Smart Choices: A Practical Guide to Making Better Decisions

Where should I live?

Is it time to switch careers?

What is the best course of action for me?

Decisions shape our experiences, from choosing which job offer to accept, to buying the right car, to selecting a good accountant. How do we know which choice is the sm [...]
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Where should I live?

Is it time to switch careers?

What is the best course of action for me?

Decisions shape our experiences, from choosing which job offer to accept, to buying the right car, to selecting a good accountant. How do we know which choice is the smart one? How can we be consistent and confident in our decisions? In this book from the three leading authorities on decision-making, readers learn how to approach all types of decisions with a simple set of skills developed by professors from Harvard, MIT, and the University of Southern California.

Combining solid research with common sense and practical experience, this user-friendly guide shows readers how to assess deep-seated objectives, create a comprehensive set of alternatives, determine likely consequences, make tradeoffs, and grapple with uncertainty. Not only will readers learn how to make decisions, they will learn how to make the smartest decisions. For anyone caught at a confusing crossroad–whether you’re choosing between mutual funds or deciding where to retire–the Smart Choices program will improve your decision-making abilities immediately, and make your life more rewarding and fulfilling.

"In Smart Choices, John Hammond, Ralph Keeney, and Howard Raiffa tell us in plain language how to make optimal decisions in our everyday lives. They combine one hundred collective years of experience in an exceptional resource that takes the reader step-by-step through problem formulation and final decision." –Jerome P. Kassirer, editor-in-chief, New England Journal of Medicine

"Throughout Smart Choices, Hammond, Keeney, and Raiffa provide valuable insight and guidance on the inevitable and ongoing negotiation with yourself when facing a difficult decision. By following their effective, systematic process, anyone can make important personal or business decisions with greater clarity, confidence, and efficiency." –Stephen J. Hemsley, former head of Strategy, Technology, and Operating Professional Service Lines, Arthur Andersen



Author Biography: John Hammond, Ph.D., is a renowned management consultant and a former professor at both Harvard and MIT. Also the coauthor of Strategic Market Planning, he lives in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Ralph Keeney, Ph.D., is the author of Value-Focused Thinking and runs a consulting practice in San Francisco, where he lives. He is also a professor at the University of Southern California. Howard Raiffa, Ph.D., now professor emeritus , has taught the art and science of decision making and negotiations in the Schools of Business, Public Policy, Law, and Medicine at Harvard University for almost five decades. He is widely recognized as one of the founders of the field of decision sciences. He lives in Belmont, Massachusetts.