The Intelligence Trap: Why Smart People Make Dumb Mistakes

by David Robson

Overview

An eye-opening examination of the stupid things smart people do—and how to cultivate skills to protect ourselves from error.

Smart people are not only just as prone to making mistakes as everyone else, they may be even more susceptible to them. This is the "intelligence trap," the subject of David Robson’s fascinating and provocative book.

The Intelligence Trap explores cutting-edge ideas in our understanding of intelligence and expertise, including "strategic ignorance," "meta-forgetfulness," and "functional stupidity." Robson reveals the surprising ways that even the brightest minds and most talented organizations can go wrong—from some of Thomas Edison’s worst ideas to failures at NASA, Nokia, and the FBI. And he offers practical advice to avoid mistakes based on the timeless lessons of Benjamin Franklin, Richard Feynman, and Daniel Kahneman.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393651423
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	08/06/2019
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	868,462
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 6.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

David Robson has worked as an editor at New Scientist and BBC Future, and his writing has appeared in the Atlantic, the Observer, and the Washington Post. He lives in London.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part 1 The downsides of intelligence: How a high IQ, education, and expertise can fuel stupidity

1 The rise and fall of the Termites: What intelligence is-and what it is not 11

2 Entangled arguments: The dangers of "dysrationalia" 38

3 The curse of knowledge: The beauty and fragility of the expert mind 65

Part 2 Escaping the intelligence trap: A toolkit for reasoning and decision making

4 Moral algebra: Toward the science of evidence-based wisdom 89

5 Your emotional compass: The power of self-reflection 115

6 A bullshit detection kit: How to recognize lies and misinformation 138

Part 3 The art of successful learning: How evidence-based wisdom can improve your memory

7 Tortoises and hares: Why smart people fail to learn 167

8 The benefits of eating bitter: East Asian education and the three principles of deep learning 190

Part 4 The folly and wisdom of the crowd: How teams and organizations can avoid the intelligence trap

9 The makings of a "dream team": How to build a supergroup 215

10 Stupidity spreading like wildfire: Why disasters occur-and how to stop them 238

Epilogue 261

Appendix: Taxonomies of Stupidity and Wisdom 265

Notes 271

Acknowledgments 311

Illustration Credits 313

Index 315

Editorial Reviews

06/03/2019

Science journalist and debut author Robson builds his entertaining and highly readable pop-psychology study on the perhaps dubious expectation that readers will still assume “intelligence is synonymous with good thinking” and associate good decision-making with prestigious jobs and education. Despite this relatively weak foundation, Robson exceeds expectations in his look at the pitfalls of individual and institutional intelligence, collecting a number of fascinating case studies, among them how Arthur Conan Doyle fell prey to spiritualist hoaxers and how a dysfunctional corporate culture prevented Nokia from taking the edge in the early days of smartphone development. Persuasively arguing that “general intelligence is a crucial ingredient to good thinking—but it needs many other complementary traits to truly flourish,” Robson effectively summarizes the established and emerging bodies of research that support his argument, starting with the pioneering IQ research of Lewis Terman in the early 20th century, and going on to the more recent field of “evidence-based wisdom,” dating back to the 1970s. Occasionally, the writing veers into self-help territory, with briefs for the benefit of traits such as intellectual humility, which feels discordant with Robson’s otherwise narrative work. However, he strikes the right balance between illustrative vignettes and accessible translations of complex research, delivering a smart look at intellect and its shortcomings. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"The Intelligence Trap combines mesmerizing storytelling with groundbreaking new research about why having a high IQ can backfire. Essential reading for anyone who wants to think more clearly."

Rolf Dobelli

"The Intelligence Trap is a ceaselessly fascinating book written by one of our most consistently superb science writers. Its counter-intuitive argument, that intelligence is no inoculation against wrongness, explains so much about the fractious and baffling times in which we live."

Will Storr

"I loved The Intelligence Trap. As fun to read as it is fascinating, it celebrates the power of humility and curiosity. Everyone, especially intelligent people, should read this brilliant and important book."

Anna Rosling Rönnlund

"Clearly, we need to find new and better ways to teach critical thinking and measure good judgement. Reading David Robson’s book would be a good place to start."

Wall Street Journal - Emily Bobrow

"A fascinating and enjoyable investigation of what intelligence is and isn’t, by one of the most exciting new voices in science writing. This thought-provoking and brilliantly researched guide to achieving true wisdom shows us how to be smarter—and how to protect ourselves from the cleverest fools."

Gaia Vance

"Impressively accessible, with engaging storytelling, depth of discussion, and counterintuitive conclusions."

Science - Aron K. Barbey