Noise by Daniel Kahneman – A Groundbreaking Look at Human Error in Judgment

Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment is a powerful nonfiction book co-authored by Daniel Kahneman (author of Thinking, Fast and Slow), Olivier Sibony, and Cass R. Sunstein. It investigates the often-overlooked factor that causes variability in human judgment: noise.

Unlike bias, which skews decisions in one direction, noise causes random scatter—meaning that different people (or even the same person at different times) can make wildly different decisions in identical situations. This inconsistency affects critical fields such as medicine, law, business, hiring, and forensic science.

The authors explain the sources of noise, why it’s dangerous, and how organizations can use “decision hygiene” to reduce it. With real-world examples and practical strategies, Noise offers a groundbreaking framework for more accurate, fair, and reliable judgments.