Whether we're buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long-distance carrier, applying to college, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions -- both big and small -- have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented.

As Americans, we assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. But beware of excessive choice: choice overload can make you question the decisions you make before you even make them, it can set you up for unrealistically high expectations, and it can make you blame yourself for any and all failures. In the long run, this can lead to decision-making paralysis, anxiety, and perpetual stress. And, in a culture that tells us that there is no excuse for falling short of perfection when your options are limitless, too much choice can lead to clinical depression.

In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains at what point choice -- the hallmark of individual freedom and self-determination that we so cherish -- becomes detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, Schwartz shows how the dramatic explosion in choice -- from the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career, family, and individual needs -- has paradoxically become a problem instead of a solution. Schwartz also shows how our obsession with choice encourages us to seek that which makes us feel worse.

By synthesizing current research in the social sciences, Schwartz makes the counter intuitive case that eliminating choices can greatly reduce the stress, anxiety, and busyness of our lives. He offers eleven practical steps on how to limit choices to a manageable number, have the discipline to focus on those that are important and ignore the rest, and ultimately derive greater satisfaction from the choices you have to make.

All the information in this book rings true and a great read for those who want to simply and know that the perfect choice is not always the one that makes us the happiest if you spend all your time dwelling on finding it. If you spend a lot of time making decisions you may want to consider picking up this book. You won't be disappointed. Nice read.

I loved this book. It talks about many interesting things related to choosing and the modern life, and how do we enjoy things.

The unease that has been plaguing me for years now -- I call it "Mall Malaise," finally has scientific basis! It appears to be true - instead of choice bringing more happiness, it actually can frustrate and depress us when taken to the extreme.

Schwartz's easy-to-read analysis of the pluses and minuses of choice, coupled with scientific/psychological studies on why we feel as we do, will help a generation of overachievers and overconsumers find peace in the midst of plenty.

My favorite part -- instead of just explaining the phenomenon, Schwartz provides suggestions on how to mitigate the negative effects of too much choice.

I feel better already.

In this book, Schwartz explores why people make strange decisions, why we can often make decisions that are totally irrational and why the plethora of today's choices make it hard for decisions makers to be content with the decisions they've made after they've made them. Schwartz presents the latest research on why some people seem so happy with a decision they've made when presented with few alternatives and why some people fret over decisions where no avenue has been left unexplored. Nothing too deep here but I found the book very engaging. This would be a great book for someone to read over a weekend.

The author's point is that having too many choices doesn't improve life; and, in fact, it can even be detrimental. It takes extra energy and thought to choose from among the dizzying array of choices that surround us; but that effort doesn't yield a corresponding increase in satisfaction with our choice and often yields _less_ satisfaction than if we had made a decision faster. That's it. That's the whole book. A person could read the first two chapters, the last two chapters, skip the (largely repetitive and very pedantic) middle of the book and still get the basic take-away message.