Kyle Harrison
to-read

Believing in Magic

Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition
Author
Stuart A. Vyse
Published
1997
Pages
257
Recommended
Once
Buy on Amazon ↗

Why it’s on the list: Vyse’s survey of why superstition persists — the reinforcement schedules that manufacture it, the conditions under which people reach for it, and why intelligence is close to no protection.

Where I heard about it

  • Unknown — saved as a bare Amazon link to my “Books To Read” list, sometime in 2024–2026.

Connections

  • Behavioral Economics — the adjacent literature on systematic error.
  • Faith — the distinction the book is implicitly arguing about.