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Anatomy of Foolishness

The Overlooked Problem of Risk-Unawareness

Anatomy of Foolishness cover

Anatomy of Foolishness

The Overlooked Problem of Risk-Unawareness

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Description

Just days after publishing his first book on the theory of foolishness, Stephen Greenspan learned that he had been hoodwinked by Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, or more accurately the Madoff “feeder” fund he invested in. Greenspan published a featured essay on the topic in the Wall Street Journal a few weeks later, and that essay was widely cited and attracted great interest for Greenspan’s ideas about gullibility and in the United States and many other countries. Greenspan’s new book, The Anatomy of Foolishness, explains why and how individuals (of all ages and levels of intelligence) and organizations act in ways that undermine their interests and even their continued existence. He examines three types of foolishness, using vivid examples to illustrate each, including the many foolish actions of US President Donald Trump. Greenspan presents a multidimensional theory of foolishness that contributes to the literature on human competence, and this book is likely to attract broad interest in the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, political science, and psychiatry as well as among those members of the general public (basically everyone) who have acted foolishly or know someone who has acted in a way that went against their own interests.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ...

Foreword, by Robert B. Shilkret ...

Preface ...

Acknowledgments ...
Part I.Overview of Foolishness ...
OnePopular and Religious Conceptions of Foolishness ...
TwoFoolishness as Inattention to Risk ...
ThreeAn Explanatory Model of Human Foolishness ...
FourFactors That Contribute to Foolish Action ...
Part II.Forms of Foolishness ...
FivePractical Foolishness ...
SixNon-induced Social Foolishness ...
SevenInduced Social Foolishness ...
Part III.Implications of Foolishness ..
EightFoolishness in Collectivities ...
NineFoolishness in Vulnerable Populations ...
TenFoolishness and Crime ...
Part IV.From Foolishness to Wisdom ...
ElevenWhat Makes Donald Trump a Fool? ...
TwelveSome Advice for Surmounting Foolishness ...
ThirteenIn Pursuit of Common Sense ...

References ...

Index …
About the Authors ...

Product details

Published 04 Oct 2019
Format Paperback
Edition 1st
Extent 268
ISBN 9780761871620
Imprint Hamilton Books
Illustrations 6 charts;
Dimensions 226 x 151 mm
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Stephen Greenspan

Stephen Greenspan is professor emeritus of educati…

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