ...

Index …

About the Authors ...

Reviews

Read Stephen Greenspan’s new book on foolishness. It will change your life, no fooling!
— Robert B. Shilkret, from the foreword

If there is any topic that needs a book, it is foolishness, and everyone should read Stephen Greenspan's book to learn about what may be the biggest underlying problem facing the world today. Climate change, wars, terrorism, income disparities, antibiotic resistance—all have a common source in our human tendency to allow foolishness to override our intelligence and our common sense.
— Robert J. Sternberg, Cornell University

Anatomy of Foolishness

The Overlooked Problem of Risk-Unawareness

Stephen Greenspan - Foreword by Robert B. Shilkret

Anatomy of Foolishness

The Overlooked Problem of Risk-Unawareness

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