Sign-In
Cart
Decision-Making and Biases: Understanding the Mind Behind Our Choices
Paperback
Please select the version of book you would like to purchase.
ISBN13: 9798194992515
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Aug 26 2026
Pages: 360
Weight: 1.06
Height: 0.75 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Aug 26 2026
Pages: 360
Weight: 1.06
Height: 0.75 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
DECISION-MAKING AND BIASES
UNDERSTANDING THE MIND BEHIND OUR CHOICES
Decision-Making and Biases is a practical exploration of one of the most important abilities in human life: the ability to make sound choices. Every day, people make hundreds of decisions, ranging from simple everyday choices to complex decisions about careers, relationships, money, health, leadership, business, and the future. Some decisions are deliberate and carefully considered, while others are automatic, emotional, habitual, or influenced by the behaviour and opinions of others. Although we often believe that we make decisions rationally, psychology and behavioural science demonstrate that our judgement is frequently shaped by hidden mental forces.
UNDERSTANDING THE MIND BEHIND OUR CHOICES
Decision-Making and Biases is a practical exploration of one of the most important abilities in human life: the ability to make sound choices. Every day, people make hundreds of decisions, ranging from simple everyday choices to complex decisions about careers, relationships, money, health, leadership, business, and the future. Some decisions are deliberate and carefully considered, while others are automatic, emotional, habitual, or influenced by the behaviour and opinions of others. Although we often believe that we make decisions rationally, psychology and behavioural science demonstrate that our judgement is frequently shaped by hidden mental forces.
This book begins by examining how the human mind makes decisions. It explores conscious and unconscious thinking, fast and slow thinking, memory, emotion, instinct, intuition, and mental shortcuts known as heuristics. These mechanisms allow the brain to process enormous amounts of information efficiently, but they can also produce predictable errors. The book explains why intelligent and experienced people can still make poor decisions and why perfect rationality is difficult in a world characterised by limited information, limited attention, time pressure, and uncertainty.
The second part examines the psychology of cognitive bias. Readers are introduced to confirmation bias, anchoring, availability, representativeness, overconfidence, the illusion of control, and loss aversion. These biases influence how people interpret information, estimate probabilities, evaluate risks, judge other people, negotiate prices, invest money, and respond to opportunities and threats. The book emphasises that biases are not simply signs of ignorance or poor intelligence. They are often natural features of human cognition. The objective is therefore not to eliminate every bias, but to recognize when bias may be influencing judgment.
The book then explores major decision-making biases in greater depth, including status quo bias, default bias, the sunk cost fallacy, hindsight bias, outcome bias, recency bias, framing effects, contrast effects, herd behavior, social proof, authority bias, and groupthink. Readers learn how these tendencies operate in everyday situations and how they can cause people to continue failing projects, resist necessary change, follow crowds, defend existing beliefs, or judge past decisions unfairly.
The discussion moves from theory to real-life applications. Decision-making in personal life is examined through career choices, marriage and relationships, parenting, lifestyle, health, and major life transitions. Financial decisions are explored through emotional spending, market timing, herd behavior, loss aversion, overconfidence, and confirmation bias. Business and management decisions receive particular attention, including hiring, promotion, leadership, negotiation, strategic planning, risk assessment, innovation, and organizational resistance.
The book also examines decisions in politics, media, and public opinion. Polarization, selective exposure, propaganda, misinformation, social-media algorithms, emotional headlines, and persuasive framing can significantly influence what people believe and how they act. Developing media literacy and independent thinking becomes essential in an environment where information is abundant but reliable knowledge is not always easy to identify.
Another important theme is decision-making under pressure. Crisis situations, stress, time pressure, emergencies, and high-stakes choices can narrow attention and intensify emotional reactions.
The second part examines the psychology of cognitive bias. Readers are introduced to confirmation bias, anchoring, availability, representativeness, overconfidence, the illusion of control, and loss aversion. These biases influence how people interpret information, estimate probabilities, evaluate risks, judge other people, negotiate prices, invest money, and respond to opportunities and threats. The book emphasises that biases are not simply signs of ignorance or poor intelligence. They are often natural features of human cognition. The objective is therefore not to eliminate every bias, but to recognize when bias may be influencing judgment.
The book then explores major decision-making biases in greater depth, including status quo bias, default bias, the sunk cost fallacy, hindsight bias, outcome bias, recency bias, framing effects, contrast effects, herd behavior, social proof, authority bias, and groupthink. Readers learn how these tendencies operate in everyday situations and how they can cause people to continue failing projects, resist necessary change, follow crowds, defend existing beliefs, or judge past decisions unfairly.
The discussion moves from theory to real-life applications. Decision-making in personal life is examined through career choices, marriage and relationships, parenting, lifestyle, health, and major life transitions. Financial decisions are explored through emotional spending, market timing, herd behavior, loss aversion, overconfidence, and confirmation bias. Business and management decisions receive particular attention, including hiring, promotion, leadership, negotiation, strategic planning, risk assessment, innovation, and organizational resistance.
The book also examines decisions in politics, media, and public opinion. Polarization, selective exposure, propaganda, misinformation, social-media algorithms, emotional headlines, and persuasive framing can significantly influence what people believe and how they act. Developing media literacy and independent thinking becomes essential in an environment where information is abundant but reliable knowledge is not always easy to identify.
Another important theme is decision-making under pressure. Crisis situations, stress, time pressure, emergencies, and high-stakes choices can narrow attention and intensify emotional reactions.
Also from
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
The Power of Now: Building a Life of Purpose and Continuous Learning
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$12.00
LalitĀ SahasranĀma: The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$13.20
The Last Cigarette: How to Stop Smoking for Good by Becoming Someone Who Doesn't
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$19.20
People Forget That You Forgot Them: Because Not All Goodbyes Are Spoken
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$12.00
If You Ever Feel 'Stuck' in Life: Emphasize on the Solution Rather Than the Problem
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$12.00
The Remedies of Mind: A Complete Guide to Mental Healing and Cognitive Restoration
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$21.60
Freedom from Life's Complexities: A Practical Guide to Living Simply and Finding Inner Peace
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$18.00
Not All Friends Are Forever: Why I Let Go, What I Learned, and How I Grew
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$12.00
Rise Again: The Real Meaning of Success: How Resilience, Not Perfection, Defines the Path to Victory
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$13.20
The Power of Not Speaking: Psychological Wisdom for When Silence Speaks Loudest
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$14.40
Pain Is a Harsh Teacher, But an Honest One: How Life's Hardest Lessons Shape the Strongest Souls
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$15.60
Ekam SAT Vipra Bahudha Vadanti: Truth Is One; The Wise Call It by Many Names
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$14.40
Different, Not Wrong: How Embracing Diverse Perspectives Can Transform Relationships and Society
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$15.60
Positive by Choice: Proven Ways to Train Your Mind for Joy, Resilience, and Growth
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$14.40
Nobody Can Insult You Without Your Consent: Mastering the Art of Emotional Immunity and Inner Dignity
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$14.40
The Psychology Tricks to Make You Powerful: A Complete Guide to Ethical Influence and Personal Mastery
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$15.60
The Lucifer Paradox: Why Morality Fails in the Face of Power and Pressure
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$12.00
The Contagious Effects of Stress: How We Catch Each Other's Anxiety and What We Can Do to Stop the Spread
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$14.40
Every Struggle Teaches Something: A Journey from Self-Doubt to Self-Mastery
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$19.20
94: The Sacred Mathematics of Karma: Ancient Wisdom from the Burning Ghats of Varanasi
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$21.60
Meet Yourself on a Bad Day: What Difficult Days Reveal About Who You Really Are
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$22.80
The Essence of Yoga Vashistha: Non-Dual Wisdom for Liberation, Living, and Self-Inquiry
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$48.00
Economic Sanctions: The Global Weapon of Financial Power, Economic Pressure, and Geopolitical Strategy
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$48.00
The Teachings of Upanishads: A Journey Into Ancient Wisdom and Self-Realization
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$24.00
Living Between Birth and Death: A Spiritual Exploration Through the Lens of the Bhagavad Gita
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$13.20
The Temples, Their Rise and Fall: A Journey Through Sacred Stones, Lost Glory, and Living Faith
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$19.20
Leelan and the Shimmering Book: A Tale of Questions, Courage, and the Magic Within
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$10.80
Galactorrhoea: A Comprehensive Guide for Patients, Clinicians, Students, and Caregivers
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$19.20
The Measure of Our Humanity: Exploring What Defines and Elevates Our Human Character
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$15.60
People Forget That You Forgot Them: The Quiet Art of Letting Go, Healing from Forgotten Connections, and Reclaiming Your Life
Jayalwal, Hem Raj Sharma
Paperback
$20.40
Also in
Business General
Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition
Switzler, Al
Grenny, Joseph
Patterson, Kerry
Paperback
$11.99
The Pig and I: The Tale of Our Relationship with a Beast We Eat
Endresen, Kristoffer Hattleland
Hardcover
From $10.99
Inspired: Understanding Creativity: A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul
Richtel, Matt
Hardcover
$28.49
Quiet Girls Can Run the World: Owning Your Power When You're Not the Alpha in the Room
Holman, Rebecca
Paperback
$27.00
Inclusive Conversations: Fostering Equity, Empathy, and Belonging Across Differences
Winters, Mary-Frances
Paperback
$22.75
Disney's Land: Walt Disney and the Invention of the Amusement Park That Changed the World
Richard Snow
Hardcover
$10.99
Climb: Taking Every Step with Conviction, Courage, and Calculated Risk to Achieve a Thriving Career and a Successful Life
Brown, Carolyn M.
Gadsden-Williams, Michelle
Paperback
$15.15
The Token: Common Sense Ideas for Increasing Diversity in Your Organization
Farmer, Crystal Byrd
Paperback
$14.24
Paris Chic & Trendy: Designers' Studios, Hip Boutiques, Vintage Shops
Ribes-Tiphaine, Adrienne
Paperback
$6.99
The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI: How to Think about Artificial Intelligence--Before It's Too Late
Doctorow, Cory
Paperback
$16.20
The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking about
Robbins, Mel
Robbins, Sawyer
Hardcover
From $17.99
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect
Guidara, Will
Hardcover
From $11.99
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself, Updated and Expanded (Featuring How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen)
Review, Harvard Business
Drucker, Peter F.
Gallo, Amy
Paperback
$25.60
The Risk Worth Taking: A Story of Breaking Free and Trading for a Life You Love
Ijeoma, Teri
Hardcover
$23.75
Focused & Fearless Leadership: Preventing the Crisis Before It Starts
Overton, Melissa Godwin
Paperback
$18.95
The Retire Sooner Method: The 5 Secrets Behind America's Happiest (and Unhappiest) Retirees
Moss, Wes
Hardcover
$21.80
1873: The Rothschilds, the First Great Depression, and the Making of the Modern World
Ahamed, Liaquat
Hardcover
$28.80
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness, Updated and Expanded (Featuring How to Stop Worrying about What Other People Think of You by Michael Gervais)
Review, Harvard Business
Gervais, Michael
Duckworth, Angela L.
Paperback
$25.60
The Goal: 40th Anniversary Edition: A Process of Ongoing Improvement
Cox, Jeff
Goldratt, Eliyahu M.
Paperback
$23.70
Take Breaks, Work Better: Measure Impact, Not Hours, and Transform Your Profitability
Briggs, John
Paperback
$19.90
How to Be a Rich Old Lady: Your Guide to Easy Investing, Building Wealth, and Creating the Wild, Beautiful Life You Want
Holden, Amanda
Hardcover
$27.00
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
Grenny, Joseph
McMillan, Ron
Patterson, Kerry
Paperback
$22.80
How We Could: The Framework to Lead Without Drama, Build Alignment, and Call Teams to Greatness
Dorr, Alex
Hardcover
$26.55
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Leadership, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Begin with Trust by Frances X. Frei and Anne Morriss)
Review, Harvard Business
Edmondson, Amy C.
Ibarra, Herminia
Paperback
$25.60
The Everywhere Millionaire: Who Is Really Rich in America and How They Got There
Zidar, Owen
Zwick, Eric
Hardcover
$31.34
Money Unlocked: How to Make It, Keep It and Multiply It: The New York Times Bestseller
Lee, John
Paperback
$18.04
The Freedom-Based Business Method: Reset, Systemize, and Realign Your Business to Live a Life of Harmony
Ellis, Natalie
Hardcover
$26.59
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
Holiday, Ryan
Hanselman, Stephen
Hardcover
From $12.99
Surrender to Lead: The Counterintuitive Approach to Driving Extraordinary Results
Kriegel, Jessica
Terry, Joe
Hardcover
$28.49
The Courage to Commit: Embrace the Radical Power of Sticking with Something
East, Andrew
Johnson, Shawn
Hardcover
$30.40
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (Pmbok(r) Guide) -- Eighth Edition and the Standard for Project Management
Project Management Institute
Paperback
$113.05
Who Moved My Cheese?: An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life
Johnson, Spencer
Hardcover
$26.60
The Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis, Deepmind, and the Quest for Superintelligence
Mallaby, Sebastian
Hardcover
$28.80
Conversation: How to Connect with Anyone & Make Every Interaction Count
Van Edwards, Vanessa
Hardcover
$30.40
The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you
Fitzpatrick, Rob
Paperback
$23.99
The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy
Danko, William D., PH. D.
Stanley, Thomas J., PH. D.
Paperback
From $11.99
Dummies Guide to Starting Your Own Business: Essential Steps to Launching and Scaling a Successful Small Business Venture
Press, Essywrites
Paperback
$15.59
7-Figure Educator: Turn Your Experience as an Educator Into Income, Impact, and Freedom
Jordan-Thomas, Erica
Paperback
$18.99
Get Scalable: The Operating System Your Business Needs To Run and Scale Without You
Deiss, Ryan
Paperback
$18.00
Confidence (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Review, Harvard Business
Kanter, Rosabeth Moss
Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas
Paperback
$18.99
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, and Change the Way You Lead Forever
Stanier, Michael Bungay
Paperback
$16.10
What the Heck Is Eos?: A Complete Guide for Employees in Companies Running on EOS
Wickman, Gino
Bouwer, Tom
Hardcover
From $11.99
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It
Voss, Chris
Raz, Tahl
Hardcover
From $14.99
I Will Teach You to Be Rich: No Guilt. No Excuses. Just a 6-Week Program That Works (Second Edition)
Sethi, Ramit
Paperback
From $11.99
Twenty Minutes Is the New Hour: The Ambitious Woman's Guide to Doing Less and Achieving More
Hauser, Fran
Hardcover
$28.50
The Overthinker's Guide to Making Decisions: How to Make Decisions Without Losing Your Mind
Nguyen, Joseph
Hardcover
$20.90
Stop Asking for Referrals: Build a Magnetic Business Through Intentional Care & Real Relationships
McNally, Flor de Maria
Paperback
$18.99
Hábitos Atómicos: Cambios Pequeños, Resultados Extraordinarios / Atomic Habits
Clear, James
Paperback
$16.10
The Eureka Machine: Why AI Is the Key to Unlocking a New Era of Scientific Discoveries
Socher, Richard
Hardcover
$28.50
Mindful Listening (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Hougaard, Rasmus
Zenger, Jack
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
$18.99
Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong--and What You Really Need to Know
Oster, Emily
Paperback
$18.05
Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience
Brown, Brené
Hardcover
From $14.99
Influence and Persuasion (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Review, Harvard Business
Morgan, Nick
Cialdini, Robert B.
Paperback
$18.99
A Little More Social: How Small Choices Create Unexpected Happiness, Health, and Connection
Epley, Nicholas
Hardcover
$30.40
Building Great Businesses: Create Momentum, Overcome Setbacks, and Scale with Confidence
Becker, Scott
Hardcover
$20.90
Money to Burn: The Unvarnished Truth about Leon Black, Apollo, and the Rise of a New Wall Street
Cohan, William D.
Hardcover
$38.00
Crucial Accountability: Proven Skills to Build Trust, Address Disappointment, and Get Results, Third Edition
Hale, Justin
Patterson, Kerry
Grenny, Joseph
Hardcover
$20.90
Happiness (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
McKee, Annie
Gilbert, Daniel
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
$18.99
Power and Impact (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Review, Harvard Business
Cable, Dan
Bregman, Peter
Paperback
$18.99
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving in
Fisher, Roger
Ury, William
Patton, Bruce
Paperback
From $11.99
The Algorithm: The Hypergrowth Formula That Transformed Tesla, Lululemon, General Motors, and Spacex
McNeill, Jon
Hardcover
$28.50
Mindfulness (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Review, Harvard Business
Langer, Ellen
Goleman, Daniel
Paperback
$18.99
How to Work with Complicated People: Strategies for Effective Collaboration with (Nearly) Anyone
Leak, Ryan
Hardcover
$35.94
No Experience Necessary: Why Betting on Yourself in Your Twenties Is the Best Decision You'll Ever Make
Harary, Ronnen
Hardcover
$29.45
From Operator to Owner: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Running a Business That Doesn't Run You
Landry, Liz
Hardcover
$26.60
The Way of Excellence: A Guide to True Greatness and Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic World
Stulberg, Brad
Hardcover
$26.99
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Strategy, Updated and Expanded (Featuring the Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy by Michael E. Porter)
Review, Harvard Business
Porter, Michael E.
Kim, W. Chan
Paperback
$25.60
Feedback That Works: How to Build and Deliver Your Message, Second Edition
Center for Creative Leadership
Paperback
$19.94
Take It Personal: How to Succeed by Building Relationships and Playing the Long Game
Grutman, David
Hardcover
$26.60
The Phoenix Project: A Novel about It, Devops, and Helping Your Business Win
Kim, Gene
Behr, Kevin
Spafford, George
Paperback
$22.80