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'Lively [and] fascinating'
Julian Baggini, Financial Times
'This book is always fascinating but frequently mind-blowing'
Marina Hyde, Guardian columnist and co-host of The Rest Is Entertainment
'Fizzing with insights and ideas... I loved it'
Jenny Kleeman, author of The Price of Life
'Intriguing... Munthe explains why robust debate is essential for a creative and healthy society'
Timothy Garton Ash, author of Free Speech and Guardian columnist
An eye-opening journey through the secret forces shaping our opinions, this book reveals why we think what we think – and why disagreement matters
Our opinions – whether we believe in God or in ghosts, our views on sex or animal rights or immigration, our basic sense of what’s good or fair – are shaped by a breathtaking web of hidden forces. The age-old idea that our views are forged by reason and evidence alone is wrong: we are influenced by everything from the quirks of distant history, through the geology of where we grew up, to the lines of our genetic code.
This astounding book takes us through culture, biology, geography, history, psychology and much more to uncover the hidden DNA of our opinions. It reveals:
Packed with extraordinary stories and counterintuitive discoveries, Why We Think What We Think asks a fundamental question of ourselves. If we are predisposed to our beliefs, how can we escape the bounds of our own perspective? The answer lies in disagreement. Argument is how we reason, how we think our way to a better world. To thrive, as individuals and societies, we need the other side.
Description
'Lively [and] fascinating'
Julian Baggini, Financial Times
'This book is always fascinating but frequently mind-blowing'
Marina Hyde, Guardian columnist and co-host of The Rest Is Entertainment
'Fizzing with insights and ideas... I loved it'
Jenny Kleeman, author of The Price of Life
'Intriguing... Munthe explains why robust debate is essential for a creative and healthy society'
Timothy Garton Ash, author of Free Speech and Guardian columnist
An eye-opening journey through the secret forces shaping our opinions, this book reveals why we think what we think – and why disagreement matters
Our opinions – whether we believe in God or in ghosts, our views on sex or animal rights or immigration, our basic sense of what’s good or fair – are shaped by a breathtaking web of hidden forces. The age-old idea that our views are forged by reason and evidence alone is wrong: we are influenced by everything from the quirks of distant history, through the geology of where we grew up, to the lines of our genetic code.
This astounding book takes us through culture, biology, geography, history, psychology and much more to uncover the hidden DNA of our opinions. It reveals:
Packed with extraordinary stories and counterintuitive discoveries, Why We Think What We Think asks a fundamental question of ourselves. If we are predisposed to our beliefs, how can we escape the bounds of our own perspective? The answer lies in disagreement. Argument is how we reason, how we think our way to a better world. To thrive, as individuals and societies, we need the other side.
