Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions author: Dan Ariely rating: ASIN or ISBN-10: 006135323X binding: Hardcover list price: $25.95 USD amazon price: $24.10 USD

"Why'd they do that?" -- a familiar refrain. Why do people engage in sometimes irrational behavior?

This is an excellent survey of the forces influencing the way people act. The author examines the effect of social norms, money, sexual arousal and more.

Why do people behave the way they do when faced with certain choices? Thought provoking and enlightening, worth reading again. I've added this book to my all-time favorites list.

Oh, and the author, Dan Ariely, maintains a blog on his web site.

Suffering from low morale? Wondering why your crew isn't as chipper as you'd like them to be? Thinking of bringing in an outsider to evaluate their state of mind? Consider this sage advice from a seasoned software engineer:

When the company president hires a psychologist to interview all of the engineers (in an effort to find out what is wrong with the development process), it is probably time to leave. Past time, even.
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I assume that the author of that gem has experienced such nonsense. Or he has a fertile imagination. Or both.