Being Wrong

Adventures in the Margin of Error

By: Kathryn Schulz

Narrated by: Mia Barron

“Both wise and clever, full of fun and surprise about a topic so central to our lives that we almost never even think about it.”
—Bill McKibben, author of Earth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet

In the tradition of The Wisdom of Crowds and Predictably Irrational comes Being Wrong, an illuminating exploration of what it means to be in error, and why homo sapiens tend to tacitly assume (or loudly insist) that they are right about most everything. Kathryn Schulz, editor of Grist magazine, argues that error is the fundamental human condition and should be celebrated as such. Guiding the reader through the history and psychology of error, from Socrates to Alan Greenspan, Being Wrong will change the way you perceive screw-ups, both of the mammoth and daily variety, forever.

Fun, Thorough, Insightful, Great Narration

What an incredible combination of content and narration! As a psychologist who is heavily involved in this subject I never found the author diluting the material or 'talking down' to the reader. Even though she is a non-scientist, Ms. Schulz knows her stuff as well or better than any 'expert' I have read or listened to. I love the humor integrated with the depth of this book. The narration was a pleasure to listen to. This is a book for anyone, lay person or professional who would like to spend a number of hours being entertained, challenged and enlightened about a crucial subject that impacts us on both personal and societal levels.

A Book Everyone Should Read

Especially today, when there is so much vitriol and ridicule for not only being wrong , but simply for having a different opinion.

An elegant and interesting read!

I love being wrong.

What made the experience of listening to Being Wrong the most enjoyable?

I've wanted to read this book for a couple years...ever since I saw Kathryn Schulz TED talk on the same subject. The book did not disappoint. It's a book I feel like everyone would be better off for reading. She combines research with anecdotes and personal stories to explain how valuable being wrong really is.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes. I wasn't fond of the delivery. I thought the narrator was a bit 'wooden'. But the content more than makes up for it.

Amazing.

Just amazing. Read it. Give it to others to read. Ponder it. Talk about it. Amazing.

This book is well worth listening to.

I really enjoyed the book definitely worth listening to engaging as well enlightening. As a layperson I did find the amount of quotes to feel a little bit forced. Kind of like a well-educated person using her education to let others know that she's educated. The information disseminated was more than worth it. I really enjoyed the book and have heard it twice.