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The Control Heuristic: The Nature of Human Behavior, 2nd Edition
"This book is like a magnificent suspension bridge, linking the science of the human brain to the practical craft of applying it in everyday life. I loved it." – Rory Sutherland, Ogilvy's Vice Chairman
“A SUPERB book […] by one of the profound thinkers in our field [behavioral economics].” – Michael G. Bartlett
“Luca’s book was so helpful to my work. Opened my eyes up to some more reasons why change is so hard.” – Chris Murman
ON THE BOOK
Why do you sometimes do things which are bad for you? Why are there some items on your to-do list that you keep procrastinating over and over? And what can you do about it?Luca answers these questions and then some more, in what is probably the most comprehensive and densely-packed book you will ever read on human behavior. More importantly, Luca does not only provide answers but also practical tips to get you to do what you set your mind to.
The book starts with observations of daily-life behavior. Then, it dissects our behavior from many lenses – neurology, risk management, evolution, complex systems – and distills the principles that guide human behavior, including the overarching one that gives the name to the book, “The Control Heuristic.” Luca then converts these principles into practical steps that he applied to his life, and that will help you fight resistance to change.
This is not your typical book telling stories about human behavior. Instead, it is a densely-packed analysis of human behavior from the perspectives that matter the most, and a set of practical, actionable rules guiding human behavior.
Reviews of Luca's previous books
"Absolutely brilliant." - Alberto Pisanello
"One of the best works I have read in that matter (I have read a few) and it's surprising how realistically he depicts the condition." - Manel Vilar (on Luca's book on autism)
"A very thoughtful piece of writing, deep and wiring!" - David Krejca
"A game changer" - Adam English
"I am amazed at Luca Dellanna's ability to observe, compile, and articulate 99 very actionable life principles here. Each chapter describes the rule in a way that makes you think and then summarizes the Action. It's filled with DEEP insights yet VERY readable." - Theresia Tanzil
"A tremendously useful book. If you apply the book sincerely, your outlook and understanding of what is happening in your life (especially the portions where you are struggling) will change." - Balaji Srinivasan
"A profound, useful and insightful book" - Lorenzo Dragani
“This guy! Luca is amazing. So insightful with common sense applications of complexity and the ability to communicate clearly!!” – Bob Klapetzky
“A SUPERB book […] by one of the profound thinkers in our field [behavioral economics].” – Michael G. Bartlett
“Luca’s book was so helpful to my work. Opened my eyes up to some more reasons why change is so hard.” – Chris Murman
ON THE BOOK
Why do you sometimes do things which are bad for you? Why are there some items on your to-do list that you keep procrastinating over and over? And what can you do about it?Luca answers these questions and then some more, in what is probably the most comprehensive and densely-packed book you will ever read on human behavior. More importantly, Luca does not only provide answers but also practical tips to get you to do what you set your mind to.
The book starts with observations of daily-life behavior. Then, it dissects our behavior from many lenses – neurology, risk management, evolution, complex systems – and distills the principles that guide human behavior, including the overarching one that gives the name to the book, “The Control Heuristic.” Luca then converts these principles into practical steps that he applied to his life, and that will help you fight resistance to change.
This is not your typical book telling stories about human behavior. Instead, it is a densely-packed analysis of human behavior from the perspectives that matter the most, and a set of practical, actionable rules guiding human behavior.
Reviews of Luca's previous books
"Absolutely brilliant." - Alberto Pisanello
"One of the best works I have read in that matter (I have read a few) and it's surprising how realistically he depicts the condition." - Manel Vilar (on Luca's book on autism)
"A very thoughtful piece of writing, deep and wiring!" - David Krejca
"A game changer" - Adam English
"I am amazed at Luca Dellanna's ability to observe, compile, and articulate 99 very actionable life principles here. Each chapter describes the rule in a way that makes you think and then summarizes the Action. It's filled with DEEP insights yet VERY readable." - Theresia Tanzil
"A tremendously useful book. If you apply the book sincerely, your outlook and understanding of what is happening in your life (especially the portions where you are struggling) will change." - Balaji Srinivasan
"A profound, useful and insightful book" - Lorenzo Dragani
“This guy! Luca is amazing. So insightful with common sense applications of complexity and the ability to communicate clearly!!” – Bob Klapetzky
- GenresPsychology
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 31, 2020
16 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Luca Dellanna
19 books114 followersLuca Dellanna is a management advisor and the author of 9 books. He has been featured on Nudgestock, the largest behavioral sciences conference, and Econtalk, among others. More than 25,000 people around the world read Luca regularly.
Luca is known for being probably the only consultant at the intersection of risk management under uncertainty, operational know-how, and behavioral psychology. He also strongly believes in the importance of teaching not just what the right thing to do is but also how to do it right.
After a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, Luca spent the first part of his career working for DuPont’s consulting unit in Frankfurt, Germany. There, he focused on managerial excellence projects in various industries, all across Europe.
In 2015, Luca moved back to his hometown of Turin, Italy, and opened a private consulting practice serving clients worldwide (with a focus on Italy, France, United States, India, and Singapore).
He has also published books about management, human behavior, and economics that earned him appearances at the most important conferences and podcasts in his field, Nudgestock and EconTalk, respectively.
In 2023, Luca operates a consulting practice in Italy and Singapore, and lives in Turin with his wife Wenlin and his dog Didi.
Luca writes regularly on Twitter (@DellAnnaLuca).
His personal website is www.luca-dellanna.com
Luca is known for being probably the only consultant at the intersection of risk management under uncertainty, operational know-how, and behavioral psychology. He also strongly believes in the importance of teaching not just what the right thing to do is but also how to do it right.
After a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, Luca spent the first part of his career working for DuPont’s consulting unit in Frankfurt, Germany. There, he focused on managerial excellence projects in various industries, all across Europe.
In 2015, Luca moved back to his hometown of Turin, Italy, and opened a private consulting practice serving clients worldwide (with a focus on Italy, France, United States, India, and Singapore).
He has also published books about management, human behavior, and economics that earned him appearances at the most important conferences and podcasts in his field, Nudgestock and EconTalk, respectively.
In 2023, Luca operates a consulting practice in Italy and Singapore, and lives in Turin with his wife Wenlin and his dog Didi.
Luca writes regularly on Twitter (@DellAnnaLuca).
His personal website is www.luca-dellanna.com
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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August 11, 2020rec by David Perell-
Luca Dellana is one of the most under-rated writers I know. He argues that there’s a deep part of human nature that wants to maintain a sense of certainty. We hate uncertainty so much that we often prefer a known situation with worse average payoffs than an unknown situation with better average ones.
Suppose you’re waiting for an old-school taxi and the driver says they’ll be there in ten minutes. In the back of your mind, you’ll still wonder if it’ll be 25 minutes. Or maybe they’ll cancel on you. One of Uber’s selling points is not just a quick pickup, but knowing when your car will arrive with near-perfect certainty.
Luca Dellana is one of the most under-rated writers I know. He argues that there’s a deep part of human nature that wants to maintain a sense of certainty. We hate uncertainty so much that we often prefer a known situation with worse average payoffs than an unknown situation with better average ones.
Suppose you’re waiting for an old-school taxi and the driver says they’ll be there in ten minutes. In the back of your mind, you’ll still wonder if it’ll be 25 minutes. Or maybe they’ll cancel on you. One of Uber’s selling points is not just a quick pickup, but knowing when your car will arrive with near-perfect certainty.
July 29, 2020
Having read Luca's 100 Truths and loved it, I was excited to read the second edition of the Control Heuristic. It's an insightful book jam-packed with useful information, relevant and actionable both on an individual level and an organisational level. Highly recommended.
May 30, 2023
wow, this one was insightful! I have to admit that I didn’t like a writing style of the author, but since I would definitely recommend this book, it deserves 5 stars.
April 5, 2022
One of the most illuminating books I have ever read.
Many of the concepts remind me of things I learnt from The Elephant in the Brain and The Righteous Mind.
Many of the concepts remind me of things I learnt from The Elephant in the Brain and The Righteous Mind.
September 18, 2020
First book I read from Luca Dellanna. Loved the structure of the book, the simplicity of the concepts discussed, and how much I learnt from it!
October 18, 2024
Great ideas, works as a good summary and curation of useful points. Oversimplifications have lead to many points that miss the mark, though still useful as framing.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews