Following on from Tom Butler-Bowdon's previous volumes in the "50 Classics" series, this first class collection of summaries of key psychology books and authors continues in the same broad, accessible, but also in-depth, style.
As the sub-title says, psychology is all about who we are, how we think, what we do. In other words, what it means to be human. Topics covered include the unconscious mind, happiness and mental health, the study of personality, motivation, love, creativity and relationships.
With key "in a nutshell" comments, the author cuts to the essential message of each writer, while addressing more complex subtleties in the accompanying text. As with Tom's other books, there is a very wide range of carefully chosen authors. I had come across several here in an academic context, but in general the emphasis is on popular psychology, "Psychology for nonpsychologists" as the jacket puts it. The range includes RD Laing, Oliver Sacks, Fritz Perls, Ivan Pavlov, Eric Berne, to pick a few random names. The founding fathers such as William James and Sigmund Freud are covered, alongside over a century's worth of contributions right up to Malcolm Gladwell with his 2005 bestseller on the importance of first impressions and split-second judgment.
There is a huge amount of psychological and self-development literature available these days. It can be difficult to know where to begin but each volume in the "50 Classics" is an excellent starting point. "50 Psychology Classics" is another winner in the series and I wholeheartedly recommend it!
Kings who sent out explorers would eagerly await the gems, riches, and exotica with which the explorers returned. We all live like relative kings now, and our explorer, Tom Butler-Bowdon has returned once again, this time with rich insights into the human mind.
What determines our personality? Is it our genetics, our environment, or circumstantial conditioning? What about our primary motivation? Is it sexual, our will to power, sheer survival, or our desire to close our personal existential gap? Since your mind was already focused on sex, how does our sex affect the way our minds work, and how is the way our minds feel about sex affected by our sex to begin with? And what is going on in the minds of others and how do we best communicate with them?
For lifelong learners, this book is another joy. We have the same time leverage provided by 50 Self-Help Classics, 50 Success Classics, and 50 Spiritual Classics. For each work, Tom gives us his consistent format of introductory quotes, the main idea in one sentence, related chapters, the distillation of the work, final comments, and relevant author biographical information. These books have raised the content level of my professional speaking and training faster than any other series. This is high density mind food!
Unlike the kings of old, we can easily experience the explorer's destinations by using Butler-Bowdon's book as a travel guide. When you do follow up by reading his chosen classics you will be impressed by his accuracy in crystallizing the essence of the works he has studied. Be the beneficiary of his intellectual journey!
ATTENTION: IF YOU ARE A COLLEGE STUDENT TAKING LOW LEVEL PSYCH COURSES, BUY AND READ THIS BOOK. IT WILL GIVE YOU AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE IN LECTURES, ON TESTS, AND WRITING PAPERS.
You will grow intellectually. You will grow personally. Your insights as you interact with others around you will increase.
Maybe you'll come to the conclusion that even the possibility of our exchange of ideas is only because of the convenient fiction of personality produced by the mechanisms of our mind. Quick, read another chapter!
Get the whole set of 50 Classics. They are also a great listen in audio book format!
With 50 Psychology Classics: Who We Are, How We Think, What We Do-Insight and Inspiration, Tom Butler-Bowdon introduces readers to the great works that explore the very essence of what makes us who we are. Spanning fifty books and hundreds of ideas, 50 Psychology Classics examines some of the most intriguing questions regarding cognitive development and behavioral motivations, summarizing the myriad theories that psychologists have put forth to make sense of the human experience. Butler-Bowdon covers everything from humanism to psychoanalysis to the fundamental principles where theorists disagree, like nature versus nurture and the existence of free will. In this single book, you will find Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, Alfred Kinsey, and the most significant contributors to modern psychological thought. From the author of the bestselling 50 Self-Help Classics, 50 Success Classics, and 50 Spiritual Classics, 50 Psychology Classics will enrich your understanding of the human condition.
