Get 3 months of Audible free - Get this deal
Limited Time Offer
3 months free
$0.00
  • For a limited time, get Audible Premium Plus free for 3 months.
  • Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection—yours to keep (you'll use your first credit now).
  • Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
  • Auto-renews at $14.95/mo. after 3 months. Cancel online anytime.
Learn more about membership
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company
List Price: $16.23
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible’s Conditions Of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company

Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.4 out of 5 stars 1,014 ratings
Like the best-selling Blink and Freakonomics, this lively narrative is a fresh view of the world, explaining the previously inexplicable and revealing hidden influences on human decision-making.

A Harvard Business School student pays over $200 for a $20 bill. Washington, D.C., commuters ignore a free subway concert by a violin prodigy. A veteran airline pilot attempts to take off without control-tower clearance and collides with another plane on the runway. Why do we do the wildly irrational things we sometimes do?

Drawing on cutting-edge research from the fields of social psychology, behavioral economics, and organizational behavior, brothers Ori and Rom Brafman reveal the dynamic forces that act on us repeatedly over time, affecting nearly every aspect of our personal and business lives. They show how we are sabotaged by loss aversion (going to great lengths to avoid perceived losses), the diagnosis bias (ignoring evidence that contradicts our initial take on a person or situation), and commitment (even when a plan isn't working, we are reluctant to change course).

Weaving together colorful stories about dot-com millionaires, game-show audiences, NBA coaches, and the U.S. Supreme Court, this audiobook tours the flip side of reason and points us toward a more rational life.

Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Listening Length
    4 hours and 52 minutes
  2. Author
    Rom Brafman, see all
  3. Narrator
    John Apicella
  4. Audible release date
    June 17, 2008
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
  7. ASIN
    B001BACYQ6
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
Next slide of product details

Read & Listen

Switch between reading the Kindle book & listening to the Audible audiobook with Whispersync for Voice.
Get the Audible audiobook for the reduced price of $7.49 after you buy the Kindle book.
Prime member exclusive offer
Get 3 months of Audible free. Terms apply. Try now.

Product details

Listening Length 4 hours and 52 minutes
Author Rom Brafman, Ori Brafman
Narrator John Apicella
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date June 17, 2008
Publisher HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B001BACYQ6
Best Sellers Rank

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
1,014 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and worth their time, praising its jam-packed insights about human behavior through engaging stories. Moreover, the book serves as a conversation starter. However, the pacing receives mixed reactions, with several customers finding it boring. Additionally, the book's length is noted as very short.

Select to learn more

ReadabilityStorytellingConversation styleShortnessPacing
103 customers mention "Readability"103 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and worth their time, describing it as a fascinating read.

"...It’s not only an easy read, but there are real-life examples that makes this book one you can’r just put down! Highly recommended." Read more

"...though this book is based on scientific thought, it is an easy and quick read...." Read more

"Great book" Read more

"Interesting, but fraught with own biases..." Read more

15 customers mention "Storytelling"12 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the storytelling in the book, with one mentioning how the authors use illustrative stories to make their points.

"...Includes recent research findings in a story driven format. Not bogged down by intellectual showing off or long digressions...." Read more

"...There are several stories that just reinforces the obvious. One example is high expectations tends to lead to better performance...." Read more

"...This is a very readable book; conversational style, interesting stories, fascinating conclusions...." Read more

"...when it comes down to it the book has very little substance, lots of anecdotes, lots of explanations about who he and his brother are and why they..." Read more

4 customers mention "Conversation style"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging as a conversation starter, with one mentioning it sparked fascinating discussions.

"...The discussion that I found most fascinating, though, looked at how we approach a task...." Read more

"...This is a very readable book; conversational style, interesting stories, fascinating conclusions...." Read more

"...It's also a great conversation starter, just leave the book out on the coffee table when guests are over." Read more

"...Makes for a great conversation topic with friends." Read more

6 customers mention "Shortness"3 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's length, with several noting that it is very short.

"...This book is also very short. It is written in a way that will grab your attention. You will fly right through it." Read more

"...But it is short. It does not even reach 200 pages...." Read more

"...Written in similar style. to Malcolm Gladwell's Blink. Short and sweet most of the situations are developed...." Read more

"It was a pleasant book to read. Seemed pretty short. Not shockingly eye-opening, but still a good read." Read more

7 customers mention "Pacing"0 positive7 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book boring and superficial.

"...It falls short on meaningful substance, and some areas are fluff laden...." Read more

"It was a pleasant book to read. Seemed pretty short. Not shockingly eye-opening, but still a good read." Read more

"...a bit more detailed about the power of persuasion and not as entertaining as other books. I enjoyed it, but I could put it down...." Read more

"...I can't remember one meaningful thing about this book. It felt like a waste of time...." Read more

Be aware of the ways that you might be influenced
4 out of 5 stars
Be aware of the ways that you might be influenced
"The more we become aware of the factors affecting the perceived value of a person or object, the less likely we are to be swayed by value attribution." Train yourself to be aware of the ways that you might be influenced.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • Michelle Schacherer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Before you make a decision: read this book!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I’ve known for a while the power our reptilian brain has on us when making a decision; but this book serves as a reminder of what to be on the look out when you are going to decide on something. It’s not only an easy read, but there are real-life examples that makes this book one you can’r just put down! Highly recommended.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Bill Dahl
    4.0 out of 5 stars Scrumptious!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2009
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    SWAY - The Irresistable Pull of Irrational Behavior by Ori and Rom Brafman - Doubleday Copyright (c) 2008.

    In my opinion, an socio-economic, social-psychological classic. This volume is jam-packed with keen insights about human behavior. Irrational tendencies endure like mold - they grow in the damp darkness of our existence. Ori and Rom Brafman turn the light switch on and examine the realities that are inhabiting the recesses of human perception, judgment and value-attribution. As they point out:

    Once we attribute a certain value to a person or thing, it dramatically alters our perceptions of subsequent information. This power of value attribution is so potent that it affects us even when the value is assigned completely arbitrarily." (p. 55)

    They go on to illuminate what they refer to as the "diagnosis bias" or:

    "our propensity to label people, ideas or things based on our initial opinions of them -- and our inability to reconsider those judgments once we've made them. (p.70).

    This work blends into the new thinking that appears to be oozing from the field of macroeconomics from sources like Shiller and Akerlof, as well as the work of Nassim Nicholas Taleb. As the Brafman's write:

    "It's all about keeping valuations tentative instead of certain, learning to be comfortable with complex, sometimes contradictory information, and taking your time considering things from different angles before coming to a conclusion." (p.178)

    A superb contribution - providing encouragement to those charged with expanding the boundaries of what we think we know -- and the appreciation we must resurrect for exploring the frontiers of the unknown.
    7 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Dave English
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pull me, Push me
    Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2008
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This is a smoothly written, enjoyable quick read that covers a really interesting subject. We all think we make rational, reasonable choices. But we all know of times that when we look back now we wonder if we really picked the right door, or maybe if 'psychological' reasons somehow pushed or pulled us towards an imperfect choice. This book is one of many neat books that takes solid research published in the growing fields of behavioural economics and social psychology, and then makes a readable whole out of them. There are riptides we feel underneath the waves we see. Not Freud or Jung psychobabble, but reliable biases and mental shortcuts that work for us most of the time. This book is about the times when they work against us.

    Cool stuff: Great examples bring the ideas to life. (Hearing a master play a Stradivarius on the NY subway, the academic reaction to the Piltdown man, a surprising secret in an Israeli army leadership training course. On and on.) No need for any prior psychology knowledge. Clearly lets the reader understand the non-intuitive principles involved. Includes recent research findings in a story driven format. Not bogged down by intellectual showing off or long digressions. There are references at the back for those who want to read the original research.

    What it is not: This ain't a definitive textbook. It is not new ground (but rather an overview of the field in a readable form). It doesn't get into details or any depth of why we behave in these ways, or how the behaviours may be connected. But that's OK, as long as you know you are buying a great general read not a graduate-level treatment.

    The book finds new veins of gold in the mine of psychological research that has already produced Robert Cialdini's `Influence,' Scott Plous's `The Psychology of Judgement and Decision Making,' and other cool books like `Nudge,' or ` Freakanomics.' An fascinating worthwhile read.
    38 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Julie Neal
    5.0 out of 5 stars A self-help book hiding within a scientific treatise
    Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2008
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    What a great read! Well organized and smartly written, this exploration of the reasons behind irrational behavior is a real page turner. Oddly, reading it makes you feel good, as learning the reasons why people behave illogically makes you feel more in control.

    Another surprise: Even though this book is based on scientific thought, it is an easy and quick read. Witty and clear, it's filled with interesting, real-life examples of behavior, such as how Steve Spurrier's unusual style of coaching college football drives his competitors mad. (I should know: I went to FSU!)

    Apparently we're wired to act in irrational ways. Our brains are so averse to loss that we avoid it at all costs. People pay stupid amounts to rental-car companies for unnecessary "loss damage" protection. The head of safety at an airline takes off in a 747 without proper tower clearance, ignoring his own safety protocol, crashing and killing everyone aboard. Why? He didn't want to lose his reputation for always being on time.

    Once we recognize why our brains are setting us up for failure, we can consciously make other, smarter, choices. Sway takes much of the mystery out of irrational behavior.

    Here's the chapter list:

    1. Anatomy of an Accident
    2. The Swamp of Commitment
    3. The Hobbit and the Missing Link
    4. Michael Jordan and the First-Date Interview
    5. The Bipolar Epidemic and the Chameleon Effect
    6. In France, the Sun Revolves Around the Earth
    7. Compensation and Cocaine
    8. Dissenting Justice

    For a companion read I'd recommend another new book, The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives.
    7 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • David Kynan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on persuasion
    Reviewed in Canada on January 4, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I just read it for the second time and wish the authors had more books on the topic. It sums up important principles of influence and decisions through specific examples and stories and makes some points that I haven’t seen emphasized in other books on the topic. Fun read and fairly short!
    Report
  • tetsuya morikawa
    3.0 out of 5 stars いとも簡単に振れてしまう判断....
    Reviewed in Japan on September 28, 2008
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Swayとは人間の意識の中に潜み合理的な行動を妨げる隠れた力のことで、一部を紹介すると本書では以下のような概念を興味深い例示で説明している。
    Loss aversion(損失に対して過剰反応をし、これを回避する為に合理的には想定できないようなことをしでかす)
    ・ KLMの安全責任者であった機長が時間の遅れを取り戻そうと飛行機の離陸時のルール無視して引き起こした狂気の沙汰とも言える大惨事
    ・ 損失を確定せずに、いつか相場が反転すると期待して損切りできない投資家の心理
    ・ 20ドル紙幣のオークションに204ドル迄値が競り上がってしまう不思議
    Ｖalue attribution(客観的なデータにも基かず直感をベースに物事を判断する)
    ・ 世界的なバイオリン奏者が地下鉄のホームでジーンズに野球帽といった格好でで演奏をしていても、誰も気に留めずに通り過ぎてしまう(奏者の身なり服装から有名な音楽家だとは誰も思わない→演奏している音楽のクオリティや技術も大したことないと判断してしまう)
    ・ 値段を上げたら急に商品が売れ出した(ものの価格を見て「高い＝高級品に違いない」と判断する)
    ・ 同じコンサートでも高い金を払って入場した人の方が満足度が高い
    Ｄiagnosis bias (人、モノ、考え等に対して最初に下した判断に囚われ、後に、この先入観に反する客観的な情報が提供されても、従前の判断を変えることができない)
    ・ NBAバスケットボール選手の試合出場時間は当該選手がドラフト何位で指名されたかとの相関が圧倒的に強い(ドラフト順位が高ければ良い選手のはずという先入観が後々まで影響する)
    ・ 初めて会う人の性格等につき事前に知らされたイメージ(それが事実であろうが無かろうが)を払拭することができない
    …..等々、興味深い例をもとに人間の判断がいかに非合理的な方向に振れるかを説明している。”Influence” (Robert Cialdini著)や”Predictably Irrational”(Dan Ariely著)と内容的に共通する部分が多い。
    Report
  • Mateus
    1.0 out of 5 stars no new info
    Reviewed in Brazil on November 10, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Don't think you will find any new and useful information here , In fact the most part of the book is written in nonsense language
    Report
  • A. D. MCGHEE
    5.0 out of 5 stars Really insight book...a must for leaders, teachers or anyone who works with others.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 8, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Truly excellent book. So many insights as to why we are so easily influenced by unconscious thinking styles that then affect our behaviour.
    Try a different behaviour by not reading book reviews and buying this book on intuition alone... you won't be disappointed.
    Report
  • B A
    5.0 out of 5 stars Important bok on human behavior
    Reviewed in India on October 7, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This book outlines important truths about human nature and is a must read for anyone. It has helped me identify flaws in my own thinking and reduce errors caused by them.
    Report