Howard Kunreuther Books
Howard Kunreuther is a professor of decision sciences and business and public policy, and also co-director of the same center.
Known for: The Ostrich Paradox: Why We Underprepare for Disasters
Books by Howard Kunreuther
The Ostrich Paradox: Why We Underprepare for Disasters
In The Ostrich Paradox, Wharton professors Robert Meyer and Howard Kunreuther explore why individuals, communities, and governments consistently fail to prepare adequately for disasters. Drawing on behavioral economics and risk management research, they identify six cognitive biases that lead to underestimation of risks and propose strategies to overcome these tendencies, aiming to improve resilience and decision-making in the face of natural and man-made catastrophes.
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Understanding Disaster Underpreparation
Across decades of fieldwork, we found a paradox that replays after every major disaster. When a hurricane devastates a coastline or an earthquake levels a city, we vow never to repeat the oversight. We pass new regulations, launch public awareness campaigns, and pour resources into rebuilding. Yet, ...
From The Ostrich Paradox: Why We Underprepare for Disasters
The Six Biases Framework
Our work identifies six biases that consistently shape human reactions to risk: myopia, amnesia, optimism, inertia, simplification, and herding. Each of these operates subtly within individual cognition yet has enormous collective consequences when multiplied across a society. Myopia distorts time ...
From The Ostrich Paradox: Why We Underprepare for Disasters
About Howard Kunreuther
Howard Kunreuther is a professor of decision sciences and business and public policy, and also co-director of the same center.
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Howard Kunreuther is a professor of decision sciences and business and public policy, and also co-director of the same center.
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