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The Bluffer's Guide to Psychology (Bluffer's Guides)
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Average customer review:
Product Description
'Hard' scientists (such as those researching physics and the
biochemistry of the nematode worm) often question the status of psychology
as a science. Most sensible people, who have managed to escape science as a
profession, regard psychology as common sense dressed up in obscure
terminology ('psychobabble').
Psychology seems to progress using colourful analogies. Over the period of
a hundred years, the science of human behaviour has been based on the
behaviour of a dog, a rat, a pigeon, a thermostat, a computer and, no doubt
soon, a coffee percolator. Only the philosophers can be credited with the
original (and somehow more sensible) idea that the study of the human
should be based on the mind of a human.
Psychologists are obsessed with pointing out that the definition of any
concept within psychology, such as intelligence, memory or emotion, is not
precise. This also applies to psychology itself.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #359893 in Books
- Published on: 2005-10-28
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 64 pages
Editorial Reviews
Review
"The Bluffer's Guides take a light-hearted look at the subject, yet there is a good deal of useful information.'"
-- The Sunday Independent
Customer Reviews
Highly recommended
I really enjoyed this book. As an undergraduate, I had taken psychology units but had forgotten most of what I had learnt. The bluffers guide to psychology is not modest in its aim - to cram the entire history of psychology into less than 70 pages. But it achieves this aim with a warmth and understanding for the subject that makes this book a joy to read. I really do recommend this book to anyone with a few hours to spare who wants to be entertained and educated.
Fantastic, Accurate and Funny Read
I felt compelled to write this review after seeing the rather critical first review of this book. Of course, reviews are just personal taste but to say that the author doesn't know his subject or is 'attacking' psychology is libelous! Speaking as someone qualified to know whether or not the book is factually accurate, I believe that the author of this book knows his stuff inside out. The fact that the material is delivered humerously, which is the whole point of the Bluffer's guides, should not be misinterpretted as ignorance. The selection of material (psychology is a vast subject to boil down to such a short book) and the way in which the humour is used shows a great deal of knowledge and sensitivity towards the subject. The Bluffer's guides are supposed to be light-hearted introductions to a topic you know little about. This book achieves that goal brilliantly. If you're expecting an 800 page serious textbook then look elsewhere, but if you're looking for a book that will tell you some very interesting things about psychology, probably inspires you to read something else about psychology (unlike the 800 page dreary textbook) and gives you a few laughs along the way then this is the book for you. Personally, I think the author has done a brilliant job of being educational, whilst capturaing the readers attention and interest in the subject. I'm sure this book will inspire many people to find out more about psychology, and to appreciate its scientific basis. As for it not being funny; again, it's horses for courses, but for the record one of the glossary entries is the closest I've come to losing bowel control since I was in nappies.
Rollicking good read
The Bluffers Guide to Psychology is a rollicking good read. I bought it in the book shop rather absent-mindedly and started to read it on the tube. You really shouldn't read this in public. By the end off my journey I had cleared the carriage with my uncontrolled sniggering and guffaws. If this Bluffers doesn't make you laugh out loud you've either got piles or a hangover. Probably both ....
