Launch Trailer – Book Out Now
The book is out, and you can get a copy just about anywhere in the United States.
Until November 5, if you send a picture of yourself with the book to notsosmartbook@gmail.com, I will send you a free, signed bookplate. Please include your address. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Signed Bookplate | P.O. Box 15792 | Hattiesburg, MS 39404…and you’ll get a signed bookplate back in the mail. If you have a Kindle version you would like signed, go to this link.
I can’t thank you enough for your support and your interest. You made the book possible because you left comments, sent emails, followed on Twitter, became fans on Facebook, and most of all, shared links to this blog. In addition, you’ve helped provide over 15,600 hours of knowledge through One Laptop Per Child and Socialvibe. Scroll down any page on the blog and you will find the OLPC link on the right. Please keep clicking on it.
Some people have asked if I will keep posting at You Are Not So Smart. Yes. The book makes it possible for me to expand and try new things here. Look for that soon.
Many people have asked me about international availability. It’s coming. Expect it in your country soon if it isn’t already there.
This is the second of two trailers for the book. You can set the resolution all the way to 1080p. Oh, and you can watch the first trailer here.
I hired Plus3 Productions to make both trailers. Thank you! You should hire them to make something cool. I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, please share it.
Again, thank you.
I think I have a confirmation bias of doubt. I love your book (Already done with the first chapter), but this isn’t the first time I’ve jumped into a swimming pool of information concerning how we humans are wired from birth for certain illogical ways of thinking. Surely, my tiny experience with symbolic logic and psychology in college has helped foster the belief that “I’m not as smart as I think I am”
When I was in High School, everything was pretty easy, I was one of those kids that never did homework but would ace the test so I’d get by in most classes with B’s. I was a very arrogant, little bastard in my youth, I loved making people feel stupid and I swung my intellect around like a diamond encrusted codpiece.
But then high school ended and I realized my intellect was amazing a getting good scores on tests… but in the real world I was lost. My ego imploded, I developed very low self esteem because I realized that I had been lying to myself for years. I was quick witted and creative, but I wasn’t smart, at least not in the ‘real world’ sense. I felt incredibly stupid, I felt like my ego had ‘lied’ to me, make me think something false for my own good, like telling a child about Santa Claus so they will behave. And using that same metaphor, I experienced a complete mental catharsis when I realized that ‘Santa Claus wasn’t real’.
Now that I’m older and humbler I realize that my ego is something I need, even if it does paint my world in a very unrealistic light. For many years, I treated my ego like a relative you are just waiting to die. I hated my ego, I blamed it for all of my logical fallacies and all the heuristics I had adopted over the years that even to this day I still catch myself using, despite consciously knowing of their logical incorrectness.
I was sold on your blog the moment I read the title because I already believe what you are preaching! I was seeking information that supports what I already believe blah blah blah etc.
So I guess what I’m saying is: THANK YOU! I’m too hard on myself it seems. I had not considered until I started reading your blog (Hell yeah I pre-ordered the book!) that maybe all of these things are there for a reason, maybe they are there as a sort cushion for the mental spikes we experience almost everyday. I need to realize that maybe all these logical fallacies, heuristics, and confirmation biases are an evolutionary development designed to protect us from the raw power of our own brains! Perhaps, we literally, scientifically, cannot handle the truth.
I’m going to stop feeling guilty for being human.
Thank you for reading. Most of the things I write about are modes of thinking which serve us well under the best conditions or served us well uder the conditions our species evolved to cope with. In modern times and certain circumstances, those same mental shortcuts lead us off a cliff.
Wishing you the best of luck with the book. Your blog is edifying, witty, and always well-written. It’s great to see a fellow Southerner (I *thought* I recognized the faint lilt in the trailer) representing our region so well. I’ll be picking up a copy soon.
Thank you so much. Yes, my accent is usually flattened, but in the launch trailer I went full twang.
Well, I *was* going to get it today from iTunes but I think I’d like to add this one to my real book collection. Unfortunately I’ll have to wait until we are in California next month (Canadian girl, eh!). Fortunately I have found your blog to fill in the gap until then. Thank you and I look forward to the read.
We hope to publish in Canada soon, but it may be a few months.
I just bought your book (for the Kindle). Even though most of what you’ve covered (just browsing through your blog) is familiar to me due to my background (psychology) I loved your examples. Shame there’s no way to get your autograph (the Kindlegraph thing only seems to work for actual Kindle devices and not tablets that can use Kindle).
Thanks! Yes, I am sorry about that. If anyone knows of a solution, please let me know.
Consider this shared. I want to buy this book, but I don’t want to just buy a hard copy of the articles that are on here so I have to ask, does the book have more articles than the website/does it go into more detail? If not I’ll probably just keep up with the site. Even if there’s one extra I’ll buy it. I’m always looking for new ways to spend my money. Especially if it’s on something that I can use to tell my friends how not so smart they are.
Thanks! The book is about 50 percent new stuff and 50 percent stuff from the blog with more polish and more research.
Then consider it bought!
Nice! I try buying the book for my iPad, but I get ‘not avaliable in Norway store’. Will it be added there eventually?
I just re-read your post, and see it will come soon ;)
Do you know when It’s coming to England?
Working on it and others countries.
If we can send a stamped (US) self-addressed envelope, why do you limit the signed bookplates to US only? I’m a bit miffed at that one.
Again, congratulations on your success!
Just wanted to say congratulations on the book! What an amazing blog, and an amazing story! I feel uplifted knowing that there are other bloggers out there getting published. I’m working on a book idea right now while living and working in Korea, and writing a blog in the meantime; I wish you continued success!
Absolutely GREAT trailer! Two (ok, maybe three) thumbs up! Hard to imagine it better done!
[Caution: This comment comes from someone who freely admits to being Not So Smart.] ;-)
A friend pointed me here, and I concur…GREAT trailer! And now you’ve pointed me away…to get the book, which I’m about to do.
I have gotten the book downloaded to my Nook and am about halfway through it. Good work overall… I will review it on Library Thing when done.
Just had to complement both “add’s” for the book, based on the creativity of the adds I can’t wait to read the book
Will there be a paperback version coming out?
really like the video, nice concept
I just bought your book in Romania. For your international readers, I recommend you advertise http://www.bookdepository.com a site owned by Amazon but much more accesible outside US.
Keep up the good work,
A fan.
We (the royal “we”) always knew that “we are all stupid”.
But “you” made it more rational…for a second.
Always remember…a little over 49% of the people are below average.