Amy Cuddy

It's hard to write a review for this as I was almost finished with the book when all my questions ("Really? ALL her hypothesis were proven true?") built up and I started researching and realized...oh dear. If you haven't read up on the revolution within the social psychology field I highly recommend it as it brings up some really interesting points.
What does this have to do with the book? Unfortunately for Cuddy and her co-authors, they got caught up in a huge change of philosophy of show more research and since publishing their papers, almost none of the results of their power posing and hormone studies have been replicated. None.
Personally, Cuddy has been attacked, but also she hasn't admitted fully that her research in many cases is not valid. She's still giving talks and her TED talk is still up, even though what she's talking about is not true.
It's a shame since she's a genuinely good writer and I think her heart is in the right place but there's something about having humility to say, "I made a mistake. I want to do better." show less

It was pretty good, and mostly common sense with a little bit of the idea that how we behave influences how we feel (which many of us have known for a long, long time, but appears to be a revelation to others).

And then I did a little research on the author and discovered her experiments failed on reproduction, that her mentor has the same issues with her experiments, and that there does not appear to be a good explanation of why they are not reproducible results. So, while that does not mean show more her conclusion is wrong, it does mean that her argument ought not be based on her research. The results could be caused by experimental bias or placebo or some other unknown cause.

Also, the plural of anecdote is not data. There are a number of stories she tells, all compelling, but there are no stories of where her suggestions fail.

It seems too good to be true, even if it clearly appears to help many people. show less

Presence is valuable for the practical advice it offers that anyone can use to maximize their effectiveness. The core idea is that we are most present and thus able to perform when we are grounded in our own authentic selves. Once in that mode, anyone activate it by taking a power stance, or a power pace or power mindset. I liked how the practical advice was backed by real examples and just enough research to make the reader believe without making them bored. In the course of reading, I show more recognized many anecdotes and techniques I've heard from others, which indicates this book's advice sticks. show less

I chose this book to feed my social science inner geek. I had seen her TED talk https://www.ted.com/speakers/amy_cuddy and was drawn in by her personal story. Her book cites many, many studies including her own that support her theory on the mind/body connection. She weaves testimonials throughout which makes it very readable. She addresses a wide array of audiences from fearful public speakers to job seekers, to special needs people, children and those suffering with depression. If you show more enjoy a bit of science with your pop psych, this is worth the read. If not, just watch her talk and you will have the gist of her research. show less