The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less Paperback - 2005
by Barry Schwartz
In the spirit of Alvin Toffler's "Future Shock," Schwartz's work is a "brilliant" ("Christian Science Monitor) and "persuasive" ("Business Week") social critique of people's obsession with choice, and how it contributes to anxiety, dissatisfaction, and regret.
Summary
First line
CANNING THE SHELVES OF MY LOCAL SUPERMARKET RECENTLY, I found 85 different varieties and brands of crackers.
From the rear cover
Whether we're buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long-distance carrier, applying to college, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions both big and small have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented.
As Americans, we assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. But beware of excessive choice: choice overload can make you question the decisions you make before you even make them, it can set you up for unrealistically high expectations, and it can make you blame yourself for any and all failures. In the long run, this can lead to decision-making paralysis, anxiety, and perpetual stress. And, in a culture that tells us that there is no excuse for falling short of perfection when your options are limitless, too much choice can lead to clinical depression.InThe Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains at what point choice the hallmark of individual freedom and self-determination that we so cherish becomes detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, Schwartz shows how the dramatic explosion in choice from the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career, family, and individual needs has paradoxically become a problem instead of a solution. Schwartz also shows how our obsession with choice encourages us to seek that which makes us feel worse.
By synthesizing current research in the social sciences, Schwartz makes the counter intuitive case that eliminating choices can greatly reduce the stress, anxiety, and busyness of our lives. He offers eleven practical steps on how to limit choices to a manageable number, have the discipline to focus on those that are important and ignore the rest, and ultimately derive greater satisfaction from the choices you have to make."Details
- Title The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less
- Author Barry Schwartz
- Binding Paperback
- Edition [ Edition: Repri
- Pages 265
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Harper Perennial, New York, New York, U.S.A.
- Date 2005-01-01
- Illustrated Yes
- ISBN 9780060005696 / 0060005696
- Weight 0.55 lbs (0.25 kg)
- Dimensions 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.9 in (20.07 x 13.21 x 2.29 cm)
- Library of Congress subjects Decision making, Choice (Psychology)
- Library of Congress Catalog Number 2003053138
- Dewey Decimal Code 153.83
Media reviews
Citations
- Books & Culture, 07/01/2005, Page 36
- Ingram Advance, 01/01/2005, Page 98
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