Learning about behavioral science

Dan is a great communicator and this is a fun, engaging book to learn about some core ideas in behavioral economics.

Another classic. As a public policy grad, I was really excited about the ways you could incorporate behavioral economics into policy design.

This is a bit of a tome, but I think it’s worth it if you’re looking to learn about some broader influences on behavior. It kicks off with a lengthy neuroscience primer and has many helpful overviews of dense topics and research.

This slim volume captures five key insights about our relationship with money and how we can use it to increase our happiness. It’s a quick read with broad application.

I like pretty much anything Dan Pink has written, but I recommend this one first if you’re looking for a primer on motivation and the often-overlooked elements of intrinsic motivation.

A key component of applied behavioral science is an appreciation for context. And one of the most important elements of context for many decision-makers is scarcity (of time, money, etc). This book is a quick overview of interesting research.

This is an interesting and useful look into how our psychology shapes our relationship with money, the narratives we hold, and the difference between a need and a strategy. I keep coming back to ideas from this book years after reading it.

I loved this quirky book and the counter-intuitive thinking that it highlights. Definitely a spiritual successor to David Ogilvy’s “Ogilvy on Advertising” in terms of wit and insight.

One great way to learn more about behavioral science is to meet up with others who are also interested! Since 2012, Bescy (formerly Action Design Network) has hosted events to bring people together to learn from each other and build community.

I met Tim and Kurt right around the time they started podcasting and since then they have been incredibly prolific! If you’re looking for a topic or speaker, there’s a good chance they’ve either already interviewed them or they’re in the queue.

Bescy's digital magazine focused on amplifying global perspectives in applied behavioral science. The ambition is to bring behavioral science to life through practitioner stories, fresh perspectives, and practical insights from all over the world.

Online events are lame. But somehow this one is fun? Leave it to the creative folks at Ogilvy (if you read Alchemy, you’ll understand) to make this a fun, interesting, and diverse event every year.

The Behavioral Lens is the Busara Center’s monthly newsletter. It features interesting stories and insights from their work in Latin America, Africa, and India.

Behavioral Scientist publishes interesting articles and curates a newsletter that is worth subscribing to. They typically do a round-up of new behavioral science books and they share tools and guides that might be useful to you.