How to Find a Black Cat in a Dark Room: The Psychology of Intuition, Influence, Decision Making and Trust

An inquiry into what it is about our experiences and cultures that brings out the differences and reveals the similarities in us as humans beings, in the vein of Malcolm Gladwell and Daniel Kahneman. Jacob Burak is on a quest to answer the question “are we as human beings, who are separated by different cultures and experiences, similar or different?” Through the lens of behavioural studies, we see how, while our approaches differ and often conflict, we all strive for similar things: love, acceptance, power and understanding. How to Find a Black Cat in a Dark Room offers the latest scientific studies of human behaviour alongside accessible anecdotes to examine the universal human experiences of comparing ourselves to others, the need to belong, the urge to achieve and the anxiety and uncertainty of life itself. More importantly, Burak shows us how, in understanding these behavioural patterns, we learn that we are actually more alike than we are different; that our rivals often make us stronger; and that being trusting can help us live longer.