Daniel Kahneman, the prominent psychologist whose seminal work on decision-making and cognitive biases significantly impacted the field of economics, leading to a Nobel Prize, died on March 27, 2024, at the age of 90. In 2022, we reached out to Professor Daniel Kahneman regarding his important books, however, he confirmed that due to his age, he was understandably unable to take on more projects.

Daniel Kahneman: 5 books by Nobel laureate. This is a commemorative image featuring the influential psychologist and economist Daniel Kahneman, showcasing a selection of his notable published works. There's a collage of book covers including "Choices, Values, and Frames," "Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment," "Thinking, Fast and Slow," and "Well-Being: The Foundations of Hedonic Psychology." Superimposed on the right is a black-and-white portrait of Kahneman, appearing thoughtful and serious. In the background, a graphic silhouette of a man with a checkmark and X-mark symbolizes decision-making, a central theme in Kahneman's work. A date range of "1934 - 2024" suggests a lifespan, potentially marking the years of his birth and death.
Daniel Kahneman: 5 books by Nobel laureate. Credit: Suswati Basu / How To Be Books / nrkbeta

Who was Daniel Kahneman?

Born on March 5, 1934, in Tel Aviv, Israel, and raised in Paris, Kahneman’s early life was marked by his family’s flight from Nazi-occupied France. He pursued his education passionately, ending up with a doctorate in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1961. Kahneman found a long-standing home at Princeton University since 1993, where he continued to research until his passing.

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Kahneman was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2002 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, accolades that highlighted his profound influence on understanding human thought and economic behaviour. Reflecting on his life’s work, Kahneman mused on the Nobel website, “I will never know if my vocation as a psychologist was a result of my early exposure to interesting gossip, or whether my interest in gossip was an indication of a budding vocation. Like many other Jews, I suppose, I grew up in a world that consisted exclusively of people and words, and most of the words were about people.”

His groundbreaking research was often conducted in collaboration with Amos Tversky, which won the Nobel Prize for work on biases and decision-making. It also forged a deep friendship between the two. Their collaboration and its impact on psychology and economics were vividly portrayed in Michael Lewis’s 2016 book, “The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds,” a testament to their transformative influence on the field.

His recent work, “Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment”, co-authored with Olivier Sibony and Cass R. Sunstein, delved into the less explored concept of noise in decision-making. Cass Sunstein, reflecting on their collaboration, remarked on social media, “One of the many incredible things about Danny Kahneman: He was a joyful coauthor.”

Books by Daniel Kahneman

His contributions extended beyond his research. Daniel Kahneman was also a prolific author, producing books that have become essential readings across disciplines.

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Kahneman’s legacy is survived by his partner, Barbara Tversky, his children, stepchildren, and a multitude of scholars, practitioners, and readers who were profoundly influenced by his work.

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