Ali Almossawi
@almossawi.bsky.social
📖 You've probably spotted me writing at a cafe in San Francisco. Author of Bad Arguments, Bad Choices (Penguin), Loaded Language, Pointless Work.
Wishful Thinking: Why We Believe What We Want to Believe
And is that always a bad thing?
almossawi.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Next week's issue will be on the science behind wishful thinking.
November 19, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Next week's issue will be on the science behind wishful thinking.
How would you draw confirmation bias as a graph? How about the Dunning-Kruger effect or the sunk cost fallacy? In this week’s issue: what if we had shapes of thinking, a la Kurt Vonnegut’s shapes of stories?
✨ Issue no. 46 of The Critical Thinker
✨ almossawi.substack.com/p/shapes-of-...
✨ Issue no. 46 of The Critical Thinker
✨ almossawi.substack.com/p/shapes-of-...
What if Kurt Vonnegut Had Done “Shapes of Thinking” Instead
Plus, what's a halfalogue?
almossawi.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:18 PM
How would you draw confirmation bias as a graph? How about the Dunning-Kruger effect or the sunk cost fallacy? In this week’s issue: what if we had shapes of thinking, a la Kurt Vonnegut’s shapes of stories?
✨ Issue no. 46 of The Critical Thinker
✨ almossawi.substack.com/p/shapes-of-...
✨ Issue no. 46 of The Critical Thinker
✨ almossawi.substack.com/p/shapes-of-...
I got into data visualization in 2011. I always wondered how great it would be if I could one day be on a website and somehow ask my browser to explain the data graphic I was looking at. #chatgptatlas
October 22, 2025 at 3:30 PM
I got into data visualization in 2011. I always wondered how great it would be if I could one day be on a website and somehow ask my browser to explain the data graphic I was looking at. #chatgptatlas
Reposted by Ali Almossawi
The top-8 cognitive biases that can derail the unwary investor—summarizing Barry @ritholtz.bsky.social’s conversation with @almossawi.bsky.social :
buff.ly/oqQpK5q
buff.ly/oqQpK5q
October 3, 2025 at 11:22 AM
The top-8 cognitive biases that can derail the unwary investor—summarizing Barry @ritholtz.bsky.social’s conversation with @almossawi.bsky.social :
buff.ly/oqQpK5q
buff.ly/oqQpK5q
This week’s issue (issue no. 44) looks into how ownership clouds our judgment through the endowment effect, the IKEA effect, and the not-invented here (NIH) bias.
almossawi.substack.com/p/the-endowm...
almossawi.substack.com/p/the-endowm...
The Endowment Effect: Owning Something Makes It More Valuable?
Plus, revisiting a picture book for grownups thanks to a nudge by Veo 3
almossawi.substack.com
September 18, 2025 at 4:31 PM
This week’s issue (issue no. 44) looks into how ownership clouds our judgment through the endowment effect, the IKEA effect, and the not-invented here (NIH) bias.
almossawi.substack.com/p/the-endowm...
almossawi.substack.com/p/the-endowm...
This week’s issue (issue no. 44) looks into how ownership clouds our judgment through the endowment effect, the IKEA effect, and the not-invented here (NIH) bias.
almossawi.substack.com/p/the-endowm...
almossawi.substack.com/p/the-endowm...
The Endowment Effect: Owning Something Makes It More Valuable?
Plus, revisiting a picture book for grownups thanks to a nudge by Veo 3
almossawi.substack.com
September 18, 2025 at 3:38 PM
This week’s issue (issue no. 44) looks into how ownership clouds our judgment through the endowment effect, the IKEA effect, and the not-invented here (NIH) bias.
almossawi.substack.com/p/the-endowm...
almossawi.substack.com/p/the-endowm...
How people use ChatGPT, from the paper released earlier today: www.nber.org/system/files...
September 16, 2025 at 2:13 AM
How people use ChatGPT, from the paper released earlier today: www.nber.org/system/files...
HarperCollins imprints, under HarperCollins Leadership and Thomas Nelson, updated. Thanks, Josey Hill. almossawi.com/big-five-pub...
@harpercollins.bsky.social
@harpercollins.bsky.social
The Big Five US Trade Book Publishers
With all the imprints out there, it's sometimes difficult to know which imprint belongs to which of the big five publishers.
almossawi.com
August 23, 2025 at 4:20 PM
HarperCollins imprints, under HarperCollins Leadership and Thomas Nelson, updated. Thanks, Josey Hill. almossawi.com/big-five-pub...
@harpercollins.bsky.social
@harpercollins.bsky.social
In this week’s issue, I summarize two studies that looked into the effects of self-fulfilling prophecies on our intellectual abilities and, more interestingly, on our physiology.
✨ Read issue no. 43 of The Critical Thinker
✨ almossawi.substack.com/p/how-self-f...
#criticalthinking
✨ Read issue no. 43 of The Critical Thinker
✨ almossawi.substack.com/p/how-self-f...
#criticalthinking
Self-Fulfilling Prophecies: Our Invisible Sidekick
Plus, what's so interesting about Torpenhow Hill?
almossawi.substack.com
August 21, 2025 at 4:54 PM
In this week’s issue, I summarize two studies that looked into the effects of self-fulfilling prophecies on our intellectual abilities and, more interestingly, on our physiology.
✨ Read issue no. 43 of The Critical Thinker
✨ almossawi.substack.com/p/how-self-f...
#criticalthinking
✨ Read issue no. 43 of The Critical Thinker
✨ almossawi.substack.com/p/how-self-f...
#criticalthinking
Why do we spot flaws in other people, but miss them in ourselves? (Follow me for more marriage tips.)
Read issue no. 42 of The Critical Thinker
almossawi.substack.com/p/why-we-spo...
Read issue no. 42 of The Critical Thinker
almossawi.substack.com/p/why-we-spo...
Why We Think Only Others Get It Wrong
Plus, San Francisco’s little libraries, writers throwing shade, and the strangest cafe in town
almossawi.substack.com
July 10, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Why do we spot flaws in other people, but miss them in ourselves? (Follow me for more marriage tips.)
Read issue no. 42 of The Critical Thinker
almossawi.substack.com/p/why-we-spo...
Read issue no. 42 of The Critical Thinker
almossawi.substack.com/p/why-we-spo...
Least delusional AI founder interviewed by Veo 3-generated interviewer.
June 27, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Least delusional AI founder interviewed by Veo 3-generated interviewer.
A couple of updates as I prepare to move Check Yo Shelf (the easy bookshelf scanner) from closed beta to soft launch.
June 21, 2025 at 6:05 PM
A couple of updates as I prepare to move Check Yo Shelf (the easy bookshelf scanner) from closed beta to soft launch.
The shortest academic paper? The shortest letter to a king? The shortest ad campaign? The shortest story?
This week’s issue is about pithiness.
✨ Read Issue No. 41: Pithiness
✨ almossawi.substack.com/p/pithiness
This week’s issue is about pithiness.
✨ Read Issue No. 41: Pithiness
✨ almossawi.substack.com/p/pithiness
Pithiness
The shortest letter, paper, ad, story, issue
almossawi.substack.com
June 19, 2025 at 4:38 PM
The shortest academic paper? The shortest letter to a king? The shortest ad campaign? The shortest story?
This week’s issue is about pithiness.
✨ Read Issue No. 41: Pithiness
✨ almossawi.substack.com/p/pithiness
This week’s issue is about pithiness.
✨ Read Issue No. 41: Pithiness
✨ almossawi.substack.com/p/pithiness
Everyone on the waitlist should have received an invite by now. Reach out if you didn’t. #checkyoshelf
June 11, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Everyone on the waitlist should have received an invite by now. Reach out if you didn’t. #checkyoshelf
San Francisco’s tiny libraries:
checkyoshelf.com/explore/c/sa...
I wasn’t able to visit them all during that one weekend, so I’ll be going back to several spots over the summer when I have a bit more time.
#sanfrancisco #littlefreelibraries
checkyoshelf.com/explore/c/sa...
I wasn’t able to visit them all during that one weekend, so I’ll be going back to several spots over the summer when I have a bit more time.
#sanfrancisco #littlefreelibraries
June 5, 2025 at 3:42 PM
San Francisco’s tiny libraries:
checkyoshelf.com/explore/c/sa...
I wasn’t able to visit them all during that one weekend, so I’ll be going back to several spots over the summer when I have a bit more time.
#sanfrancisco #littlefreelibraries
checkyoshelf.com/explore/c/sa...
I wasn’t able to visit them all during that one weekend, so I’ll be going back to several spots over the summer when I have a bit more time.
#sanfrancisco #littlefreelibraries
Have you seen those matchbox-looking traps, where an insect is lured into a box by an enticing smell, only to realize once they’re inside that their feet are stuck and their fate is sealed?
✨ Read Issue No. 40: Dark Patterns: How Deceptive Design Tricks Us
almossawi.substack.com/p/design-dar...
✨ Read Issue No. 40: Dark Patterns: How Deceptive Design Tricks Us
almossawi.substack.com/p/design-dar...
Dark Patterns: How Deceptive Design Tricks Us
Plus, what's so insidious about a roach motel?
almossawi.substack.com
May 29, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Have you seen those matchbox-looking traps, where an insect is lured into a box by an enticing smell, only to realize once they’re inside that their feet are stuck and their fate is sealed?
✨ Read Issue No. 40: Dark Patterns: How Deceptive Design Tricks Us
almossawi.substack.com/p/design-dar...
✨ Read Issue No. 40: Dark Patterns: How Deceptive Design Tricks Us
almossawi.substack.com/p/design-dar...
My favorite little free library so far. Eight more to visit today. I’ve lived in San Francisco for 13 years, and there were neighborhood I’d never been to. Thanks for all the recommendations. ❤️📚
May 26, 2025 at 6:39 PM
My favorite little free library so far. Eight more to visit today. I’ve lived in San Francisco for 13 years, and there were neighborhood I’d never been to. Thanks for all the recommendations. ❤️📚
Added the option to quickly jump between your shelf, the editor, and covers.
May 26, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Added the option to quickly jump between your shelf, the editor, and covers.
Driving around San Francisco, making stops at all the little free libraries. Planning on getting to most of them over the long weekend. I ran into someone who asked what it was for. I said I was working on a website for them. Let me know if there are any you’d recommend.
May 25, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Driving around San Francisco, making stops at all the little free libraries. Planning on getting to most of them over the long weekend. I ran into someone who asked what it was for. I said I was working on a website for them. Let me know if there are any you’d recommend.
Nintendo store SF about to open.
May 15, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Nintendo store SF about to open.
Just added collections, so you can now share individual shelves or a bunch of them. #checkyoshelf
May 13, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Just added collections, so you can now share individual shelves or a bunch of them. #checkyoshelf
You'd be able to use it on the Little Free Libraries around town.
There are 50+ of these in San Francisco.
#checkyoshelf
There are 50+ of these in San Francisco.
#checkyoshelf
May 12, 2025 at 3:42 PM
You'd be able to use it on the Little Free Libraries around town.
There are 50+ of these in San Francisco.
#checkyoshelf
There are 50+ of these in San Francisco.
#checkyoshelf
How did Nestle break into Japan by playing on people’s nostalgia?
More in this week’s issue on imperfect memories, reminiscence bumps, and our tendency to recall positive memories over negative ones.
✨ Read issue no. 39:
✨ almossawi.substack.com/p/nostalgia-...
More in this week’s issue on imperfect memories, reminiscence bumps, and our tendency to recall positive memories over negative ones.
✨ Read issue no. 39:
✨ almossawi.substack.com/p/nostalgia-...
Back in My Day; How Nostalgia Messes With Our Minds
What’s a reminiscence bump? And how Nestle broke into Japan.
almossawi.substack.com
May 9, 2025 at 2:09 AM
How did Nestle break into Japan by playing on people’s nostalgia?
More in this week’s issue on imperfect memories, reminiscence bumps, and our tendency to recall positive memories over negative ones.
✨ Read issue no. 39:
✨ almossawi.substack.com/p/nostalgia-...
More in this week’s issue on imperfect memories, reminiscence bumps, and our tendency to recall positive memories over negative ones.
✨ Read issue no. 39:
✨ almossawi.substack.com/p/nostalgia-...