Why did I write this book? Few issues affect our daily lives as does the quality of our decisions. How much you earn, your health status, your relationships, and your overall level of happiness are just a sampling of outcomes largely due to decisions you’ve made.
In spite of the importance of making good decisions, few of us have any formal training in the process. You couldn’t graduate from high school without classes in English, math, science, government, and history. But did you have any courses in decision making? Probably not. For some reason it’s just assumed that through practice and experience all of us can learn to be good decision makers. A little observation tells us rather quickly that everyone doesn’t make good decisions. Apparently, practice and experience aren’t very good teachers of this skill.
I wrote Decide & Conquer as an “everyman’s guide” on how to improve the choices that shape our lives. Drawing on thousands of research studies, I translated what experts know about behavioral decision processes into layman terms with heavy emphasis on application.
Who is this book for? Almost everyone can improve his or her decision making abilities. However, I think this book is particularly important to young people and for those who view many of their past decisions with regret.
Seniors in high school and college are at key junctures in their lives. They will be making important decisions about careers, relationships, and finances that will shape their future. I think these young people can definitely benefit from a book like Decide & Conquer.
In addition, many people realize that decision making has not been one of their strengths. When they look back on decisions they've made regarding their health, safety, relationships, job choices, investments, or the like, they are not happy with the choices they made. This book will help these individuals identify major errors they've been prone to make and how they can overcome them in the future. What's unique about this book? First, this book is written in a conversational style that is easy to understand. It takes on complicated issues but dissects and analyzes them in a way that anyone can apply.
Second, it focuses on application. It not only identifies problems that we all encounter when we make decision choices but it also offers you suggestions on how to overcome those problems.
Third, it acknowledges the role that personality plays in shaping the way we make decisions. For instance, are you a risk-taker? Are you impulsive? Do you procrastinate? Answers to questions such as these can help you better understand how you make decisions. So I've added eight personality questionnaires and analyses in the early part of the book. What can you expect to learn? The key to improving your decision making is to focus on the process. This book will show you how to be more rational and alert you to common biases and errors to which we're all susceptible.