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A Next Big Idea Club Must-Read
A compelling and accessible new perspective on the modern science of psychology, based on one of Yale's most popular courses of all time
How does the brain--a three-pound wrinkly mass--give rise to intelligence and conscious experience? Was Freud right that we are all plagued by forbidden sexual desires? What is the function of emotions such as disgust, gratitude, and shame? Renowned psychologist Paul Bloom answers these questions and many more in Psych, his riveting new book about the science of the mind.
Psych is an expert and passionate guide to the most intimate aspects of our nature, serving up the equivalent of a serious university course while being funny, engaging, and full of memorable anecdotes. But Psych is much more than a comprehensive overview of the field of psychology. Bloom reveals what psychology can tell us about the most pressing moral and political issues of our time--including belief in conspiracy theories, the role of genes in explaining human differences, and the nature of prejudice and hatred.
Bloom also shows how psychology can give us practical insights into important issues--from the treatment of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety to the best way to lead happy and fulfilling lives. Psych is an engrossing guide to the most important topic there is: it is the story of us.
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Kirkus Review
The veteran teacher of a popular psychology course writes a book on what he taught, and it's delightful. Bloom, a professor of psychology and cognitive science at Yale and author of Against Empathy and The Sweet Spot, begins with a series of compelling questions: Are we rational? What makes us happy? What do feelings accomplish? What did Freud get right? He then follows with a series of lucid stand-alone chapters that can be read in any order. He warns readers not to expect pop psychology's emphasis on man's "transcendent or spiritual nature." Modern psychology is materialist (the mind as a physical entity), evolutionary (shaped by natural selection), and causal (driven by the forces of genes, culture, and experience). The author illustrates his points by discussing consciousness. Although no one fully understands it, many philosophers see consciousness as a biological phenomenon akin to digestion. Computers simulate thought processes by storing, processing, and manipulating information. They do this with dazzling speed, but it's only a simulation, not the real thing. Talking about uploading "consciousness" into a computer is meaningless; "your consciousness is the product of your physical brain; lose the brain, lose the consciousness." An early chapter on Freud will jolt most readers with news that he remains a major figure of university study--in the English department. Psychology students may never hear his name. Many of his ideas seem wacky; he provided little proof, and most have failed to survive the passage of time. Bloom adds that a major exception is Freud's notion of an unconscious mind at war with itself--unnerving evidence that we are not in full control of our lives. Consistently engaging, Bloom checks all the boxes with sections on the other great men (Descartes, Skinner, Piaget) and important subjects, including language, learning, perception, and memory. Humans possess amazing abilities in this area, but our eagerness to believe nonsense is off the charts. Illuminating reading for anyone interested in the human brain. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.