djcb comments on Open Thread, June 16-30, 2012 - Less Wrong

6 Post author: OpenThreadGuy 15 June 2012 04:45AM

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Comment author: djcb 17 June 2012 09:21:39PM *  2 points [-]

I read quite a bit, and I really like some of the suggestions I found in LW. So, my question is: is there any recent or not-so-recent-but-really-good book you would recommend? Topics I'd like read more about are:

  • evolutionary psychology (I read some Robert Wright, I'd like to read something a bit more solid)
  • status/prestige theory (Robin Hanson uses it all the time, but is there some good text discussing this?)

I'm happy to read pop-sci, as long as it's written with a skeptical, rationalist mindset. I.e. I liked Linden's The accidental mind, but take Gladwell's writings with a rather big grain of salt.

Comment author: wedrifid 18 June 2012 01:25:15AM 3 points [-]

status/prestige theory (Robin Hanson uses it all the time, but is there some good text discussing this?)

Give him a year or two and he'll have written one.

Comment author: Grognor 20 June 2012 04:52:59PM 1 point [-]

http://lesswrong.com/lw/82g/on_the_openness_personality_trait_rationality/ has a download of one book very close to this topicspace.

Comment author: djcb 20 June 2012 10:29:12PM 0 points [-]

Thanks! The link doesn't seem to work, but I'll check out the book. Did you read it?

Comment author: Grognor 21 June 2012 02:55:11AM 1 point [-]

No, I haven't read it yet, but it's on my list. Here's another download link http://dl.dropbox.com/u/33627365/Scholarship/Spent%20Sex%20Evolution%20and%20Consumer%20Behavior.pdf

Comment author: djcb 22 June 2012 12:39:49PM 0 points [-]

Thanks, Grognor!

Comment author: djcb 04 July 2012 03:04:49PM 1 point [-]

I just finished reading it. The start is promising, discussing consumer behavior from the signaling/status perspective. There's some discussion of the Big Five personality traits + general intelligence, which was interesting (and I'll need to look into a bit deeper). It shows how these traits influence our buying habits, and the crazy things people do for a few status points...

The end of the book proposes some solutions to hyper-consumerism, and this part I did not particularly like -- in a few pages the writer comes up with some far-far-reaching plans (consumption tax etc.) to influence consumers; all highly speculative, not likely to ever be realized.

Apart from the end, liked it, writer is quick & witty, and provides food for thought.

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