Quirkology

Title: Quirkology - How We Discover the Big Truths in Small Things
Author: Richard Wiseman, Ph.D
Pub Date: Sept. 2008
Pages: 306
Genre: Non Fiction; Psychology

Brief Summary? Quirkology opens with Wiseman explaining that he had "long been fascinated by the quirky side of human behavior." While earning his degree in psychology, he began paying attention specifically to these behaviors and random tests. (If participating in psych tests are something that interest you, check out their website ). The book is divided into many chapters that cover chronopsychology (does the time of birth, astrological sign, weather really play a part in your personality?), the psychology of lying and deception, the role of humor in psychology, how we make decisions, psychic and paranormal psychology, and why we help or hinder others. *Whew*

My thoughts? This book was just plain fun. At times it grew to be tedious because you're just reading test and study, one after another. So yah, it blurs in together. But, really, I want to focus in on the fun. There were handful of times I would stop what I was reading and find someone to share an interesting anecdote. (Like his research in finding the funniest joke in the world!)

Wanna know how to spot a liar?

"The most reliable signs of lying are in people's voices and in their unconscious choices of language: the lack of key details in their descriptions; the increase in pauses and hesitations; the way liars distance themselves from their deceit by avoiding self-reference such as "I"; the failure to describe their feelings; and the way liars seem to remember minute information that truth-tellers forget" (64)

Yay, Nay, or Eh? Yay. This was a -what's-the-word- OH YEAH --> FUN(!) book and not something that you necessarily need to read over a short period of time. Read a chapter, set it aside for a couple of months, and read another if you like. Or, you can devour it like I did. :))

**I'm really doing a disservice in this review. I read Quirkology weeks (?) months (?) ago and should have immediately written the review while still smitten. I marked up this book. It's highlighted, annotated, tagged. I just don't have the energy to go back and re-read through all of my notes and make a stronger post.