If you’re ready to cosy up by the fireplace with some good books, I have two suggestions. They are both classics in their fields, though of different times and genres. The first is a novel by one of the great German poets. The second is a concise introduction into the research on decision making.
1. Johann W. von Goethe. Elective Affinities, a novel published in 1809 .
(original: “Wahlverwandtschaften“; also translated under the title “Kindred by Choice“) .
The title refers to a chemical reorganization of substances, which Goethe uses as a metaphor for human relationships, and as a way to question our ability to choose our own actions and resist the forces of nature.
The novel begins at just at that point where many other stories end: with a happy, recently married couple, settling into a comfortable, long sought-after, idyllic life together. Their decision to invite other people into their lives is approached like a chemical experiment, and it wouldn’t be a Goethe novel if this setup didn’t lead to disturbing reactions.
It is very much a book about decisions: the rational, the emotional, and the ones never made.
2. Scott Plous. The Psychology of Judgment and Decision Making.
This very slim book provides an excellent overview of the psychology of decision making. It is not targeted towards helping us make better decisions, but simply presents the classic research literature on how people do in fact make decisions (in other words, it focuses entirely on the descriptive, not prescriptive, aspects of decision science). For those who want to get a quick but broad introduction into the field, without reading big tomes, I know of no more efficient way to go that with this book.
Reviews by Ursina Teuscher (PhD), at Teuscher Decision Coaching, Portland OR