Neuroeconomics: Decision Making and the Brain

by Paul W. Glimcher (Editor), Ernst Fehr (Editor)

In the years since it first published, Decision Making and the Brain has become the standard reference and textbook in the burgeoning field of neuroeconomics. The second edition, a nearly complete revision of this landmark book, will set a new standard. This new edition features five sections designed to serve as both classroom-friendly introductions to each of the major subareas in neuroeconomics, and as advanced synopses of all that has been accomplished in the last two decades in this rapidly expanding academic discipline. The first of these sections provides useful introductions to the disciplines of microeconomics, the psychology of judgment and decision, computational neuroscience, and anthropology for scholars and students seeking interdisciplinary breadth. The second section provides an overview of how human and animal preferences are represented in the mammalian nervous systems. Chapters on risk, time preferences, social preferences, emotion, pharmacology, and common neural currencies―each written by leading experts―lay out the foundations of neuroeconomic thought. The third section contains both overview and in-depth chapters on the fundamentals of reinforcement learning, value learning, and value representation. The fourth section, “The Neural Mechanisms for Choice,” integrates what is known about the decision-making architecture into state-of-the-art models of how we make choices. The final section embeds these mechanisms in a larger social context, showing how these mechanisms function during social decision-making in both humans and animals. The book provides a historically rich exposition in each of its chapters and emphasizes both the accomplishments and the controversies in the field. A clear explanatory style and a single expository voice characterize all chapters, making core issues in economics, psychology, and neuroscience accessible to scholars from all disciplines. The volume is essential reading for anyone interested in neuroeconomics in particular or decision making in general.

Genres: Economics, Neuroscience, Science, Psychology, Textbooks, Nonfiction, Biology

560 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2008

Reviews

[Matthias · Rating 5 out of 5]

[read at SISSA's library, Trieste]
My 5/5 rating isn't just for the super high quality content, but also for the edition and its design. Don't do yourself a disservice: avoid the kindle version - this book is physically beautiful and deserves to be read in all its hardcover glory.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly thorough coverage of the intersection between neuroscience, experimental economics and psychology. A textbook worth reading cover to cover if interested in how humans make decisions.

[Thomas Fratkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most complete textbook written on this nascent field. Top shelf.

[GONZA · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't understood everything but I'm actually following a MOOC on Neuroeconomy and it helped a lot; I found this topic one of the most interesting subject I found out in the last years so and, even if I wouldn't recommend this book to many people, if you are interested in the way we decide what to do, this book could give you some good insights.

Non ho capito tutto quello che c'é scritto, ma sto seguendo un corso on-line sulla Neuroeconomia e mi ha aiutato parecchio; ritengo questo uno degli argomenti piú interessanti degli ultimi anni, e, anche se non consiglierei a tutti di leggere questo manualone, se vi interessa la scienza e le ragioni alla base delle nostre decisioni, questo libro potrebbe darvi qualche risposta.

[Mills College Library]

612.82 N4945 2014