Tag: psychology

Thinking Fast and Slow

Thinking, Fast and Slow Book Cover Thinking, Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman
Business & Economics
Macmillan
October 25, 2011
499

I'm not going to sugar coat it. This book was a G.R.I.N.D. No joke. This is not for the faint of heart. BUT! It is a great book. The author is a Nobel Prize winning economist. Right. I know. Kahneman describes how are brain processes information and makes decisions. System 1 is the fast-twitch response. System 2 is the deep thought response. System 1 IS A LIAR! System 2 is not much better. But it is trying. Ultimately, Kahneman is trying to get you to think about how you think. Slow down. Give System 2 a chance. It took me MONTHS to get through this book. It requires you to read, let it sink in, put the book down, go take a walk, get a good night's sleep and then pick it up again the next day.

Posted on by mikelally_isx036

Tiny Beautiful Things

Tiny Beautiful Things Book Cover Tiny Beautiful Things
Cheryl Strayed
Self-Help
Random House Digital, Inc.
2012
353

This collection might just contain all the things we need to know. It is profound in so many ways. This is one of those books that you should read over and over until the many (many!) truths that Cheryl Strayed shares with us become embedded in our souls. If that sounds corny to you - you need this book more than anyone.

Posted on by mikelally_isx036

Tribe

Tribe Book Cover Tribe
Sebastian Junger
Social Science
Twelve
May 24, 2016
192

Combining history, psychology, and anthropology, TRIBE explores what we can learn from tribal societies about loyalty, belonging, and the eternal human quest for meaning. It explains the irony that-for many veterans as well as civilians-war feels better than peace, adversity can turn out to be a blessing, and disasters are sometimes remembered more fondly than weddings or tropical vacations. TRIBE explains why we are stronger when we come together, and how that can be achieved even in today's divided world.

Posted on by mikelally_isx036

The Stranger in the Woods

The Stranger in the Woods Book Cover The Stranger in the Woods
Michael Finkel
Biography & Autobiography
Knopf
2017
224

This was a really interesting read. It is the true story of a man who lived alone in a tent in the Maine woods, never talking to another person and surviving by stealing supplies from nearby cabins for twenty-seven years.

To quote the publisher it is a "riveting story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded."

Why do we lead the lives we do? Why do we have to do what everyone else is doing? Why do we have to keep up with the Joneses?

Posted on by mikelally_isx036

Its Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens

It's Complicated Book Cover It's Complicated
Danah Boyd
COMPUTERS
January 13, 2015
296

If you have pre-teens or teens, this is a MUST READ for you. The author reviews the online social habits of American teens and analyzes the role technology and social media plays in their lives, examining common misconceptions about such topics as identity, privacy, danger, and bullying. Illuminating. Terrifying. But super helpful. Here is a quote:

Social media is not only a tool; it is a social lifeline that enables her to stay connected to people she cares about but cannot otherwise interact with in person.

Posted on by mikelally_isx036