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Dec 1, 2017
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Human beings are primates, and primates are political animals. Our brains, therefore, are designed not just to hunt and gather, but also to help us get ahead socially, often via deception and self-deception. But while we may be self-interested schemers, we benefit by pretending otherwise. The less we...

Human beings are primates, and primates are political animals. Our brains, therefore, are designed not just to hunt and gather, but also to help us get ahead socially, often via deception and self-deception. But while we may be self-interested schemers, we benefit by pretending otherwise. The less we know about our own ugly motives, the better - and thus we don't like to talk or even think about the extent of our selfishness. This is "the elephant in the brain." Such an introspective taboo makes it hard for us to think clearly about our nature and the explanations for our behavior. The aim of this book, then, is to confront our hidden motives directly - to track down the darker, unexamined corners of our psyches and blast them with floodlights. Then, once everything is clearly visible, we can work to better understand ourselves: Why do we laugh? Why are artists sexy? Why do we brag about travel? Why do we prefer to speak rather than listen?

Our unconscious motives drive more than just our private behavior; they also infect our venerated social institutions such as Art, School, Charity, Medicine, Politics, and Religion. In fact, these institutions are in many ways designed to accommodate our hidden motives, to serve covert agendas alongside their "official" ones. The existence of big hidden motives can upend the usual political debates, leading one to question the legitimacy of these social institutions, and of standard policies designed to favor or discourage them. You won't see yourself - or the world - the same after confronting the elephant in the brain.

(From Goodreads)

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Recommended by Gregory Benford, Bryan Caplan, Rory Sutherland, Tyler Cowen, Jaan Tallinn, Patrick OShaughnessy, Ralph Merkle, Naval Ravikant, Tucker Max, Andrew McAfee, Scott Aaronson, Ramez Naam and Arnold Kling
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Number of Pages: 408

ISBN-13: 9780190496012

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  • Naval Ravikant
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    Naval Ravikant is an Indian American entrepreneur and investo...
    Fantastic read. https://t.co/bemNthOxOG
  • Patrick OShaughnessy
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    @OSAMResearch 🧬 | Invest Like the Best 🎙 | @TheCapitalCamp ⛺️...
    I read this early and it’s phenomenal. @KevinSimler is one of the best living writers. Buy it and absorb it. https://t.co/AE6kPVm3ff
  • Rory Sutherland
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    Vice Chairman, Ogilvy Group The Spectator's Wiki Man.
    This is one of the five best books I have read in the last ten years. Have just plugged it in @spectator . When are you both coming to launch it in London? Will pay ! https://t.co/eRZ3TTrhKE
  • Ramez Naam
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    Books: Nexus Series / The Infinite Resource. Faculty @Singula...
    An eye opening look at how we deceive ourselves in order to deceive others.
  • Tyler Cowen
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    Tyler Cowen (; born January 21, 1962) is an American economis...
    This book will make you see the world in a whole new light.
  • Arnold Kling
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    Arnold Kling (born 1954) is an American economist, scholar, a...
    A disturbing and important book.
  • Andrew McAfee
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    Andrew Paul McAfee (born c. 1967), a principal research scien...
    This is the most unconventional and uncomfortable self-help book you will ever read. But probably also the most important.
  • Bryan Caplan
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    Bryan Douglas Caplan (born April 8, 1971) is an American econ...
    The paperback of @robinhanson's great book is available for cheap pre-order!
    https://t.co/IbTW5z5BDK
    P.S. I love @robinhanson with all my heart.
  • Scott Aaronson
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    Scott Joel Aaronson (born May 21, 1981) is an American theore...
    The Elephant in the Brain is a masterpiece.
  • Jaan Tallinn
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    Jaan Tallinn (born 14 February 1972) is an Estonian computer...
    A captivating book about the things your brain does not want you to know.
  • Tucker Max
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    Tucker Max (born September 27, 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a...
    It’s hard to overstate how impactful this book is.
  • Ralph Merkle
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    Ralph C. Merkle (born February 2, 1952) is a computer scienti...
    There are only a few people alive today worth listening to. Robin Hanson is one of them.
  • Gregory Benford
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    Gregory Benford (born January 30, 1941) is an American scienc...
    Simler and Hanson have done it again — a big new idea, well told.
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