Inside the Nudge Unit: How small changes can make a big difference

I'm a bit sad to see that this book hasn't caught on like wildfire. It's been a game changer for my team. We are reading it together and seeking to take its lessons to apply specifically to our sphere (retention of students in higher ed, as it happens). It's a bit wonky at the start but gets into so many practical, head-slapping ideas which spark conversation and ideas. We've made some 'small' changes in how we communicate, when, what it looks like, etc., and we are seeing big results. I am evangelizing this book whenever possible (and have bought up a number of the paperback copies) but not seeing it take off. The name is perhaps off-putting, and maybe there are some 'nudge' messages about marketing of books in all of that. From my perspective and that of my team, this book is really helping us frame how we conduct our business.

Spring for the hard cover. Mine is all dog eared, highlighted, and has notes in the margins. Inside the Nudge Unit is much more about practical application and comes from the experience of government policy shifts. This book is less about economics from a philosophical stand point. The book would probably flow faster if I wasn't marking something on almost every page for reference later. This is not a book telling you about the foundations of economics (read Misbehaving). This book tells you what a department in the British government actually did, how they implemented it, what worked and didn't work, what they proved would be successful but weren't able to implement through the bureaucracy, and their thoughts and goals for the future. This book does a nice job sourcing the main take-a-ways of research papers and experiments without bogging things down in academic fluff. If you want something more technical then you're probably already able to access research journals. This book is meant to me more accessible. I've cited this book in my doctoral assignments many times and it's only been out 3 months. Other Books on the same topic: Misbehaving is a faster more humorous read, and full of great historical/philosophical information as well.  Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics  (Both are much better than Nudge which started the whole thing and was a best selling book of the year for many people)  Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness

It was a good description of how the British government adopted behavioral science insights to improve the interaction between bureaucrats and their processes and ordinary people. I'd hoped for a lot more of a deep dive into human behavioral psychology but that wasn't there. Still, any government or company should pay attention to how people perceive things and build that knowledge into their programs and processes.

I really liked this book - it was really interesting to hear the details of the Behavioral Insight Team. One of the leadership / behavioral takeaways is that if you want to make a change, think EAST - Easy, Attractive, Social (show that everyone is doing it) and Time (when most receptive).The book is full of great examples and adds to much of what I have read in other books on the topic (Nudge by Thaler; Work Rules by Laszlo Bock)I recommend this book to leaders who think about and deal with organizational change.

Somewhat involved description of the people and events that brought "nudging" into a prominent position with the British government. The examples of "nudging" and the effects of these efforts are quite interesting. Similar to the content of Nudge, by Thaler and Sunstein, this book does not substantially clarify what a nudge is. Readers interested in getting a functional understanding of nudges and nudging should keep looking.

Great introduction and description of Behavioral Insights Team's work of improving peoples lives through process improvements. Great companion to Nudge by Thayler and Sunstein.

Got this for school. Great book! You can start anywhere and still understand the concepts. You don’t really have to read all the way through (good If you’re in a rush to finish the book for a project).

Highly recommended for those that want to make positive changes.

This was a disappointing book. I was interested in the psychology but instead it was really an autobiography. I think there was a fair bit of name dropping and every 50 pages or so a detailed description of a desk or office that was supposed to impress. A great resource for historians or future biographers but not a psychology textbook.I was struck by the amorality of the department and a limited view. Getting folks back into work consisted of motivating and nagging the newly unemployed. There was no analysis of the policies that create jobs. I had the impression that the department could be transplanted to communist China without turning a hair.I am still looking for an authoritative textbook on nudge techniques.

A useful introduction to the work of the BIT - Behavioural Insights Team that was nascent in the civil service under the Blair & Brown government. The Cameroons took on much of the work which is now taken for granted. The writing style is a little bit dry and the uneducated reader would find the subjects a bit dull. There are nods to the big names in the field, both popular authors (Thinking Fast & Slow) and obscure. For those already interested in Psychology there are few surprises. However, the book is reassuring for those who want to understand the validity of the role of behavioural psychology in modern life.

Summary of the original work in book Nudge. Read the original work which is more authentic rather than this mix up

This is a subject that I have a general interest in, especially as my job involves a lot of implementing change. Maintained my interest throughout and also have some practical tips to take away too. One of the most enjoyable books I've read in a while.

Fascinating and a good read for anyone especially amateur and for that matter budding and professional behavioural scientists.