Amos Tversky

By: Josh Graham

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Pioneers of Human Behaviour: Amos Tversky
A Gateway to His Life, Theories, and Legacy

Amos Tversky transformed our understanding of decision-making. With Daniel Kahneman, he revealed the hidden shortcuts of the mind—heuristics and biases—that quietly shape how we judge, risk, and believe. From Prospect Theory to his elegant studies of similarity, Tversky’s insights redrew the boundaries of psychology, economics, and public policy.

This concise yet powerful volume distils his life’s work into clear, engaging chapters. From his childhood in Haifa and his daring years as a paratrooper, to the Nobel-recognised theories that changed how the world thinks about risk, it offers both a portrait of the man and a gateway into the enduring impact of his ideas.

Alongside an accessible exploration of Tversky’s theories, you’ll discover:
• How mental shortcuts like representativeness and availability quietly distort our judgments.
• Why the sting of loss outweighs the thrill of gain—and how this reshaped economics.
• The role of context in his lesser-known but brilliant work on similarity.
• How his research transformed medicine, law, and policy-making.
• The ethical debates over nudging, manipulation, and free choice.

Part biography, part theory guide, and part reflection on legacy, this book reveals why Tversky’s work remains urgent in the age of algorithms, uncertainty, and complex decisions.

The Pioneers of Human Behaviour series celebrates the lives and legacies of psychology’s greatest minds, presenting timeless insights in a format designed to inspire, inform, and endure.