The Paradox of Choice Revised and Updated - by Barry Schwartz & Nathan N Cheek (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An incisive critique of how excessive choice is detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being, now revised and expanded in a new edition for our modern online world

Over twenty years ago, THE PARADOX OF CHOICE debuted and changed the way we think about choice in the world. Now, ten years since the most recent revised edition, this modern classic has been updated and expanded to address how we can best grapple with the limitless choices of our modern, hyper-online age.

Whether we're deciding what to watch on Netflix, swiping through an online dating app, applying to college, choosing a doctor, weighing our takeout order, or planning a vacation, everyday decisions--both big and small--have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented. In wealthy, Western societies, we assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. But choice overload can instead paralyze decision-making, lead to unrealistically high expectations, and prompt self-blame for any failures.

In this newest edition of THE PARADOX OF CHOICE, Barry Schwartz and his collaborator Nathan Cheek explain why too much of a good thing can become detrimental to our well-being. In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, the authors show how the dramatic explosion in choice--from mundane daily decisions to the profound challenges of navigating one's broader path through life--has paradoxically become a problem instead of a solution. And they reveal how a culture that thrives on the availability of constantly evolving options can also foster deep dissatisfaction, anxiety, and regret.

Now updated with the most cutting-edge social science research, THE PARADOX OF CHOICE emphasizes the unique challenges of living in a world of excessive choices--and offers practical advice on how to focus on the right choices day-to-day to reduce the stress and busyness of our lives and derive greater satisfaction from the choices we make.

Review Quotes

"In this revolutionary and beautifully reasoned book, Barry Schwartz shows that there is vastly too much choice in the modern world. This promiscuous amount of choice renders the consumer helpless and dissatisfied. The Paradox of Choice is a must read for every thoughtful person." - Martin Seligman, author of Learned Optimism and Authentic Happiness

"Schwartz has plenty of insightful things to say about the perils of everyday life." - Booklist

"This book is valuable in two ways. It argues persuasively that most of us would often be better off with fewer options, and that many of us try too hard to make the best choices. While making its case, the book also provides an engaging introduction to current psychological research on choice and on well-being." - Daniel Kahneman, 2002 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, Eugene Higgins Professor of Psychology and Professor of Public Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University

"Wonderfully readable." - Washington Post

"Schwartz lays out a convincing argument.... [He] is a crisp, engaging writer with an excellent sense of pace." - Austin American-Statesman

"Schwartz offers helpful suggestions of how we can manage our world of overwhelming choices." - St. Petersburg Times

"With its clever analysis, buttressed by sage New Yorker cartoons, The Paradox of Choice is persuasive." - BusinessWeek

"Schwartz chronicles well how our choices have expanded, how our demands for perfection have increased and how we suffer as a result." - St. Petersburg Times

"An insightful study that winningly argues its subtitle." - Philadelphia Inquirer

"Brilliant.... The case Schwartz makes... is compelling, the implications disturbing.... An insightful book." - Christian Science Monitor

"In The Paradox of Choice, Schwartz lays out a convincing argument that choice is one good thing that we've got entirely too much of.... Schwartz doesn't expect the reader to take anything on faith, and he carefully builds his argument piece by piece, rendering his conclusions all the more devastating.... One of the book's signal strengths is Schwartz's writing style, which might be described as intelligently conversational. Similarly, his low-key presentation of his thesis is all the more convincing for its unassuming nature." - Austin American-Statesman