Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces That Shape How We Think, Feel, and Behave

The physical environment, from locations to colors, also guides our hand in unseen ways. Meanwhile, an illuminated light bulb inspires creative thinking because it symbolizes insight. Olympic taekwondo and judo athletes are more likely to win when they wear red rather than blue, because red makes them behave aggressively and referees see them as more dominant. An illuminating look at the way the thoughts we have and the decisions we make are influenced by forces that aren't always in our control Why are people named Kim, Kelly, and Ken more likely to donate to Hurricane Katrina victims than to Hurricane Rita victims? Are you really more likely to solve puzzles if you watch a light bulb illuminate? How di

Consider the compass, for example: the earth’s surface is horizontal, and there’s no need for north to be above south, but the association of north with up and south with down has some very interesting repercussions (such as people’s tendency to prefer to travel south rather than north to go to a store, because north is uphill). From Booklist It’s commonly known that a lot of police departments and detention centers use a certain shade of pink in their cells because the color is believed to have a calming effect. Or consider this: people with names that begin with the letter K were responsible for 10 percent of donations for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, but for only 4 percent of donations “to all disasters before Katrina.” An intelligent, often surprising exploration of the way cues of all varieties (sounds, colors, images, symbols, and more) shape the people we are, for better or worse. --David

. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Economist, the Huffington Post, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, and the Wall Street Journal, among other major publications. He lives in New York City. Adam Alter is an assistant professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business

Huck DeVenzio said I was disappointed. I like to learn about why we behave as we do, especially when the influences are unexpected. After seeing a positive review in a respected magine and testimonials from people whose writings I admire, I eagerly ordered Drunk Tank Pink.But I was disappointed. To me it is a string of interesting research results presented as unquestioned explanations. While there is thorough footnoting, the auth. ""When a person is given a name, his gods accept it."" according to Amelia Gremelspacher. According to this book, that may be case, but not so much for people. Alter presents research revealing that names will prompt assumptions of wealth, intelligence, age, and race. Even having a name difficult to spell may evoke more negative affect. These data are only one aspect of this book which explores the effect of color, race, status cues, symbols, and even locations and warmth on human. If for no other reason one should read this book Kristin B. Ayer If for no other reason one should read this book, because it causes the reader to become aware of ways in which he is influenced. It's about such things as labels, colors of rooms, windows looking out onto natural scenes which can influence our beliefs and affect our bodies. After reading the book I realized I am much more a part of systems than an isolated entity.