Person
Every book David McRaney recommended on podcasts
David McRaney appears on episodes of Modern Wisdom, where conversations heavily explore the science of human reasoning, psychology, belief formation, and why people change their minds. During his podcast appearance, McRaney passionately recommends Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber's The Enigma of Reason, describing it as a must-read for anyone who shares his enthusiasm for cognitive science and the mechanics of human thought. McRaney also discusses several other seminal books to contextualize his own writing and research. He references Dale Carnegie's classic self-help guide How to Win Friends and Influence People, deliberately contrasting Carnegie's title with his own book focused on how minds change rather than how to manipulate others. Additionally, McRaney examines Mercier's subsequent work, Not Born Yesterday, discussing its insights into trust, elite influence, and mob behavior. Through these recommendations and literary discussions, McRaney provides listeners with a deep dive into evolutionary psychology, cognitive biases, and the underlying social dynamics that govern human belief systems.
Books recommended by David McRaney
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The Enigma of Reason
The Enigma of Reason by Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber is a groundbreaking cognitive science book that redefines our understanding of human reasoning, arguing that reason evolved primarily for social argument rather than solitary truth-seeking.
Recommended“oh man that's hugo mercier er i keep promoting my own book but at the same time i'm asking people if you've never read the enigma of reason this is a book you should if you're like a super nerd about all this like i am like you are like you got to get the enigma of reason in your”
Where to get it
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How to Win Friends and Influence People
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is a classic self-help guide focused on interpersonal communication, relationship building, and effective persuasion.
Discussed“yeah like i think the reason i like to talk about it like this is oh though this book is about how minds change and i was very adamant that that would be the co the cover the title that would be how minds change not how to change people's minds i did not want to write a book that”
Where to get it
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Not Born Yesterday
Not Born Yesterday by Hugo Mercier is a cognitive science book that argues humans are far less gullible than commonly assumed, utilizing evolutionary psychology to explain how people evaluate information and trust elites.
Discussed“uh he's also written another book since then called uh uh not born yesterday about uh trust and elites and things like that uh about mob behavior and and the things that he basically makes a case against it”
Where to get it
Books David McRaney wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where Do Our Beliefs Come From? - David McRaney - #493 | Modern Wisdom | 2022-06-30 | 4 |
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“yeah like i think the reason i like to talk about it like this is oh though this book is about how minds change and i was very adamant that that would be the co the cover the title that would be how minds change not how to change people's minds”
“how minds change the new book uh how minds change the surprising science of belief opinion and persuasion i had to actually look at the book just now to remember what what the full title was uh it's an actual real thing that i can hold um the that you can find at davemcrainy.com or just anywhere that books are”