Harvard Business Review Press
Free Market Madness: Why Human Nature Is at Odds with Economics--And Why It Matters
Key Metrics
- Peter A Ubel
- Harvard Business Review Press
- Hardcover
- 9781422126097
- 9.2 X 6.5 X 1.3 inches
- 1.2 pounds
- Business & Economics > Economics - General
- English
Secure TransactionBook Description
We decide to roll over and hit the snooze button instead of going to the gym. We take out home loans we can't possibly afford. And did you know that people named Paul are more likely to move to St. Paul than other cities? All too often, our subconscious causes us to act against our own self-interest.
But our free-market economy is based on the assumption that we always do act in our own self-interest. In this provocative book, physician Peter Ubel uses his understanding of psychology and behavior to show that in some cases government must regulate markets for our own health and well-being. And by understanding and controlling the factors that go into our decisions, big and small, we can all begin to stop the damage we do to our bodies, our finances, and our economy as a whole.
Ubel's vivid stories bring his message home for anyone interested in improving the way our society works.
Author Bio
Peter Ubel M.D. is a physician and behavioral scientist whose research and writing explores the mixture of rational and irrational forces that affect our health, our happiness and the way our society functions. (What fun would it be to tackle just the easy problems?)
Ubel is the Madge and Dennis T. McLawhorn University Professor of Business, Public Policy and Medicine at Duke University. His research explores controversial issues about the role of values and preferences in health care decision making, from decisions at the bedside to policy decisions. He uses the tools of decision psychology and behavioral economics to explore topics like informed consent, shared decision making and health care cost containment. His books include Pricing Life: Why it’s time for healthcare rationing (MIT Press 2000) and Free Market Madness: How economics is at odds with human nature—and why it matters (Harvard Business Press, 2009). His newest book, Critical Decisions (HarperCollins, 2012) explores the challenges of shared decision making between doctors and patients. You can find his blogs and other information at http://www.peterubel.com/.
I am a physician and behavioral scientist at Duke University. My research and writing explores the quirks in human nature that influence our lives — the mixture of rational and irrational forces that affect our health, our happiness and the way our society functions. (What fun would it be to tackle just the easy problems?)
I am currently exploring controversial issues about the role of values and preferences in health care decision making, from decisions at the bedside to policy decisions. I use the tools of decision psychology and behavioral economics to explore topics like informed consent, shared decision making and health care spending. My books include Pricing Life (MIT Press 2000) and Free Market Madness (Harvard Business Press, 2009). My newest book, Critical Decisions (HarperCollins), is coming out in September of 2012, and explores the challenges of shared decision making between doctors and patients.
Source: Duke University's Fuqua School of Business
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