Category Archives: Psychology

How we think, decide and make sense of the world.

Range Review: A Persuasive Case for Late Specializers

Epstein makes a lively, research-packed case that breadth and late specialization pay off, though his [...]

Games People Play Review: Sharp Labels for the Scripts We Repeat

Berne's catalogue of social games still names familiar patterns with uncanny precision, but its theory [...]

Dopamine Nation Review: Wise Clinical Advice, Shaky Brain Science

Lembke's patient stories and practical tools for cutting back are excellent, but her tidy pleasure-pain [...]

Thinking in Bets Review: Why My Best Decisions Sometimes Lose

A former poker pro explains why judging decisions by their results is a trap, and [...]

Stumbling on Happiness Review: Why We Can’t Predict What We’ll Enjoy

Gilbert's witty tour of why we misjudge what will make us happy is sharp and [...]

Presence Review: Kind Advice Built on Shaky Power-Pose Science

Warm, readable advice on confidence under pressure, undermined by its reliance on power-posing research that [...]

Flow Review: The Science of Getting Lost in What You Do

Csikszentmihalyi's founding book on optimal experience has a genuinely useful core idea, but it is [...]

Predictably Irrational Review: Fun Experiments, Shaky Foundations

Ariely's tour of everyday irrationality is lively and memorable, but retractions and data-fraud findings around [...]

Determined Review: Sapolsky’s All-In Case Against Free Will

A bold, readable and often humane case that free will doesn't exist; strong on science [...]

Influence Review: The Classic Guide to Why We Say Yes

Cialdini's six principles of persuasion remain the clearest guide to how salespeople and marketers get [...]

Lost Connections Review: Important Questions, Overstated Answers

Hari rightly stresses the social causes of depression, but overstates the case against antidepressants and [...]

Hidden Potential Review: Adam Grant on Growth Over Talent

An upbeat, well-sourced argument that character and good support matter more than talent; useful for [...]