Priceless

The Myth of Fair Value (and How to Take Advantage of It)

William Poundstone

Recommended By

Book Synopsis

Priceless, by William Poundstone, is an eye-opening exploration of the complex world of value, perception, and price. Based on extensive research and interviews with experts, this thought-provoking book challenges our assumptions about what things are truly worth.

In each chapter, Poundstone delves into the hidden factors that drove the prices of some of the most expensive objects in the world, such as paintings, wines, and manuscripts. He reveals the power of branding and marketing in shaping our perceptions of value, highlighting the intriguing strategies behind luxury item auctions.

The author also investigates the psychological aspects of pricing, showcasing how our emotions and biases can influence our perception of an item's worth. From the alluring effects of "free" to the persuasive tactics used by retailers, Poundstone illuminates the subtle ways prices shape our decisions.

Additionally, Priceless explores the implications of price discrimination and dynamic pricing models in various industries. Poundstone unveils the algorithms and techniques that companies employ to segment consumers and maximize profit, exposing the hidden world of personalized pricing.

Through captivating stories and engaging analysis, Poundstone challenges readers to question the true value of the things we desire, and to consider the impact of pricing on our choices and society as a whole. Priceless is an indispensable guide for anyone seeking to untangle the intricate web of value and understand the forces that drive the prices we encounter every day.

Explore More Books

See All
Lake Success
Valuation
A Sound of Thunder and Other Stories
The Selfish Gene
Going Infinite
The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide
The Diversity Myth
The Upside of Stress
The Story of Civilization: Our Oriental Heritage
Joy on Demand
The Invisible Gorilla
The Inimitable Jeeves
Foundation and Empire
The Fry Chronicles
Win Bigly
Confessions of a Pricing Man
Statistical Models
Graphs, Maps, Trees
The Power Law
Nexus
Age Of Ambition
David Bowie
Man, Economy, and State
Lessons
Rick and Morty Book Four
Trump and Churchill
Big World, Small Planet
The Things They Carried
The Araboolies of Liberty Street
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Bold Return to Giving a Damn
Radical Acceptance
Principles
Coyote America
Good Profit
I Contain Multitudes
Posterity: Letters of Great Americans to Their Children
Alpha Girls
Lincoln at Gettysburg
Men, Machines, and Modern Times
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big
1000 Ways to Make $1,000
A Matter of Degrees
The Passage of Power
Cry, The Beloved Country
Swallows and Amazons
The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive
The Creative Act
Unravelling the Double Helix
Lone Survivor
The Story of Design
The Complete Guide to Sales Force Incentive Compensation
Globalization and its Discontents
Three Blind Mice
These Truths
Aware
Getting to Yes
Die With Zero
Bet With the Best
Stealing Fire
Kingpin
A Short History of Myth
Walt Disney
Striking Thoughts
Inside Trump's White House
Walden
Prisoners of Geography
Wind, Sand and Stars
Infectious Generosity
How To Live
Edison
A Guide To Econometrics
A Cultural History of Physics
Joe Beef
Debt
March
Build
She Has Her Mother's Laugh
The Interpretation of Dreams
XKCD
The Fund
Nature Via Nurture
Happiness
Bull!
Eradication
Pippi Longstocking
Essentialism
My Stroke of Insight
Team of Teams
The Making of Europe
No Two Alike
The Essential Scratch and Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert
The Tartar Steppe
Skunk Works
Hail Mary
Value-added Measures in Education
American Nations
Moby Dick
Dictionary of Untranslatables
How An Economy Grows and Why It Crashes