Misunderstandings: False Beliefs in Communication by Georg Weizsäcker

 Georg Weizsäcker  has a new book, just out from Open Book Publishers. You can read online or download it for free, or purchase a printed copy.

Misunderstandings: False Beliefs in Communication, by Georg Weizsäcker 

"What do we expect when we say something to someone, and what do they expect when they hear it? When is a conversation successful? The book considers a wide set of two-person conversations, and a bit of game theory, to show how conversational statements and their interpretations are governed by beliefs. Thinking about beliefs is suitable for communication analysis because beliefs are well-defined and measurable, allowing to differentiate between successful understandings and their less successful counterparts: misunderstandings.

"The book describes the theoretical framework and empirical measurements of misunderstandings – written by an economist, but in simple words and using interdisciplinary concepts. The material will benefit students and researchers of behavioural economics and its neighbouring fields, and anyone interested in human language."

Among the endorsements:

"The most Zen part of economics has to do with how people form beliefs about the beliefs of others. Georg Weizsäcker is a Zen master at explaining the origins of misunderstandings, particularly those arising from false beliefs about the beliefs of others.

Prof. Alvin E. Roth, Stanford University"