Psy-Q: A Mind-Bending Miscellany Of Everyday Psychology

Review Both broad and deep, serious but lots of fun. Recommended -- Tim Harford, author of ― The Undercover EconomistA clear and engaging explanation of many psychological phenomena you've vaguely heard of, and many more you'll be glad to learn about -- Steven PinkerClever, broad-minded and fun ― Sunday TimesHe has a trickster's charm of "How did he do that?" presentation and a stage magician's "Hey presto!" delight in revelation ― TimesFor all its easy-peasy, playful, tick-in-the-box larkiness, Psy-Q makes some very interesting points about the counter-intuitive nature of human psychology, and has a fresh and often iconoclastic take on even the most celebrated experiments -- Craig Brown ― Mail on SundayA cornucopia of brain-teasers and other (psycho)logical delights that will challenge, surprise and amuse -- Guy Deutscher, author of 'Through the Language Glass'A readable, accessible and un-putdownable book that I managed to devour in an entire afternoon ― The BookbagAs I completed what Ambridge calls my "psych-odyssey", I did have a better understanding of myself ― BBC FocusA playful insight into the world of the human mind...Once finished with, it makes for great fun to turn psychologist and test friends and family and watch them sweat while you raise a brow uncomfortably ― Irish Examiner Product Description Psychology is everywhere. Our emotions and desires, the decisions we make on a daily basis - absolutely every aspect of the way we think and feel has been studied by psychologists. Through dozens of interactive puzzles, IQ tests, quizzes, jokes, puns and visual illusions, Ben Ambridge guides us through this wealth of research, showing us how we can better understand ourselves.Debunking tabloid speculation, revisiting old favourites such as the Stanford Prison Experiment and unearthing bleeding edge research unknown to the general reader, renowned psychologist Ben Ambridge blows away the received wisdom to reveal to enthusiasts and novices alike the psychology behind our daily lives. With wit and humour aplenty, he explains whether your blue eyes make you more or less trustworthy, how analogies can help cure cancer, whether Rorschach's famous inkblot tests really work, what your love for heavy metal (or Mozart) says about you, how psychology could help solve the obesity crisis and countless other revealing, entertaining and downright astonishing tests of your Psy-Q.Visit Ben's accompanying website, http://benambridge.wordpress.com/, and test yourself - and your friends. Book Description A mind-bending miscellany of everyday psychology About the Author Ben Ambridge is Reader in Psychology at the University of Liverpool and the ESRC International Centre for Language and Communicative Development (LuCiD). He is a recipient of the Guardian-Wellcome Science Writing Prize and his first book Psy-Q: A Mind-Bending Miscellany of Everyday Psychology was a Sunday Times Book of the Year and has been translated into a dozen languages. Ben writes on psychology for the Guardian and the Big Issue, and his TEDtalk on The Top 10 Myths of Psychology has been viewed over 2 million times. He lives in Sale, Greater Manchester.