Book Review: Nudge by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein

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Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness, by the Nobel Prize-winning economist Richard H. Thaler and the Harvard Law School professor Cass S. Sunstein, advocates libertarian paternalism, an approach by which individuals can be steered to make better decisions without taking away their freedom of choice. According to Thaler and Sunstein, humans are subject to biases and cognitive shortcomings which prevent them from always making the best decisions. By altering the way in which choices are presented, so-called “choice architects” can make people more likely to opt for a particular choice even if everything else in the situation remains the same. The idea of nudges has important applications in public policy, and the book has proved influential in numerous fields, from economics to philosophy.

This book review and analysis is perfect for:

• Students of economics, psychology and politics

• Anyone who wants to know why we make the choices we do

• Anyone who is curious about how public policy can shape our behaviour

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