Why We Ask Why

An insightful and compelling look at the cognitive science of explanation, revealing why humans crave explanation, what role it plays in our lives, and how we can do it better.

Humans are explanation-seeking creatures. We wonder why there's traffic, why a friend behaved a certain way, why the sky is blue, and—in moments of existential reflection—why we are here. Renowned cognitive scientist Tania Lombrozo has turned this explanation-seeking tendency back on itself to ask: Why do humans explain? What does explanation do for us? And, most importantly, how can we do it better?

Lombrozo explores the role that this overlooked cognitive process plays for each of us as we engage with others and the world around us. She reveals what makes some explanations more satisfying than others, why we seek simpler explanations (and whether we should), how explanations drive learning and science, and how explanations give meaning to the world. Along the way, she provides crucial tools for becoming better producers and consumers of explanations.

Astute, thought-provoking, and constantly surprising, Why We Ask Why is a book that offers explanations for questions you didn't even know you had.