Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by aayjaysbookshelf
The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently...and Why by Richard Nisbett
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
I had this book on my shelf since 1st Jan 2024 and I finally started reading it on 1st Jan 2025. Took me two whole months to finish reading it, mainly owing to its subject, but also because of the writing.
The book does a pretty good job at exploring how our thoughts and ideas are actually very influenced by where we come from - a fact that is not unknown, but hasn't been as thoroughly explored either. Nisbett, being a psychologist and a social scientist, complemented his ideas by real, scientific data which is the main premise of the book.
Although it may seem a bit generalized; the terms of Easterners and Westerners, and not exactly capture the diversity of the human cultures, Nisbett does mention that he has used the terms in broad context only, and how the findings cannot be applied to all groups a 100%.
For me, the most interesting part of the book was the start where the historical context is explained and how it implies to our different ways of thinking now. The difference in attitude between Greeks (Westerners) and Chinese (Easterners) and how that was influenced by the 'geography' they were from, and how THAT set the tone for the world for centuries to come, is really insightful. I think I was looking for more of such anecdotes in the book ahead, maybe some connection of geography with genetics and how that influences our thinking, but couldn't find much to my dismay.
The book is really insightful, packed with loads and loads of study references, but that also makes it a bit too dry and academic on the writing part, and I couldn't keep up with reading it for a long time in one go. Probably the main reason why it took me so long to finish it. The ideas presented are amazing, but the writing lacks the creative element in it which would have definitely made this book unputdownable if done rightly. Nonetheless, a good read. Anyone wishing to explore anthropology, sociology and psychology in cultural context should really give it a go.
The book does a pretty good job at exploring how our thoughts and ideas are actually very influenced by where we come from - a fact that is not unknown, but hasn't been as thoroughly explored either. Nisbett, being a psychologist and a social scientist, complemented his ideas by real, scientific data which is the main premise of the book.
Although it may seem a bit generalized; the terms of Easterners and Westerners, and not exactly capture the diversity of the human cultures, Nisbett does mention that he has used the terms in broad context only, and how the findings cannot be applied to all groups a 100%.
For me, the most interesting part of the book was the start where the historical context is explained and how it implies to our different ways of thinking now. The difference in attitude between Greeks (Westerners) and Chinese (Easterners) and how that was influenced by the 'geography' they were from, and how THAT set the tone for the world for centuries to come, is really insightful. I think I was looking for more of such anecdotes in the book ahead, maybe some connection of geography with genetics and how that influences our thinking, but couldn't find much to my dismay.
The book is really insightful, packed with loads and loads of study references, but that also makes it a bit too dry and academic on the writing part, and I couldn't keep up with reading it for a long time in one go. Probably the main reason why it took me so long to finish it. The ideas presented are amazing, but the writing lacks the creative element in it which would have definitely made this book unputdownable if done rightly. Nonetheless, a good read. Anyone wishing to explore anthropology, sociology and psychology in cultural context should really give it a go.