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jennatandy28's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
I have always loved learning about psychology so this was a really fun and informative listen. I enjoyed learning from a great professor of psychology like David G. Myers as well.
library_kb's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
2.75
This is pretty much a collection of essays that describe pop psychology, eventually with an implied focus on responding to/explaining Donald Trump's popularity/election. While written in a very understandable tone, I don't know that some of the conclusions drawn are backed by enough evidence. It surprised me how often the author referenced the Bible or C.S. Lewis or other religious thinkers' ideas to support conclusions--not bad, just unexpected. I think the short chapters could be a great supplement to a ELA class, but don't know that I would use it for a class textbook (which I think might have been its intended purpose?).
andiez's review against another edition
4.0
I found this really fascinating. I love learning about this kind of stuff and this audiobook was entertaining, interesting, and informative. I enjoyed how the information was presented in a way that made you think, but not feel like you were reading a textbook, and the narrator did a great job.
I definitely recommend this as a great intro to psychology for those who are interested in it but don't have much prior knowledge!
Thank you so much Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
I definitely recommend this as a great intro to psychology for those who are interested in it but don't have much prior knowledge!
Thank you so much Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
jordanlei's review
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
2.75
I found the book overall to be quite good. Myers writes in highly accessible language, using credible peer-reviewed sources to back up each of his essays. He also does a great job of pointing out wherever scholarly disagreement arises - and why. In 40 concise essays, he brings to light the wonderfully weird ways that the human brain works, and how that interfaces with our interpersonal lives. He also provides some guidance on how we can prevent some of the shortcomings that are so often overlooked in our own interactions. I found the last chapter especially to be a beautiful way to summarize why even though psychological sciences (like many other subfields of science) are facing a replication crisis, it's still worth educating ourselves on the findings that have been replicated while also seeking more solid foundations for new findings.
While this book is a good introduction to the world of psychology, I personally left the book feeling a little underwhelmed by the book - perhaps partly because I happen to work in fields that are adjacent to this literature. This made some of the chapters in this book feel more like a review than novel ideas. Still, many of the findings described here were both surprising and even exciting to read. I also found that the short-essay format of this book felt a little haphazard; unlike some of the short essays I've read previously, How Do We Know Ourselves sometimes comes across as a bit scattered, and I was partially expecting the pieces to build on each other in some way. Lastly, I felt that some of the solutions presented in this book felt a little simplistic - in part, it's a tall order, because changing the way people behave is a very difficult thing to do; all the same, I thought that if anyone could do it, it would be someone like Myers. That said, the collection as a whole is still a good overview of some of the most exciting recent findings in psych and behavioral sciences.
While this book is a good introduction to the world of psychology, I personally left the book feeling a little underwhelmed by the book - perhaps partly because I happen to work in fields that are adjacent to this literature. This made some of the chapters in this book feel more like a review than novel ideas. Still, many of the findings described here were both surprising and even exciting to read. I also found that the short-essay format of this book felt a little haphazard; unlike some of the short essays I've read previously, How Do We Know Ourselves sometimes comes across as a bit scattered, and I was partially expecting the pieces to build on each other in some way. Lastly, I felt that some of the solutions presented in this book felt a little simplistic - in part, it's a tall order, because changing the way people behave is a very difficult thing to do; all the same, I thought that if anyone could do it, it would be someone like Myers. That said, the collection as a whole is still a good overview of some of the most exciting recent findings in psych and behavioral sciences.
rosesforreading's review
4.0
Learning about the brain and it's unique processes is so fascinating. This book does a fantastic job of introducing and explaining several psychological principles in a way that most anyone can understand. Myers discussed each topic by including a small description and references to a study involving the theory. I enjoyed how he made the topics come to life and easy to understand. He also discussed how different psychological theories have changed over recent years and what seems to still be applicable. As someone who had taken several psychology courses at college, I recognized most of the topics, however, someone who is not familiar with psychology would still be able to understand this book.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator was very easy to understand and was enjoyable to listen to. One potential drawback of this book is the references to scriptures. Since the author is a professor at a Christian college it is not surprising that he would include scriptures, however, some people may not like this. Overall the book was very informative and nice to listen to. Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an advanced listening copy of this book.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator was very easy to understand and was enjoyable to listen to. One potential drawback of this book is the references to scriptures. Since the author is a professor at a Christian college it is not surprising that he would include scriptures, however, some people may not like this. Overall the book was very informative and nice to listen to. Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an advanced listening copy of this book.
kenz_randall's review against another edition
3.0
As someone who has taught psychology before, almost none of this information was new to me. Maybe that’s why I struggled to really get into it. However, there were some interesting tidbits that would be fun to listen to and discuss with a class!
libbycrews's review
4.0
I found it difficult to get into this book, but once I did, I was fascinated by the information in it. The author presents a myriad of topics that provide insight into the way our minds work and the way we perceive things. It was an interesting and quick listen!