Drunk Tank Pink
And Other Unexpected Forces That Shape How We Think, Feel, and Behave
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3.4 • 45 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
A New York Times bestseller!
A revelatory look at how our environment unconsciously yet dramatically shapes the judgments and decisions we make every day
Most of us go through life believing that we are in control of the choices we make—that we think and behave almost independently from the world around us. But as Drunk Tank Pink illustrates, the truth is our environment shapes our thoughts and actions in myriad ways without our permission or even our knowledge. Armed with surprising data and endlessly fascinating examples, Adam Alter addresses the subtle but substantial ways in which outside forces influence us—such as color’s influence on mood, our bias in favor of names with which we identify, and how sunny days can induce optimism as well as aggression. Drunk Tank Pink proves that the truth behind our feelings and actions goes much deeper than the choices we take for granted every day.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Quick: think of a light bulb. Inspired by the titular pink of the book a hue believed to reduce physical violence Alter explores a range of subtle, immaterial factors that can produce very real changes in behavior, mood, and even intelligence. The author's examples are diverse: from direct environmental cues such as colored light or visual symbols like light bulbs (found to aid the solving of insight-based exercises) to more complex phenomena like built environments, labels, and social isolation. Alter, a social psychologist and professor at NYU, not only explains the source of many cognitive quirks, but convincingly argues that comprehending them affords a better understanding of broader behaviors, from cyclical poverty to altruism. Some of these experiments will be familiar to readers a chapter on naming builds on research explained in Freakonomics, and his discussion of groupthink begins with a recounting of the Kitty Genovese murder. But in Alter's hands, these case studies take on new life the famous "two line" optical illusion opens into a fascinating explication of the perceptual effects of living in "geometric interiors." Alter fluently moves between psychology, medicine, and cultural history, offering surprises to readers at many levels of expertise.
Customer Reviews
It was alright
This would, however, be an amazing book to read or be read in a sociology class! I personally only found it ok because I only found a few studies I could relate to and certain parts either drawled on or were repetitive. I also expected more from the color part as the title gives a curious color name. Not a bad read, just not as enthralling as I expected from the acclaims.