THE CONFIDENCE MAP

In THE CONFIDENCE MAP, economist and consultant Peter Atwater offers a new framework for understanding and improving the choices we make.

What do feelings of certainty and control have to do with our decision making? According to Atwater, the answer is simple: everything. And once we understand how they drive what we do, we can predict trends and generate better outcomes, whether we're investing in technology stocks, designing menu items for a fast-food franchise, or running an emergency room.

Atwater explores how feelings always trump facts and why events described as being unprecedented are often entirely predictable - if we know what to look for. He then shows readers how to apply his unique framework to their own choices. With the same tools he teaches the world's leading institutional investors, corporations, and policymakers to help them make sense of complex situations and optimize their strategy, you'll learn:

- How psychological distance consistently affects the choices we make
- Why "Me-Here-Now" decision making is such a powerful force
- What happens at confidence peaks that leads to our downfall
- The five ways we respond to extreme vulnerability
- When consumers' feelings of certainty and control - not price - drive demand

Spanning financial, economic, political, and social trends, THE CONFIDENCE MAP explores why we do what we do, where we can and cannot trust our natural instincts, and how we can make sense of a world that too often feels senseless. With Atwater's toolkit in your decision making arsenal, you'll avoid psychological traps, spot opportunities, and navigate the road ahead with clarity and purpose.

Peter Atwater is an Adjunct Professor of Economics at William and Mary, and President of Financial Insyghts, a consulting firm that advises institutional investors, major corporations, and global policymakers on how social mood affects decision making, the economy, and the markets. A pioneer in securitization and a long-time financial services executive, Peter's work on social mood and decision-making has been featured in The Socionomist, Time Magazine, and The Financial Times.