cognitive dissonance

Two distinguished psychologists look at the role of self-justification in human life, explaining how and why we create fictions that absolve us of responsibility and restore our belief in our intelligence, moral rectitude, and correctness; assess the potential repercussions of such a course of action; and reveal how it can be overcome.

Reveals how the brain is wired for self-justification, which prevents people from taking responsibility for their own actions, and explains how people can overcome the destructive trend and learn to take charge of their life.

Collects sixteen "slipstream" stories--stories that venture outside of realism and explore the effect of cognitive dissonance in the postmodern world--by such writers as Aimee Bender, Michael Chabon, Karen Joy Fowler, and Bruce Sterling.