Quirkology: How We Discover the Big Truths in Small Things

by Richard Wiseman

Overview

For over twenty years, psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman has examined the quirky science of everyday life. In Quirkology , he navigates the backwaters of human behavior, discovering the tell-tale signs that give away a liar, the secret science behind speed-dating and personal ads, and what a person's sense of humor reveals about the innermost workings of their mind- all along paying tribute to others who have carried out similarly weird and wonderful work. Wiseman's research has involved secretly observing people as they go about their daily business, conducting unusual experiments in art exhibitions and music concerts, and even staging fake sainces in allegedly haunted buildings. With thousands of research subjects from all over the world, including enamored couples, unwitting pedestrians, and guileless dinner guests, Wiseman presents a fun, clever, and unexpected picture of the human mind.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780465010233
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	09/30/2008
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	375,987
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Richard Wiseman, Ph.D., is Professor of Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. He is also a practicing magician and was one of the youngest members of The Magic Circle. Wiseman has published over forty papers in academic journals, and gained an international reputation for research into unusual areas of psychology, including deception, luck, and the paranormal. He is the author of several books, including The Luck Factor, which has been sold in twenty-five countries. He lives in London, England.

Table of Contents

List of Figures ix Prologue: The Mysterious Q-Test xi Introduction: Exploring the Backwaters of the Human Brain 1
1 What Does Your Date of Birth Really Say About You?: The New Science of Chronopsychology 7
2 Trust Everyone, but Always Cut the Cards: The Psychology of Lying and Deception 45
3 Believing Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast: Psychology Enters the Twilight Zone 89
4 Making Your Mind Up: The Strange Science of Decision Making 127
5 The Scientific Search for the World's Funniest Joke: Explorations into the Psychology of Humor 179
6 Sinner or Saint?: The Psychology of When We Help and When We Hinder 227
7 The Pace of Life and Other Quirkological Oddities: The Future of Quirkology 265 Afterword: How to Pep Up the Dullest of Dinner Parties 275 Acknowledgments 279 Notes 283 Index 307