How "Smart" People Think —and Make Predictably Bad Decisions

How Smart People Think—and Make Predictably Bad Decisions reveals why smart, successful people make bad decisions. They fail because their intelligence makes certain errors more—not less—likely.

This book identifies the systematic errors smart people make and provides practical tools to prevent elite-level failure in business, investing, and life.

From Theranos to Enron, from financial bubbles to media mistakes, the biggest mistakes of our time have been driven by brilliant people who used the wrong mental models, trusted the wrong signals, and optimized for the wrong incentives.

This book shows
•Why high intelligence amplifies bias
•How systems can reward bad judgment
•Why confidence rises as accuracy falls
•How persuasion hides inside credibility and process

This is not a book about being smarter. It's a book about being harder to fool—by others, by institutions, and by yourself.

If you've ever wondered how capable, experienced people end up making obvious errors in hindsight, this book provides a clear, practical answer—and a better way forward.