Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart
by Gerd Gigerenzer · first published 2000
7mentions
5recommended by
6HN commenters
2008–2022first – last mentioned
83% recommend17% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Argues that simple rules of thumb often match or beat sophisticated models when time, data, or computing power are limited; a good fit for readers interested in decision-making under uncertainty.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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I can recommend the "Simple heuristics that make us smart" book by Gigerenzer, it's an insightful and entertainig read: for this book he and his co-authors put their money where their mouth is and invested on the stock market based on the most simple heuristics…
on “Gigerenzer’s simple rules of thumb often outperform complex models” ↗I recently read Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart by Gerd Gigerenzer, Peter M. Todd, and the ABC Research Group and The Nothing That Is: A Natural History Of Zero by Robert Kaplan. Both were great reads and left me energized. Neither had much to do…
on “Ask YC (and PG): What books do you have on your bookshelf? ” ↗This is called the "Take the First" heuristic. If you want to learn more about "fast and frugal" heuristics (which work surprisingly well in a lot of cases), read "Simple Heuristics that Make Us Smart". It explains how to get programs to give good answers when time and processing power are limited (similar to your case). http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Heuristics-That-Make-Smart/dp/0...
on “Google Now vs. Siri vs. Cortana – The Great Knowledge Box Showdown” ↗> biases might help You might like the book "Simple Heuristics that make us smart" which explores this idea https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Heuristics-That-Make-Smart/dp/...
on “Autistic people challenge preconceived ideas about rationality” ↗The little I understood about Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart was really interesting. It's about the effectiveness of simple heuristics sometimes outshining sophisticated methods and really thriving in the unknown. Also, it's a bit weird that Gerd Gigerenzer doesn't…
on “Must-read psychology books” ↗I'm half-way into "Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart", and it's very revelatory on the subject. Turns out with the "recognition heuristic" alone you can go about halfway. The rest goes again halfway with another just a bit more complex heuristic. Also interesting…
on “The Human Obsession With "Formal Proofs" is a Waste of Time” ↗I've gone through most of "Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart" - interesting stuff. Had no idea about the earlier books, thanks.
on “What Is Intelligence, Anyway?” ↗