Book Review: Bozo Sapiens: Why to Err is Human, by Michael and Ellen Kaplan

It's usually true that you can't judge a book by its cover. In this case, though .... there are hints.

First, the title: Bozo Sapiens. This hints at two things that are true about the book:
1) The authors are having fun. This, for me, is always a good sign.
2) They are going to assume that we, the readers, 'get stuff'. You have to put together the nature of Bozo and that it is a play on "homo" with "sapiens". It helps if you know that "sapien" means "knowing".

Second, the subtitle: Why to err is human. Again, while the phrase "to err is human, to forgive, divine" is hardly obscure, it's also not totally common. The authors assume we get it.

Third, the picture on the front cover, of a banana peel. More humor.

Fourth, the picture on the flap shows a woman pushing a baby. They are the authors (they are a mother-son team).

What about the contents of the book? (after all, the cover is worth only so much!)

It's a well-written, well-researched look at all sorts of human foible: From airplane crashes to starting wars. From ancient China to modern America. Logical errors, failures of perception, over-generalization, the abuse of heuristics - they all get mentioned and discussed.

Another way to get a sense of this book is to look at its index: There are big entries for advertising, attention, aviation; brain, culture, economics, emotions, error, expectations, language, memory, and morality (just in the first half of the alphabet).

Who should buy this book? People who are interested in the human condition, who like to read research, and who have a sense of humor.