Why do we spontaneously buy chocolate at the supermarket checkout? Why does cheap wine taste so good from an expensive bottle? And why do we trust people in white coats? Tim den Heijer and Eva van den Broek provide answers to these phenomena in “The Housefly Effect”.
The title refers to a famous experiment in the men’s toilet at Amsterdam airport: a small painted fly in the urinal improved men’s accuracy and helped reduce cleaning costs. This is a perfect example of so-called “nudging”, the subtle influence of small stimuli on our behavior. But the authors go far beyond classic nudges and shed light on which factors influence our actions in everyday life.
In keeping with the theme, small pictures of flies appear scattered throughout the book, which draw the reader’s attention and illustrate the concept in a playful way. However, the authors’ humorous tone sometimes seems a bit labored. Unlike the houseflies around us, these sections are easy to ignore.
“The Housefly Effect” is a recommended read for anyone who wants to understand what makes us tick. The book shows how we can recognize the hidden manipulations in our everyday lives and make more conscious decisions. And what means we can use to control the behavior of others. Eszter Bolla
Tim den Heijer & Eva van den Broek
The housefly effect
Gutkind Verlag, 336 pages, €22
ISBN 978-3-98941-080-0