LOOK AGAIN by Tali Sharot (The Optimism Bias) and Cass R. Sunstein (Nudge, Noise) is the stimulating result of the joint effort between professors of cognitive neuroscience (at University College London and MIT) and of law (at Harvard), respectively. Extolling "The Power of Noticing What Was Always There," they advocate for consciously making changes (vacations, a walk, a new book) to enhance life experiences. Even though we may not always fully appreciate it, breaking habits can be rejuvenating. Sharot and Sunstein give other examples like how the number of accidents dropped when Sweden switched the side of the road for driving or "how satisfaction with material goods falls sharply over time, [while] satisfaction with experience does not decline." A particularly pertinent section deals with why we tend to believe lies if we hear them often enough. Sharot and Sunstein write, "this is partly because when a statement is repeated again and again, your brain processes it less and less as is no longer surprising or new." It is not a big leap to think about that statement (called the illusory truth effect) and then look at polling results regarding the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. Another section deals with metacognitive myopia ... the likelihood of giving less weight to a statement debunking a falsehood, especially if it involves repeating the lie. As they point out, even size and color of text can influence our perception of truth. LOOK AGAIN received a starred review from Publishers Weekly ("a revelatory investigation of a phenomenon that's as complex as it is common").

– PLEASE NOTE: Cass R. Sunstein will be speaking about this new book with Ayelet Fishbach on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at 7:00 PM CT on ZOOM in a program sponsored by Family Action Network. Registration is required and the presentation will be recorded and available on FAN’s website: https://www.familyactionnetwork.net/

I think the author had some really interesting ideas, the kind one would share with others and enjoy thinking more about, so 5 stars for topic choice.
Unfortunately I found this book skipped around a lot and focused on lots of smaller ideas and short anecdotes rather than using the storytelling to build memorable passages and deepen the learning in a few areas. Lots of good info here, just wasn’t an easy or enjoyable read for me.

This may become one of my favorite, go-to, oft-quoted books, like “Invisible Gorilla,” “Tipping Point,” “Black Swan,” “Abolishing Performance Appraisals,” “Progress Principle” and others of this sort that challenge our paradigms. Sharot and Sunstein alert to how easy it is to become habituated to our routines, our beliefs, our ingestion of news and friends’ stories. The “Power of Habits” taught us that 40-60% of our routines are habits: decisions we made once and don’t re-evaluate unless there’s a disruption. These authors encourage the disruption so we can avoid becoming tolerant of lying, misinformation/disinformation, risky behavior and slow adjustments to the political enterprises…and more. They also provide ways to break “the trance” that don’t provoke defensiveness, fear, flight/fight when our own ‘habits’ of thinking, deciding, acting are challenged.

The book is easy to read, digest and act on, if you’re willing to “look again.”

I appreciate the opportunity to get an advance copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

Have you ever wondered how our minds adapt to overlook both the good and bad situations we're in? Look Again by Tali Sharot & Cass R Sunstein is about the psychological phenomenon of habituation. It's a fascinating read with lots of examples to bring the topic to life as well as research and studies to back up the theory. As a clinical psychologist, I've used habituation to help people face their phobias gradually, but this book opened my eyes to how we also habituate to terrible circumstances and conditions. Trigger warning: There is some material about how Hitler was able to use habituation to his advantage in World War II. Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to review this eARC in exchange for my honest review of the book!

I'm not an avid non-fiction reader so I wasn't sure about requesting this book but the premise sounded interesting so I decided I wanted to see. And I am so glad I did. I read this compulsively readable book in a single sitting and I underlined many, many passages.

Look again has very interesting data and directly practical applications on when and how you should intentionally disrupt your patterns, change your environment and when you should not. It also talks about the dangers of repeating falsehoods and getting used to lying. It made me note about how it's best not to take a break when doing something unpleasant and how I can use exposure therapy to get more comfortable with driving.

I loved every moment I spent with this book and can't wait to recommend it to everyone.

with gratitude to netgalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review