The Work of Michael Shermer » market http://www.michaelshermer.com books, essays, columns, reviews, and multimedia clips of famed skeptic Michael Shermer Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:00:33 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Authors @ Google presents Michael Shermer http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/authors-at-google/ http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/authors-at-google/#comments Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:00:56 +0000 Michael Shermer http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/authors-at-google/ Michael Shermer discusses his book The Mind of the Market as part of the Authors @ Google series.

How did we evolve from ancient hunter-gatherers to modern consumer-traders? Why are people so irrational when it comes to money and business? Dr. Michael Shermer argues that evolution provides an answer to both of these questions through the new science of evolutionary economics. Drawing on research from neuroeconomics, Shermer explores what brain scans reveal about bargaining, snap purchases, and how trust is established in business. Utilizing experiments in behavioral economics, Shermer shows why people hang on to losing stocks and failing companies, why business negotiations often disintegrate into emotional tit-for-tat disputes, and why money does not make us happy. Employing research from complexity theory, Shermer shows how evolution and economics are both examples of a larger phenomenon of complex adaptive systems. Along the way, Shermer answers such provocative questions as: Do our tribal roots mean that we will always be a sucker for brands? How is the biochemical joy of sex similar to the rewards of business cooperation? How can nations increase trust within and between their borders? Finally, Shermer considers the consequences of globalization and what will happen if nations allow free trade across their borders.

This event took place January 29, 2008 at Google Headquarters in Mountain View, CA.

]]> http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/authors-at-google/feed/ 3 The Mind of the Market (Shermer on AirTalk KPCC FM) http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/28-airtalk-interview/ http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/28-airtalk-interview/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:00:57 +0000 Michael Shermer http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/airtalk-interview/ Larry Mantle interviews Michael Shermer about his book The Mind of the Market: Compassionate Apes, Competitive Humans, and other Tales from Evolutionary Economics.

LISTEN to the interview

]]> http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/28-airtalk-interview/feed/ 1 The Mind of the Market on Tour http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/mind-of-the-market-tour/ http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/mind-of-the-market-tour/#comments Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:00:49 +0000 Michael Shermer http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/02/mind-of-the-market-2/ Michael Shermer read from and talked about his new book, The Mind of the Market, at various venues during his book tour in January 2008. Shermer discussed how economic and evolutionary theory speak the same language, and how our hardwired human biology affects modern economics. READ MORE about the book

National Capital Area Skeptics, Arlington, VA (January 12th, 2008)

LISTEN to part 1 (audio podcast)
LISTEN to part 2 (audio podcast)

Tattered Cover, Denver, CO (January 17th, 2008)

]]> http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/mind-of-the-market-tour/feed/ 0