Book of the week: The Upside of Irrationality by Dan Ariely

(Harper, $27.99)

In this “fascinating read,” behavioral economist Dan Ariely demonstrates that though humans aren’t always rational, that’s “not necessarily a bad thing,” said Chuck Leddy in The Boston Globe. Ariely’s book “is an eye-opening, insightful look at human behavior,” particularly when he asks what actually motivates people to work. Ariely suggests that there comes a point at which big bonuses “actually may make performance worse,” said Chris O’Brien in the San Jose Mercury News. He uses the following analogy: “Imagine you’re going to have brain surgery,” he says. “And you tell the doctor, ‘If you do well then I will buy you a boat. But if this turns out badly, I will sue you.’” The pressure to perform in this scenario actually impedes performance—not unlike when executives have huge bonuses on the line. “It dampens creativity rather than amplifies it.” That’s not to say that money doesn’t motivate. “The problem is too much money.”

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