by Catherine Zysk, reporter
M
ichael Lewis’s newest release, The Undoing Project, sheds light on the incredible men behind the still-developing field of behavioral economics—as well as the fallibility of even the most brilliant men. Whether Lewis is decoding the foreign tongues spoken by mathematicians, rabbis, doctors or Israeli paratroopers, he maintains the common language of us all: failure. With the first chapter, Lewis reveals his own failure to acknowledge the true beginnings of the ideas he put forth in his earlier exposé, Moneyball. He admits that the seeds of discovery and statistical analysis began, not in the offices of the Oakland Athletics baseball team, but with two Israeli men whom he had never heard of: Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. It is with this admission that Lewis lays the foundation of a book centered entirely on the acceptance and acknowledgment of the faults in humankind. Following his introduction to present-day statistics, Lewis goes back 40 years to tell a story of adversity and triumph, of brilliance waiting to be realized and of two men who seemed better suited for a fictional battlefield than the perceived ordinary and bland confines of non-fiction. In the aptly titled second chapter, “The Outsider,” Lewis describes the early yet remarkable life of Daniel Kahneman, drawing the reader in with his eloquent and unobtrusive prose. In these first 90 pages, I forgot I was reading at all. Instead, I was seamlessly transported into the unsteady footsteps of a Jewish boy escaping persecution within the Nazi regime, only to find a new kind 18
“Psychology was a noisy dinner party during which the guests walked past one another and changed the subject with bewildering frequency.” -Michael Lewis, author
other non-fiction writers is his uncanny ability to make readers forget not only that they are reading a book, but that they are also reading non-fiction. In lending his voice to his characters, rather than himself, Lewis brings his subjects to the forefront of every page—an act that makes him all the more impressive as a writer. Even as he delves into the often complex and nuanced language of statistical and mathematical theory, Lewis never once allows the reader to lose sight of his subject’s voice and the significance of their work. And yet, he doesn’t lose his beautiful prose with phrases like “Psychology was a noisy dinner party during which the guests walked past one another and changed the subject with bewildering frequency.” Beyond the intense focus on the human
Desig
of danger in the streets of Jerusalem. I was no longer conscious of the book in my lap or the feeling of my chair beneath my legs. As I walked with Danny Kahneman, I was conscious of nothing else but the clear and steady voice of the subject himself. This overwhelming voice is present once again in Lewis’s description of Amos Tversky. Just as he had done in his description of Kahneman, Lewis pulled me closer and closer until I was standing at the edge of a pool watching as a young Amos jumped fearlessly from the tallest board, knowing full well that he didn’t know how to swim. What sets Michael Lewis apart from
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Michael Lewis’ new book uncovers the heart within the origins of behavioral economics
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The Undoing Project reveals humanity behind brilliant discovery
Chris W
A&E
side of discovery, The Undoing Project also provides a clear and informative look at the work of Kahneman and Tversky, allowing the reader to leave with newfound understanding without having read the dense technical papers written by the duo. Furthermore, each fact carries weight and purpose, without drifting into the confusing and overcomplicated diction that often clutters works of non-fiction. Lewis consistently writes to his audience and, in doing so, he gives even the “Average Joe” the gift of experiencing the brilliance evident in Tversky and Kahneman’s work. Through all of the delightful and fascinating forays into Tversky and Kahneman’s research, Lewis weaves a tale of the kind of friendship, companionship and collaboration that we all long to attain. He reminds us that even the most brilliant man is incomplete without human connection and that sometimes, friendship and camaraderie are stronger and more significant than any award or title bestowed. In this sense, The Undoing Project is more about love than about science. It teaches us that progress is irrevocably intertwined with friendship, that success is a symptom of joy, rather than its catalyst, and that the beauty of humankind is found in its imperfections.
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Page design by Bryan Chung
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