Behavioral economics / Edward Cartwright.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [457]-471) and index.

Part I. Introduction -- 1. An introduction to behavioral economics -- Part II. Economic behavior -- 2. Simple heuristics for complex choices -- 3. Choice with risk -- 4. Choosing when to act -- 5. Learning from new information -- 6. Interacting with others -- 7. Social preferences -- Part III. Origins of behavior -- 8. Evolution and culture -- 9. Neuro-economics -- Part IV. Welfare and policy -- 10. Happiness and utility -- 11. Policy and behavior.

"Over the last few decades behavioral economics has revolutionized economics. It has done so by putting the human back in to economics, by recognizing that people sometimes make mistakes, care about others, and are generally not as cold and calculating as economists have traditionally liked to think they are. The results have been exciting, fascinating, and have fundamentally changed the way we look at economic behavior. This book will show you why.

All the main results and insights of behavioral economics are introduced at an intuitive level, with important ideas like mental accounting, prospect theory, present bias, inequality aversion, and learning explained in detail. These insights are also applied in diverse settings to show you why behavioral economics is crucial to understand the world around us. The book covers auctions, stock market crashes, giving to charity, health care, saving for retirement, the gender gap, addiction, and much more.

The intriguing new subject of neuroeconomics is covered in depth, as is the role that evolution and culture may have played in shaping modern economic behavior. Consideration is also given to what makes people happy, and how we can potentially nudge them to be happier. This makes for an accessible and comprehensive text that will be of great value to the students who use it."--P. [4] of cover.