1
of
1
Rationality
What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 6,237 ratings, 711 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2700
$3000
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER
Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks
Found a better price? Request a price match
Rationality
$2700
$3000
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
A user's guide to rationality during an epidemic of unreason
In the twenty-first century, humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding—and at the same time appears to be losing its mind. How can a species that discovered vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, quack cures, and conspiracy theorising?
In Rationality, Pinker rejects the cynical cliché that humans are simply an irrational species. After all, we discovered the laws of nature, lengthened and enriched our lives, and set the benchmarks for rationality itself. Instead, he explains, we think in ways that suit the low-tech contexts in which we spend most of our lives but fail to take advantage of the powerful tools of reasoning we have built up over millennia—logic, critical thinking, probability, and decision-making under uncertainty. These tools are not a standard part of our educational curricula and have never been presented clearly and entertainingly in a single book—until now.
Rationality matters. It leads to better choices in our lives and in the public sphere, and is the ultimate driver of social justice and moral progress. Brimming with insight and humour, Rationality will enlighten, inspire, and empower.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Rationality by Steven Pinker has received praise for its engaging and insightful introduction to the tools of rational thought. Reviews highlight Pinker's adeptness at explaining complex concepts in a clear and entertaining manner, underscoring the book's potential as an educational resource. It is described as punchy, funny, and capable of enriching the reader's understanding of probability theory, psychological biases, and the importance of reason.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780141989860
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 30 August 2022
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 25.0mm
Width: 130.0mm
Height: 200.0mm
Weight: 316g
Pages: 432
About the Author
Steven Pinker is an experimental cognitive scientist. Currently Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard, he has also taught at Stanford and MIT. He has won many prizes for his research, teaching, and his eleven books, including The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, The Blank Slate, The Better Angels of Our Nature, and Enlightenment Now. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, a Humanist of the Year, a recipient of nine honorary doctorates, one of Foreign Policy's 'World's Top 100 Public Intellectuals' and Time's '100 Most Influential People in the World Today'.
Also by Steven Pinker
View all-
The Blank Slate
The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker delves into the age-old debate on human nature, challenging the widely held notion that humans are born as a blank slate upon which experience writes, shaping who we are. Pinker, a renowned cognitive scientist, presents a compelling argument that human behaviour is significantly influenced by genetic factors and an inherited human nature, rather than...Paperback$2800Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows...
One of the world's greatest thinkers investigates the logic and psychology of common knowledge. As a cognitive scientist, the ultimate subject of Steven Pinker's fascination is how we think about each other's thoughts, ad infinitum. It sounds impossible, but Steven Pinker shows that we do it all the time. This awareness, which we experience as something that is public or...Paperback$3599Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Better Angels of Our Nature
The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker is a compelling exploration into the history of human violence and the influence of modernity on our social behaviours. Without giving away any spoilers, this thought-provoking book makes a robust argument that, despite the prevalent images of conflict and war we see today, humankind has been on a gradual path towards...Paperback$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Enlightenment Now
In Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker, one of the world's foremost thinkers and cognitive scientists embarks on a compelling exploration of human progress, arguing that despite the seemingly chaotic headlines dominating today’s media landscape, humanity has experienced dramatic advancements. Pinker confronts the widespread belief that the modern world is heading towards disaster by presenting a fact-driven narrative that showcases the...Paperback$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Language Instinct
How do babies learn to speak? Why are there so many languages? Do we think in our mother tongue? Who decides what's correct English? How did language evolve? In this landmark book, The Language Instinct, Steven Pinker explains the mysteries of language within a coherent theory—that language is an adaptation for communication. 'Dazzling... Pinker's big idea is that language is...Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
How the Mind Works
How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker delves into the intricate workings of the human mind, presenting a comprehensive exploration of mental life. Pinker, a renowned cognitive scientist, argues that our minds are not enigmatic but rather intricate systems of computational organs shaped by natural selection. This thought-provoking book examines key aspects of human cognition, including vision, emotion, language, and...Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Sense of Style
The bestselling author of The Language Instinct deploys his gift for explaining difficult ideas in a short and entertaining writing guide for the 21st century. Bad writing can't be blamed on the Internet, or on 'the kids today'. Good writing has always been hard — a performance requiring pretense, empathy, and a drive for coherence. In The Sense of Style,...Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows...
One of the world's greatest thinkers investigates the logic and psychology of common knowledge As a cognitive scientist, the ultimate subject of Steven Pinker's fascination is how we think about each other's thoughts, ad infinitum. It sounds impossible, but Steven Pinker shows that we do it all the time. This awareness, which we experience as something that is public or...Hardback$7000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
More from Science & Nature
View all-
Murder Under the Mistletoe
BOOK 4 IN THE BESTSELLING CANON CLEMENT MYSTERY SERIES 'The best of the new cosy crime writers' Daily Telegraph 'You'll want to take a front row pew in Champton while this delicious series unfolds' Janice Hallett It is Christmas Day and at Champton Rectory, Canon Daniel Clement and his mother Audrey are joined by the residents and guests of the...Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
John and Paul
THE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 'A triumph.' Deborah Levy, New Statesman 'Tremendous.' Alwyn Turner, The Times 'Revelatory.' Simon Schama, Financial Times 'The gold standard of Beatles books.' Anthony Quinn, Observer 'As enthralling and astonishing as their music.' Jon Dennis, Sunday Telegraph 'A masterpiece.' Dylan Jones, Evening Standard '[Ian Leslie]...Paperback$2800Elsewhere:$3299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Raising Hare
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2025 SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 SHORTLISTED FOR THE HATCHARDS AND BIOGRAPHERS' CLUB FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE A BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE HAY FESTIVAL, SUNDAY TIMES, THE TIMES, FINANCIAL TIMES, SPECTATOR AND iNEWS 'A beautiful book' - ANGELINA JOLIE 'I...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
What If? 10th Anniversary Edition
CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF THE MILLION-SELLING POP SCIENCE CLASSIC WITH A SPECIAL EDITION. THIS IS WHAT IF? . . . x10. THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Nerd royalty' — BEN GOLDACRE 'Totally brilliant' — TIM HARFORD 'Required reading across the world' — NEW YORK TIMES From the creator of the wildly popular xkcd.com, experience hilarious and informative answers to important questions...Hardback$4200Elsewhere:$5000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Nuclear War
The Sunday Times bestselling non-fiction thriller that has to be read to be believed. Baillie Gifford shortlisted, a favourite of Steven Bartlett, with an average reader rating of 4.6, sure to be a mass-market hit. Up to now, no one outside of official circles has known exactly what would happen if a rogue state launched a nuclear missile at the...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Anxious Generation
A powerful argument for reclaiming childhood—and all human relationships—from the online world, from the influential social psychologist and international bestselling author. Jonathan Haidt has spent his career speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most difficult spaces—communities polarised by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the mental health emergency hitting teenagers today in many countries around...Paperback$2299Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Prisoners of Geography
Prisoners of Geography looks at the past, present, and future to offer crucial insights into one of the major factors that determine world history – because if you don’t know geography, you’ll never have the full picture. Originally published in 2015, this completely revised and updated edition brings it up to date with the events and trends of the past...Paperback$2899Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Booker PrizeOrbital
Winner of the Booker Prize 2024. Chair of the judges, Edmund de Waal, describes the winner as 'a book about a wounded world' adding that the panel's 'unanimity about Orbital recognises its beauty and ambition'. Life on our planet as you've never seen it before. A team of astronauts in the International Space Station collect meteorological data, conduct scientific experiments...Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Diddly Squat: Home to Roost
It's been another memorable year on Diddly Squat Farm - will the chickens finally come home to roost? Welcome back to Clarkson's Farm. The spring crop failed. Farming sheep, pigs, and cows was hardly more lucrative (better off breeding ostriches...) But in the face of uncooperative weather, bureaucracy, and the world's persistent refusal to recognise his genius, our hero's not...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Place of Tides
To save the world, we have to start somewhere. One afternoon many years ago, James Rebanks met an old woman on a remote Norwegian island. She lived and worked alone on a tiny rocky outcrop, caring for wild ducks and gathering their down. Hers was a centuries-old trade that had once made men and women rich, but had long been...Paperback$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Ultra-Processed People
Launching the runaway bestseller with ambitions to be the biggest non-fiction paperback of the year IT'S NOT YOU. IT'S THE FOOD. "If you only read one diet or nutrition book in your life, make it this one" - Bee Wilson "You've got to get this book in your life . . . Completely compelling . . . Read a page...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Island of Missing Trees
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak is a captivating and poignant novel that delves into the intertwined lives of two star-crossed lovers in war-torn Cyprus and their enduring legacy decades later. This Sunday Times bestselling novel intricately weaves themes of love, loss, and identity amidst a backdrop of cultural and historical turmoil. Set in 1974 on the island...Paperback$2300Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
