Name: Lauren's review of The Intelligence Trap by David Robson
Item: The Intelligence Trap
Rating: 4.5
Author: Lauren

David Robson

How was a brilliant physics professor tricked into carrying 2kg of cocaine across the Argentinian border? Why do doctors misdiagnose 10 to 15% of their patients? Why do Nobel Prize winners spread fake news? We assume that smarter people are less prone to error. But greater education and expertise can often amplify our mistakes while rendering us blind to our biases. This is the 'intelligence trap'. Drawing on the latest behavioural science and historical examples from Socrates to Benjamin Franklin, David Robson demonstrates how to apply our intelligence more wisely; identify bias and enhance our 'rationality quotient'; read and regulate our emotions; fine-tune our intuition; navigate ambiguity and uncertainty; and think more flexibly about seemingly intractable problems. The twenty-first century presents us with complex problems that demand a wiser way of thinking. Whether you are a NASA scientist or a school student, The Intelligence Trap offers a new cognitive toolkit to realise your full potential.

Revolutionise your Thinking and Make Wiser Decisions

The Intelligence Trap

Lauren

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Enlightening, balanced, and fully informative!

David Robson segmented the book into different sections, each elaborating upon the ‘Intelligence Trap’ and IQ at various levels, from theoretical to group functioning and applications for solutions. It was a great outline for providing a strong breadth of understanding throughout the book, and allowing the reader to develop a stronger understanding of the subject because of the structuring.

I also really appreciated the use of real-life application as examples of how intelligence-based biases can impact our behaviour, and the consequences of this. Plus, it helped provide support to the theory, making for an even more interesting read!

Regardless of if you’re into IQ, or psychology, or anything along these lines, Robson struck a healthy balance of explanation that would appeal for a range of people’s expertise levels. Would certainly recommend.


"As a rule, I have found that the greater brain a man has, and the better he is educated, the easier it has been to mystify him" (Harry Houdini to Arthur Conan Doyle). Smart people are not only just as prone to making mistakes as everyone else-- they may be even more susceptible to them. This is the "intelligence trap," the subject of David Robson's fascinating and provocative book.The Intelligence Trap explores cutting-edge ideas in our understanding of intelligence and expertise, including "strategic ignorance," "meta- forgetfulness," and "functional stupidity." Robson reveals the surprising ways that even the brightest minds and most talented organizations can go wrong--from some of Thomas Edison's worst ideas to failures at NASA, Nokia, and the FBI. And he offers practical advice to avoid mistakes based on the timeless lessons of Benjamin Franklin, Richard Feynman, and Daniel Kahneman.

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The Intelligence Trap by David Robson

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The Intelligence Trap by David Robson