"Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity, and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions" by Todd Rose

 

Publisher: Hachette Books

Copyright: 2022

ISBN: 9780306925689

I found this book "collective illusions" to be extremely interesting to read, and a bit of an eye-opener as to how people perceive each other in every day situations (and some not-so-everyday situation as well).

I first came across Dr. Rose on a YouTube video published by Big Think, in which he spoke about the various illusions that humans are susceptible to in every day life. His video is actually one of many published by this organization, all of which are quite illuminating.

The fact that humans are suffering (and that's virtually the only word you can use to accurately describe what we're facing) collective illusions in pretty much all aspects of every day life makes this book an indispensable resource on how to navigate what we experience daily.

The book is clearly written, and very informative. I would highly recommend it to anybody who is interested in the way the world works, or who is a participant in all the various social media platforms that are currently invading our life.

"Paleofantasy: what evolution really tells us about sex, diet, and how we live" by Marlene Zuk

 

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Copyright: 2013

ISBN: 9780393081374

Paleofantasy is a very interesting book that goes into the great detail debunking the Paleo diet and other such pseudo scientific silliness. Dr. Zuk is a professor of ecology evolution and behaviour at the University of Minnesota, and she has researched this topic extremely well.

She uses the disciplines of anthropology, physiology, psychology, medicine and history to explain why the Paleo diet is not what proponents believe it is or promote it as i.e., a cure-all for societies ills, weight loss, etc.

In this book she examines the lifestyles that proponents of the Paleo lifestyle follow, and examines how actual science debunks this system of nutrition, and living. She gives a good overview on evolution, and how it works and then examines other concepts of the Paleo lifestyle such as exercising, love, sickness and health and much more.

Dr. Zuk's writing is clear and comprehensive, and the examples she uses are easily understandable by anyone. Or at least anyone who wants to understand them, as I am sure there are many paleo-fans out there who will dispute her findings as they have little or no scientific training.

Highly recommended

"Limitless" by Alan Glynn

 

Publisher: Picador
Copyright: 2001 (Originally published as "The Dark Fields"
ISBN: 9780312428877

I was drawn to this book after watching the 2011 movie (Bradley Cooper, Abbe Cornish, Robert De Niro) by the same name, and while the movie is quite different in some aspects I was quite impressed Hollywood didn't mess it up too bad. The book is much darker than the movie, but to a certain point this is to be expected considering the topic. The ending of the book is not what I expected, and this was the biggest change that was made. The movie in contrast to the book has a very positive / uplifting conclusion.

The story tells a tale of a down and out writer (Eddie), who is introduced to a mind enhancing drug by his former brother-in-law (Vernon), and is hooked after just one pill. The drug works absolute wonders with his memory, research skills, work ethics, he doesn’t have to sleep or eat as much, you name it. But when Vernon is killed, Eddie has in his hands the only supply of the drug that exists, and he uses it to his advantage..

Unfortunately this drug is also extremely addictive, and has some very detrimental side effects such as blackout, migraines, and violent outbursts, and when you try to stop taking it the withdrawal effects can kill you.

An excellent book, highly recommended. But watch the movie too so you can enjoy the differences.

"The Art of Taking It Easy: How To Cope With Bears, Traffic, and the Rest of Life's Stressors" by Dr. Brian King

 

Publisher: Apollo Publishers
Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 9781948062466

This is a very interesting book to read, and Dr. King's sense of humour is great. His methods for relieving stress are easy to follow, and make so much sense that I'm quite surprised a book of this sort didn't come out many years ago. His method of expressing his ideas is straight forward, and the stories he tells to illustrate the concepts are excellent. He does who into some detail about how the brain works, and some might anticipate this would be a little hard to understand, however he does it in such a way that it is easy to comprehend.

Here's hoping that he continues writing books of this kind, and while I've never seen him perform I am sure his stage show would be extremely entertaining.

Highly recommended.

“Labor of Love: The Invention of Dating” by Moria Weigel

 

Publisher: Straus and Giroux

Copyright: 2016

ISBN: 9780374182533

This book looks at the history of dating, from his very early beginnings as a recognized activity through to modern day.

The author has done considerable research into this subject and presents a detailed examination of all the things that have both influenced people who date, as well as how dating has influenced the world we currently live in.

The book is written from a feminist point of you, but this just adds to the overall story as it gives a woman's point of view, whereas the majority of other books out there seem to focus more on the male perspective.

Ms. Weigel touches on a number of different subjects throughout the book such as historically how families dealt with the prospects of romance and used their influence/positions of power to select partners for their children, and how this practise changed throughout history. How things changed during and after the two world wars, and how it is continuing to change into the digital age.

An extremely interesting book to read.

"Crimes Against Logic" by Jamie Whyte

Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Copyright: 2003

ISBN: 9780071446433

Mr. Whyte takes a very interesting and revealing look at how statistics, logic, and various arguments are misused by politicians, the clergy, journalists, and various other repeat offenders.

He covers various topics starting with a discussion of whether you have the right to your opinion, goes on to cover motives, the authority empty words, looks at begging the question, the existence of coincidence, the use of empty words, the misuse of statistics, and finally a look at morality. In all cases he gives very relevant, humourous, and in many cases eye-opening examples (that most people wouldn't typically consider) of what he means and this allows the reader to understand the points that he makes that much better.

This isn't a long book but it is a very interesting read that definitely shows the reader how they are being guided into thinking things that are not true, especially when dealing with politicians, the clergy, and most recently journalists. At times this is being done intentionally by the politicians and at times the clergy. While under other circumstances a journalist is guilty of it because they simply do not understand statistics or in some cases choose to ignore statistics or facts in favour of getting a good story.

A great book that should be read by all.

"Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon" by Daniel C. Dennett

Published: New York: Penguin
Year: 2007, c2006.
Physical Details: xvi, 448 p. ; 23 cm
ISBN: 9780143038337

This books an extremely interesting read that examines the concept of religion essentially from the ground up. Dennett investigates the various controversial subjects of religion, such as why do we believe in a god or gods, how these beliefs frame and control our lives, how our societies are effected by the beliefs, and much more. Many people allow their lives to be controlled by these phenomena, and have for hundreds if not thousands of years. It affects how people see other cultures, how they raise their children, treat their elders, interact with a community, and many more aspects of human life.

The big question in this book is why do we have religion. Why do people from totally different cultures that have never met feel a bond when they meet based on these beliefs? On the other hand why do the beliefs of certain groups cause them to go to war?

The discussion ranges through the fields of anthropology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and many more ologies.

While I found this book extremely interesting it did read quite slowly at times, but once you began to think about what was said, then you realised that this was essentially the only way that the concept could be explained. This is definitely a book that every humanist, anthropologist, and philosopher should have on their shelf (hopefully after they've read it), as it provides many insights into human culture and belief.

"The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life " by Mark Manson

Publisher: Harper Collins

Copyright: 2016

ISBN: 9780062457714

Not only does this book have a somewhat unique title, but the advice it shares is equally unique. It allows you to be wrong, to stop believing yourself, not be special, ignore emotions that do not serve any purpose, etc.

It teaches you how to respond to tragedy, how to make yourself the creator of your own beliefs, it cautions you on what you should believe in, and addresses the failure success paradox (which is a real big deal in today’s society).

While many readers may be offended by the title, and therefore wouldn’t want to be caught reading this book I think that it is a book pretty much everyone should read. I say this because in society today we are inundated by information that we should care about this, or that, that all children are special, and therefore should be protected from ever having to think they have failed at something. Well this might be good advice if the child is still in diapers, but when they get into the real world if this same attitude is shown them, then they will be subject to a real shock, as nobody is that special. Not you, nor me, or anyone else on the planet.

Definitely worth the read!

"Westworld Psychology: Violent Delights" by Travis Langley and Wind Goodfriend (eds.)

New York: Sterling (2018)
ISBN: 9781454932413

This book takes an in-depth look at the psychology behind the hit HBO series Westworld (now filming it's third season). This series is based on the 1973 Michael Crichton movie of the same title which starred Yul Brynner, Richard Benjamin, and James Brolin and told the story of a theme park where things went horribly wrong. The series takes inspiration from this movie, and explores in great depth the interactions between the hosts (robots), guests. There are some overall differences between the movie and series as in the movie there were three theme parks Westworld, Roman World, and Medieval World. In the series so far we only know of two Westworld, and Shogun World.

This is not a fiction book but a critical  examination from a psychological perspective of what humans would be subjected to, and hosts have to endure in the event Westworld actually existed.

The various articles are written by prominent authors, scientists, medical personnel who deal with the psychological, sociological, and other issues as well as the concepts behind artificial intelligence, and human / machine interaction.

The book takes on such topics as: violent games and how they enhance aggression; the concepts of when games more than just games; when and why [and how] do we perceive what is human; The evolution of women's gender roles and the development of agency; overcoming complex PTSD; and much more.

Overall I found this book extremely interesting and I believe it would be a valuable resource for any would be fiction writers, or students in undergraduate or graduate anthropology, psychology, or sociology.

"The Storytelling Animal: How Stores Make Us Human" by Jonathan Gottschall

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Copyright: 2012
ISBN: 9780547391403

The Storytelling Animal provides readers with a good overview of how stories and important to humans. It examines how stories are such a major part of our lives that we routinely ignore them as such, and simply assume that's the way life is. It also examines the way television, video games, and other activities are both part of our life's story, and in fact the story itself.

The author goes on to examine the realms of stories that are not exactly fiction, but that aren't true either such as reality television, commercials, etc. He also looks at the play both for children and adults can shape our worlds. Play in the children's sense is make-believe, pretend worlds, and how when you put a group of small children into a room they will pretty much spontaneously create a world in which they are both the writer, actors, protagonists, antagonists, directors, and virtually all other roles you can imagine.

Play in the adult sense is examined by looking a movies, theatre, live action role playing, Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), and such. The latter two of these could easily be translated into books on their own as there is so much to consider.

I found this book to be quite informative, and I think it would be a good suggested read especially for anybody who is interested in creative writing, or who is studying psychology.