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Curiosities and Marvels of the Human Mind
by David G. Myers
A delightful tour of the wonders of our humanity from David G. Myers, the award-winning professor and author of psychology's bestselling textbook.
Over the past three decades, millions of students have learned about psychology from textbooks by David G. Myers. To create these books and to satisfy his own endless curiosity about the human mind, Myers monitors the leading journals to discover the most extraordinary new developments in psychological science.
How Do We Know Ourselves? is a compendium of the most wondrous verities that Myers has found: a thought-provoking book about psychological science's insights into our everyday lives. His astute observations and sharp-witted wisdom enable readers to think smarter and live happier.
Myers's explorations range from why we so often fear the wrong things to how simply going for a walk with someone can increase rapport and empathy. He explains why we repeatedly mishear song lyrics and how the color of President Obama's suits aided in his decision-making. Myers also explores the powers and perils of our intuition, explaining why anything can seem obvious once it happens.
Each of these forty essays offers fresh insight into our sometimes bewildering but ever-fascinating lives, all drawn from psychology's latest research. Myers is engaging and intellectually provocative, and he brings a wealth of knowledge from more than fifty years of teaching and writing about psychology to this lively and informative collection. He inspires us to ponder timeless questions, including what might be the most intriguing one of all: How do we know ourselves?
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-kim.kovacs
"Thinking about our own thinking is difficult, but this book offers useful advice in an entertaining package...Though Myers is unquestionably an authority, he sometimes trades depth for breadth; some essays are just getting interesting when he moves on to another topic. The author does include a comprehensive reference section for those who want to further investigate a particular area. A witty, enjoyable book with plenty of food for thought." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"This book is highly recommended for those interested in psychology, self-help, reflections, and the desire to understand society." - Library Journal (starred review)
"[E]difying...More advanced students of psychology will appreciate the final chapter's evaluation of psychological theories that have been absorbed into the mainstream, but have since been called into question. Myers's bite-size treatment of the current state of social psychology research makes for a quick and illuminating overview of the human mind. Novices would do well to pick up this breezy primer." - Publishers Weekly
"How Do We Know Ourselves? is a treasure. Each chapter is a gem of insight into the human experience, cut and polished to perfection by the renowned psychologist David Myers. Better than any book I can recall, this book answers questions about why we think, feel, and act as we do—but also makes us curious to learn more. I loved it!" - Angela Duckworth, author of Grit
"For four decades, David Myers has been the foremost communicator of the science of psychology to the outside world. Now, we are privileged to have access to his innermost thoughts and his wisdom about what it all means for ourselves and our future. This is the capstone work of a great psychologist." - Martin Seligman, Zellerbach Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and author of The Hope Circuit
"This book's title is understated, like its author. It is so much more than 'curiosities' and 'marvels.' In forty short and engaging essays, David Myers offers guidance on how to think, and wisdom about leading a life of meaning and connection in a world increasingly hostile to such pursuits." - Jonathan Haidt, Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at the New York University Stern School of Business, author of The Righteous Mind, and coauthor of The Coddling of the American Mind
This information about How Do We Know Ourselves? was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
David G. Myers is a social psychologist and professor of psychology at Hope College. His articles have appeared in dozens of scientific periodicals and magazines, from Science to Scientific American. He is also the author of more than fifteen books, including psychology's most widely read textbook, which has sold more than eight million copies worldwide, and general interest books including Intuition: Its Powers and Perils. Myers resides in Holland, Michigan.
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