Under the Influence: Putting Peer Pressure to Work

by Robert H. Frank

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Author: Robert H. Frank

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Hardcover:
ISBN 10: 0691193088
ISBN 13: 978-0691193083

From New York Times bestselling author and economics columnist Robert Frank, bold new ideas for creating environments that promise a brighter future

Psychologists have long understood that social environments profoundly shape our behavior, sometimes for the better, often for the worse. But social influence is a two-way street―our environments are themselves products of our behavior. Under the Influence explains how to unlock the latent power of social context. It reveals how our environments encourage smoking, bullying, tax cheating, sexual predation, problem drinking, and wasteful energy use. We are building bigger houses, driving heavier cars, and engaging in a host of other activities that threaten the planet―mainly because that's what friends and neighbors do.

In the wake of the hottest years on record, only robust measures to curb greenhouse gases promise relief from more frequent and intense storms, droughts, flooding, wildfires, and famines. Robert Frank describes how the strongest predictor of our willingness to support climate-friendly policies, install solar panels, or buy an electric car is the number of people we know who have already done so. In the face of stakes that could not be higher, the book explains how we could redirect trillions of dollars annually in support of carbon-free energy sources, all without requiring painful sacrifices from anyone.

Most of us would agree that we need to take responsibility for our own choices, but with more supportive social environments, each of us is more likely to make choices that benefit everyone. Under the Influence shows how.

Review

"This is a fascinating look at the way other people unconsciously determine our everyday behaviour and is a useful addition to the many works on how human psychology affects economic decision making." (Money Week)

"This broadly themed book addresses the complexities of our social environments ― for example, how group behavior gives rise to bullying ― but a lot of what it discusses applies to worldwide environmental issues, too. The result is a combination of psychology and economics that illustrates how the human ‘herd instinct’ can be put to good use to solve the climate crisis and other problems."---John R. Platt, The Revelator

"Frank's points . . . raise some big questions. Which reminds us that economics cannot be a merely technocratic discipline."---Chris Dillow, Stumbling & Mumbling

Review

"Under the Influence describes a neglected goal for social policy: to gently foster the wisdom needed, individually and collectively, to achieve the Good Life. Frank's own wisdom is on view in every paragraph of this book, with its brilliant perspective on―and solution to―the problems of our times."―George Akerlof, Nobel Laureate in Economics

"Call this book 'the mother of all cognitive illusions' meets 'the mother of all suicidal delusions.' Interested? You should be if you are really worried about how the cost of the Green New Deal is going to be met―logically, rationally, equitably, and soon. Robert Frank is not kidding when he asserts that even a middle schooler would understand his explanations of the public-policy stupidity that results when what he calls behavioral contagion trumps right actions."―Anthony Ingraffea, Cornell University

"Smart, delightful, and provocative, Under the Influence is designed to rock your boat―and maybe even sink it. Not to be missed!"―Daniel Gilbert, Harvard University

"Economists are learning that human behavior is more than just a series of cost/benefit calculations. Robert Frank has been at the forefront of bringing biology and psychology into the equation, including our sensitivity to how those around us think and act. The human 'herd instinct' has consequences ranging from how we regulate tobacco to how we can avert a climate catastrophe."―Frans de Waal, author of Mama's Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves

"Brilliant, fun, and profound. Other people influence us a lot more than we think, which is a big problem but also a terrific opportunity. Robert Frank shows exactly why. Read this book―everyone else is going to!"―Cass R. Sunstein, author of On Freedom

"An important and thought-provoking examination of how key individual choices are shaped by social context and fashion―and a clarion call for policies that better respond to that insight."―Bina Venkataraman, author of The Optimist's Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age

"Under the Influence is a brilliant, necessary corrective to the narrow and often debilitating conventional wisdom of economics applied to the biggest crises of our time. Behavioral contagions have paralyzed us for decades, but they are not just negative forces, undermining our best interests. They can also empower us, even against what seem insurmountable challenges. Robert Frank shouldn't just change the way we think about those challenges, but how we respond to them, too."―David Wallace-Wells, author of The Uninhabitable Earth

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Under the Influence: Putting Peer Pressure to Work