The Invisible Gorilla

How Our Intuitions Deceive Us

Christopher Chabris

Book Synopsis

"The Invisible Gorilla" by Christopher Chabris is a captivating exploration of the deceiving nature of human perception and memory. Through thought-provoking experiments and real-life examples, the book challenges our belief in the accuracy and reliability of our own senses.

Using the well-known "Gorilla Experiment" as a starting point, Chabris sheds light on our selective attention, showing how we easily miss unexpected and crucial details when preoccupied with a specific task.

The author reveals the limitations of our memory and recounts how our brains often fill in gaps with false information, leading to faulty recollections and distorted understanding of events.

Chabris also examines the impact of our biases and preconceptions on our perception. Drawing on studies in cognitive psychology, he exposes how these biases can influence our decisions, judgments, and even our sense of self.

"The Invisible Gorilla" urges readers to question their assumptions about their own abilities to perceive and remember accurately. It offers practical suggestions for improving our understanding of the world around us, using insights from psychological research.

In a society that increasingly relies on visual information and multitasking, Chabris highlights the importance of being aware of our limitations and developing critical thinking skills. Ultimately, this book presents a compelling argument for the need to question our beliefs and sharpen our attention in order to truly see what is right in front of us.

Explore More Books

See All
Showing Up for Life
The Emotionally Intelligent Investor
Happiness
Killers of the Flower Moon
Team of Teams
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
The Story of Civilization: The Age of Napoleon
Monetizing Innovation
Statistical Consequences of Fat Tails
René Girard's Mimetic Theory
Trump and Churchill
Midnight In Chernobyl
The 48 Laws of Power
Statistical Models
The Third Chimpanzee
Unravelling the Double Helix
The Better Angels of our Nature
Liar's Poker
Factfulness
Boyd
Teddy and Booker T.
Think on These Things
Son of the Morning Star
Deep Survival
Human Action
Something Like an Autobiography
Good Profit
Growth IQ
Born a Crime
Ficciones
Manias, Panics, and Crashes
Stretching the School Dollar
The Deficit Myth
The World Until Yesterday
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
How Asia Works
Falling into Grace
The Hustler
The Bonfire of the Vanities
The First Crash
Stone Age Economics
The Meaning of the 21st Century
Pride and Prejudice
Origin Story
Cognitive Surplus
Fables
Experimental Man
Who We Are and How We Got Here
The Statistical Mechanics of Financial Markets
Distress
Memoirs
A Woman Makes a Plan
Mastery
Outlive
Sell with a Story
A Writer's Time
The Master Switch
Starting Strength
The Book of Life
The Truth Machine
The Sunday Philosophy Club
The Last Days of Night
Infectious Generosity
The Social Photo
Dear Founder
Flying Start
The Four
Fertility Pastures
Rise of the Robots
Hit Refresh
Investment Biker
A Second Chance
One Up
The Fund
Fooling Some of the People All of the Time
Modern Engineering for Design of Liquid Propellant Rocket Engines
Lifespan
The Principia
Ishmael
Too Dumb to Fail
The Last Lion
Deep Simplicity
But What If We're Wrong?
T
Never Eat Alone
Plan B 3.0
The Mind of Napoleon
The Singularity Is Near
The Art of Possibility
Understanding Comics
The Little Bitcoin Book
Information
Complexity
The Making of Prince of Persia
King, Warrior, Magician, Lover
Little, Big
Positioning
Data-Driven Marketing
Continental Reckoning
The House of Getty