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My Book Reviews
I very, very roughly rated and ranked the books on this site using the direct rating technique and checks found in Decision Analysis and Behavioral Research by Detlof Von Winterfeldt and Ward Edwards. I compared the books in each category with other books in the same category on a scale of zero to ten. Comparisons are not from category to category. A rating of eight in the philosophy category does not mean the book is better than a book with a rating of seven in the psychology category. Books not rated or ranked were not because I was highly unsure where to rate and rank them or because I did not read the entire book.
The sections were rated and ranked according to:
Stats and stuff: Well-reasonedness
Ethics: Ethical value
Thinking Books: one-half pragmatic value, one-half well-reasonedness
Psychology: one-half pragmatic value, one-half well-reasonedness
Philosophy: well-reasonedness
Narrative Books: one-half esthetic value, one-half my enjoyment
Important or Interesting Books: one-half moral value of specific policy prescriptions, one-half overall well-reasonedness
I rounded up all half numbers.
Important or Interesting Books
|
Book |
Policy |
Well-reasonedness |
Total |
|
Economics at the Wheel |
9 |
10 |
10 |
|
Nobody’s Children |
8 |
9 |
9 |
|
True Security |
10 |
9 |
10 |
|
New Voices/ Real Choices |
9 |
9 |
9 |
|
The Academic Achievement Challenge |
5 |
10 |
8 |
|
Will America Grow Up Before… |
5 |
7 |
6 |
|
The Feminine Economy… |
6 |
7 |
7 |
|
Inside American Education |
5 |
8 |
7 |
|
Luxury Fever |
6 |
7 |
7 |
|
Rewarding Work |
6 |
7 |
7 |
|
Growing Up with a Single Parent… |
6 |
6 |
6 |
|
The Great American Tax Dodge |
6 |
5 |
6 |
|
Patient Power |
5 |
6 |
6 |
|
Paul Krugman’s works |
4 |
6 |
5 |
|
Promises to Keep |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
Jefferson’s Children |
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
Abolition of Marriage |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
Restoring Prosperity |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Posterity Lost |
0 |
2 |
1 |
|
Greedy Hand |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Stakeholder Society |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Myths of Rich and Poor |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Baby Boon |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Narrative Books
|
Name |
Esthetic |
Enjoyment |
Total |
|
The Cliff Walk |
10 |
9 |
10 |
|
Gig |
8 |
10 |
9 |
|
Jack Faust |
8 |
4 |
6 |
|
White Noise |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Thinking Books
|
Book |
Pragmatic |
Well-reasonedness |
Total |
|
Hard Thinking |
10 |
10 |
10 |
|
Decision Making |
10 |
10 |
10 |
|
How to Think About Weird… |
8 |
6 |
7 |
|
Understanding Scientific Reasoning |
5 |
9 |
7 |
|
Strategies for Creative Problem… |
8 |
5 |
7 |
|
Thinking and Deciding |
5 |
6 |
6 |
|
Logic and Contemporary Rhetoric |
5 |
6 |
6 |
|
Tools of Critical Thinking |
6 |
4 |
5 |
|
Unlimited Power |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Psychology
|
Book |
Pragmatic |
Well-reasonedness |
Total |
|
Nurture Assumption |
9 |
10 |
9 |
|
Losing Control |
10 |
6 |
8 |
|
White Bears and Other Unwanted… |
9 |
7 |
8 |
|
Passion and Reason |
9 |
6 |
8 |
|
The Marriage Clinic |
7 |
7 |
7 |
|
Evil |
7 |
6 |
7 |
|
Flow |
6 |
5 |
6 |
|
Management of the Absurd |
5 |
2 |
4 |
|
10 Dumbest Mistakes Smart… |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
Happiness Is a Serious Problem |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Books reviewed by J.T. Fournier, last updated July 24, 2009.