I found this book to be an interesting and (from my totally non-professional opinion, so I could be wrong) seemingly exhaustive introduction to psychology. I appreciated the nuanced takes on different aspects of the study of the human mind. I have no background whatsoever in this topic, and appreciated learning more about the topic.

After all the "well these people think this, and others think that" nuance in the first several chapters of the book, I was very unhappy to read the "women are more empathetic and men are more aggressive" bullsh*t parroted later in the book, totally ignoring that women are socialized to be more empathetic, so how can we generalize and say that personality has to do with innate qualities of individuals?

I also appreciated the chapter on mental illness but didn't like that the author did not even opt to mention that there is NO biological basis for any mental illness. He gives just enough of a glimpse of "look, this is complicated, and many sides to this" but I found it interesting in the pieces of the puzzle that the author opted not to include in his book at all. ( )

Psych by Paul Bloom is an excellent overview of the history of and current ideas in the field of psychology. Based partly on his teaching outline for his Intro to Psychology course, this offers a very accessible tour with enough depth to generate even more curiosity.

I first heard of Bloom when I took one of his MOOCs back in 2014 (or so) and have since taken another one as well as read several of his books. One of the strong aspects of his other books has been his voice, you can almost hear him (if you have taken one of his courses). Coupled with the almost conversational tone you learn so much without realizing it, like when you're talking with a friend who is knowledgeable, and you suddenly realize how much you now understand. I was actually surprised, quite pleasantly, by how much of that delivery made it into this book.

This is not a textbook but offers the reader a similar type of tour. Just far more interesting and less sleep-inducing. An ideal book to build a course around, basically doing the opposite of what Bloom did. I don't, however, want to emphasize that. This is a wonderful book for those who simply want a better understanding of what psychology is and, as a result, who we as human beings are. Don't be put off by talk of formal courses, this is that rare book that easily serves both formal learning and informal self-education.

Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in how we think and feel, and why. Whether you have previous education in the field or just coming to it, this will reward you.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )

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