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Decision Making:
Plous, S., 1993. The psychology of judgment and decision making. McGraw Hill, New York. This is a layman’s look at the common heuristics and biases that humans are subject to when making decisions. Very easy to read and entertaining.
http://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Judgment-Decision-Making/dp/0070504776
(Recommended by Robyn Wilson & Tom Pagano)
Hammond, J.S., R.L. Keeney, and H. Raiffa, 1999. Smart choices: A practical guide to making better decisions. Harvard Business School Press, Boston. This is an easy to read introduction to one decision aiding technique known as PrOACT. The book provides guidance for making better individual choices (buying a car, picking an apartment, deciding on a job) but the techniques can be applied to large group decision making settings as well. (Recommended by Robyn Wilson)
Damasio, A.R., 1994. Descartes' error: Emotion, reason, and the human brain. G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York. This book would be useful for anyone interested in getting deeper into the role of emotion in decision making, specifically the physiological foundations of emotion and the interplay between emotion and cognition. (Recommended by Robyn Wilson)
Sarewitz, Pielke Jr and Byerly Jr 2000 Prediction: Science, Decision Making and the Future of Nature, Island Press, 400 pages
http://www.amazon.com/Prediction-Science-Decision-Making-Future/dp/1559637765/
Forecasting as the interface between science and society. Communicating uncertainty.
(recommended by Tom Pagano)
All good social and cognitive psychology books about decision making. Why common sense isn't so common. What motivates people:
Gilovich, T 1993 How we know what isn't so: the fallibility of human reason in everyday life, free press, 224 pages
http://www.amazon.com/How-Know-What-Isnt-Fallibility/dp/0029117062
(recommended by Tom Pagano)
Cialdini, R B 2006 Influence: The psychology of persuasion. Collins Business Essentials, 336 pages
http://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Business-Essentials/dp/006124189X
(recommended by Tom Pagano)
Economics:
Climate Change Economics and Policy: An RFF Anthology Michael A. Toman, Ed. 2001, Paperback, RFF (Resources for the Future) Press
ISBN 1-891853-04-X / $32.95
A little old, but a great introduction to the economics and policy aspects of climate change.
(Recommended by Nori Tarui)
Some useful links about the economics of climate change (Recommended by Nori Tarui):
Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_cli mate_change/sternreview_index.cfm
New York Times column by an economist Hal Varian on Stern Report
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/14/business/14scene.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&ore f=slogin
Comments on the Stern Review's Economics of Climate Change by Partha Dasgupta
http://www.econ.cam.ac.uk/faculty/dasgupta/stern07.pdf
Comments on the Stern Review by William Nordhaus
http://nordhaus.econ.yale.edu/recent_stuff.html
Comments on the Stern Review by Martin Weitzman
http://www.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/Weitzman/papers/JELSternReport.pdf
Stern's response to critiques
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_cli mate_change/stern_review_additionalpapers.cfm
Other recommended books about economics (Recommended by Nori Tarui)
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (New York: Harper Collins, 2005) ISBN 006073132X
Applies the analytical tools of microeconomics and real data to explore a variety of curiosities. Discusses what schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common, exploring the role of incentives and the phenomenon of cheating. Explains how the Ku Klux Klan is like a group of real-estate agents highlighting the power of information and what happens when that power is abused. Considers why, if crack dealing is so profitable, do most drug dealers still live with their moms, and reveals that conventional wisdom is often a web of fabrication, self-interest, and convenience. Explains how Roe v. Wade helped trigger, a generation later, the biggest crime drop in history and sorts out the facts of crime from the fictions. Examines, from a number of angles, whether and how parents matter for a number of child outcomes. Considers what kind of signal parents are sending when they name a child and whether a child's name really matters.
Tim Harford, The Undercover Economist: Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor--and Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car, (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2005) ISBN 0195189779 Tim Harford is a columnist for the Financial Times who provides a delightful introduction to economics for a general audience.
Innovation:
Rogers, E M 2003 Diffusion of Innovations, Free Press 5th edition 512 pages
http://www.amazon.com/Diffusion-Innovations-5th-Everett-Rogers/dp/0743222091
The classic text on the topic of innovation. Who innovates? Why? (recommended by Tom Pagano)
Schilling, M A 2007 Strategic Management of Technological Innovation, McGraw-Hill Education 312 pages
http://www.amazon.com/Strategic-Management-Technological-Innovation-Schilling/dp/0071259422
An excellent textbook, informative and easy to read. Has a bit of a business focus. (recommended by Tom Pagano)
Visual Display of Quantitative Information :
Tufte, E R 1992 The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, Graphics Press
http://www.amazon.com/Visual-Display-Quantitative-Information/dp/096139210X
Another classic on how to design maps, graphs and plots. A bit dated, but the theory still holds.
He's written several books since then but there's a lot of overlap. His recent concept of "sparklines" is novel though and an interesting read.
http://www.edwardtufte.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0001OR&topic_id=1&topic=Ask+E.T.
(recommended by Tom Pagano)
The DISCCRS II Symposium is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation through grant #EAR-0435728 to Whitman College, C.S. Weiler PI and #EAR-0435719 to the University of Oregon, R.B. Mitchell PI.
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