Situations Matter: Understanding How Context Transforms Your World Hardcover - 2011

“[Situations Matter] offers inspiration to outsmart any situation.”
—Psychology Today

"In this wonderful and witty book, Sam Sommers reveals one of the most important factors driving human nature. (Hint: Look around.) He demonstrates time and time again that who you are is shaped by where you are."
---Jonah Lehrer, author of How We Decide

“Perhaps the least understood forces in the universe are the social powers that drive our thoughts and behavior. Sam Sommers is an expert at identifying these influences, and in Situations Matter he takes us on an entertaining and engaging guided tour.” 
--Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational and The Upside of Irrationality

"Understanding and appreciating the power of situations gives you a leg up in life, and Situations Matter is the best place to start investigating this challenge. It is excellent, entertaining reading for anyone interested in classic human questions about morality, conformity, and the real differences between men and women."
---Tyler Cowen, professor of economics, George Mason University, and author of Create Your Own Economy and The Great Stagnation

“It can be easy to overlook how ordinary situations shape behavior. It might seem like Sam Sommers is brilliant for choosing to write a book on this important topic, but he'd probably just explain that circumstance drove him to it. Still, we're all lucky he did.”
– Leonard Mlodinow, author of The Drunkard’s Walk and co-author of The Grand Design