Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Sigmund Freud
I really liked this book. It is a very solid read, that is, if you like Sigmund Freud enough to at least want to read about his theories and opinions. I give this book 5 stars, not because I completely agree with every view that is expressed in it, but because I think it was an interesting read. ... Read more

Product Description

Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say "yes"—and how to apply these understandings. Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding field of influence and persuasion. His thirty-five years of rigorous, evidence-based research along with a three-year program of study on what moves people to change behavior has resulted in this highly acclaimed book.

Customer Reviews (341)

Now let's practice what we've learned...
(2 weeks earlier)

Hi, I'm calling from the American Literary Research Society -- we're conducting a poll and would just like you to answer a couple of quick questions. Haha, you think my voice sounds attractive? Well, thank you. The first question is, how often do you read books? Quite often? Well, don't you sound intellectual! The second question is, do you feel like you could be more effective if you knew more about psychology and the science of persuasion? Couldn't we all, indeed! That's all, thank you very much for your time!

--

(Today)

Hi there, how are you today? I'm fine too, thank you. A good friend of yours told me you were interested in information on psychology and influence, they recommended I talk to you. And isn't it funny to run into you here, in the online product reviews. Do you tend to read them before buying a book? What a coincidence, me too.

Hold on just a minute -- I'm getting a little thirsty. Will you excuse me for a minute?

(Returning.) Here, I got a Coke for you too -- don't worry about it, it's on me.

Now you know, the best way to learn about influencing people comes from exclusive business seminars -- the kind that sales trainees at top-notch companies attend. To attend them privately, they tend to run several hundred dollars, and even that isn't enough to grab a spot -- they tend to have waiting lists too, you know. I tried to get a friend of mine into one, and it took four months until there was a spot available!

Just a minute -- we've got some hamburgers coming around, and I haven't had lunch yet. Would you like one too? On the house. Fantastic.

You're right, those seminars do seem a bit pricey. Well, I also happen to know of a couple of books which we've got right now, which actually contain mostly the same material. One is by Robert Cialdini; it's called Influence: Science and Practice (5th Edition). It costs $16.86. But I'll let you in on something -- it's a ripoff. It's the textbook version for academic use, and just has a bunch of extra chapter exercises and things which somebody as smart as you doesn't need!

The other book is also by Robert Cialdini, it's called Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins Business Essentials). It's got all the same content, but without the ripoff. It's cheaper. Now, over at Barnes & Noble, you know what they charge for it? Eight or nine dollars.

We usually carry it, that's why we've got this webpage for it here, but unfortunately somebody just bought the last copy an hour ago. It's been selling like hotcakes -- it seems nobody can get enough of it. I read just the other day that the President of the United States actually has it on has vacation reading list! What? You're really interested in it? Well I can go see if somehow we've got an extra copy in the back that isn't showing up in inventory, for some reason. Let me go check, I'll be back in a minute.

Well it turns out you're in luck, we've got one last copy. And you know what? I like you. I really do. I'm going to sell it to you for just five dollars. That's right, five dollars. My boss is against selling books that cheaply, but I really think this book is important for you to have. Yes, I know my commission on the sale will be smaller, but it's because I like you. Just a second -- it looks like someone wants to talk to me.

(Oh hi, I didn't see you there! Excuse me just a moment while I attend to my current customer -- I'll be right back.)

Sorry about that -- somebody else seems to be interested in the book as well. Yeah, and this is the last copy we have in stock -- if you don't buy it right now, I can tell you for sure that you're not going to have another chance at buying it. Will you look at this, there's a third person coming up now who's interested in it as well. What's that, you'll take it? That's a great decision.

Now since it really took a bit of effort to find the book in the back, and I'm giving you this special discount -- do you have any friends who are interested in books as well? Oh, yes? Them too? That's fantastic, thank you very much for their names and contact info.

Now you know, I don't tell most people about this, but there's another book I think someone like you would appreciate as well -- it's called The 48 Laws of Power, it costs around $12. It runs along the same lines, but has a lot of other important lessons as well. You'll take it too? You're definitely making the right decision.

Now I just need you to fill out the names and prices of the two books here on this order form -- that's great, and sign right there on the line. Let me just get my boss to sign off on these, and I'll ship the books right to you!

Sorry about this -- it's kind of embarrassing, really. I filed the order form and apparently there was a problem with the price on the first book. I'd told you five dollars, but apparently the price policy was changed just yesterday, and there's no way I can sell it to you for lower than $8.51. But after all, it's just an extra $3.51 on a total order of $17. I know, I'm as upset about it as you are -- I can't stand it when they spring these policy changes on us unannounced; I sincerely apologize to you. If there were anything I could do, believe me. But I'll just make the price adjustment here where you've already written down your order.

OK, great! It's been a pleasure. Expect a greetings card from me during the holidays! :)

Very useful and fascinating book
Robert Cialdini really took the time to study how people are so easily swayed into making decisions.This book provides many anecdotes that help imagine the different scenarios where people fool others in order for their own gain.I recommend everyone read this book at least once in their life times.

Incredibly Influential, Powerful, and Useful!
"Influence" by Robert Cialdini is one of the most wonderful and influential books I've ever read!Other books have been written on the topic, but Cialdini's is the best and most influential of them all.

"Influence" deals with the study of persuasion, compliance, and change - a subject that has application for every area of life.Cialdini presents the latest research on influence in a compelling way, clearly stating the 6 principles of influence and providing wonderful illustrations of each principle from advertising, psychology and other fields.If we understood these 6 principles better, we would be less subject to manipulation from others (for example, the manipulation to buy things we don't need or to buy more than we need).We might, in turn, also be able to understand how to influence others for good.

The 6 principles of influence are:

1.The Rule of Reciprocation: "We should try to repay in kind what another person has provided us."

2.Commitment and Consistency: "Once we make a choice or take a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment."

3.Social Proof: "We determine what is correct by finding out what other people think is correct."

4.Liking: "We most prefer to say yes to the requests of people we know and like."

5.Authority - we have a deep-seated sense of duty to authority

6.Scarcity - something is more valuable when it is less available

I find that in my own life, these 6 principles are remarkably powerful and have the ability to explain a lot of the behavior I observe as a father, teacher, and priest.We would all benefit from memorizing and mastering these six principles.They are simple but extremely powerful.My daughter read this book when she was 14 or 15, and I had to wrestle with her to get it back because she loved it so much!I only hope she doesn't begin using the principles against me!

One of the best parts of the book is the wonderful examples of each principle that Cialdini provides.An experiment to demonstrate the principle of authority, conducted by Stanley Milgram, is the classic example.In this experiment, two volunteers show up to help with an experiment, purportedly to test the effect of punishment on learning and memory.A researcher in a lab coat with a clipboard explains the experiment to the volunteers and that one is to take the role of the Teacher, who will administer increasingly higher levels of electric shock to the other volunteer, the Learner.Every time the Learner got a question incorrect, the Teacher was to administer a higher level of shock.However, the real experiment was to test how willing the Teacher was to administer pain to the innocent Learner, who was not really another volunteer but an actor pretending to be in increasing stages of pain.The results shocked everyone, for Milgram discovered that about two-thirds of the subjects were willing to administer the highest level of electric shock.The reason?Their deep-seated duty to authority.

Influence is filled with many such fascinating and useful examples of how our lives are influenced by others.I highly recommend the book to all readers, for influence is something common to us all, for good or for evil.

Very insightful, but feels dated
In general, this book is wonderfully insightful. Cialdini explains the weapons of influence very clearly and uses examples along the way to drive the point home. My two complaints are that that (1) often those examples feel very dated and (2) along with the description of each weapon of influence, the author writes a "How to say no" section. This section really treads into the "self help" territory and feels pretty hokey. One example of how to say no to one of the weapons of influence is to explain to the influencer that "you know what they are trying to do" and to hit them with confusing jargon until they get fed up and walk away. These sections really feel impractical and degrade rather than enhance the overall value of the book.

Fortunately, it is easy to look past these sections and focus on an otherwise interesting text.

Very Informative Read
Amazing just how much I have fallen victim to some of the tactics described.An interesting read. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (70)

psychology text book
This was an excellent purchase as I was able to purchase this Psychology book brand new for less than the price that the University bookstore was charging for a used copy. I got a brand new unmarked Psychology book for less than the used book price which was great.

psychology book
the book was in perfect condition, came quickly, and was a lot more inexpensive than it would be at the book store.

DiscountBOOks---Item never shipped
I paid for the book and it never arrived. Purchased on 08/11/10. Delivery was supposed to be 09/02/10. Today is 09/17/10 and still no book or return of emails.Seller is not reliable. Buyer beware! unable to contact DiscountBOOks

textbook for class
The book is fine- I had to get it as a required text for an online course.I was really happy to be able to find it used (in perfect condition) for about $8 when the school was trying to sell it to me for over $100.

Excellent textbook
Perfect for psychology students and individual interested in psychology. Excellenr service with the seller, as well. Recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
This updated manual presentsone diagnostic test and two full-length practice tests that reflect the actual AP Psychology Exam in length, subject matter, and difficulty. All test questions are answered and explained. It also provides extensive subject review covering all test topics. Topics reviewed include research methods, the biological basis of behavior, sensation and perception, states of consciousness, learning, cognition, personality, abnormal psychology, and treatment of disorders. This manual also presents an overview of the test, extra multiple-choice practice questions, test-taking tips, and an analysis of the test's essay question with a sample essay. Enclosed with the manual is a CD-ROM thatpresents two more practice tests with answers, explanations, and automatic scoring, as well as extensive subject review. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Daughter loves this help book
Bought for my daughter who is in AP Psych and she found it extremely helpful

Barron's AP Psychology with CD
My son just finished the 10th grade.Midway through the year, he registered for an online Psychology class, not AP.We decided that it would be worth it to register for the AP Psychology test in May, knowing that his AP result could not hurt him and might help.Perhaps a month before the exam, we ordered this book.

There are two sample tests on paper and two on CD.These were great, because there was a table to key the missed questions to the subject areas.This helped to identify strengths and weaknesses.It is certainly easier to do this using the CD test, since the program tabulates that information for you; it is much quicker than manually scoring and matching up paper test results.If he uses an AP review book for any future classes, I would certainly pay the difference and get the CD.

The bottom line: he passed the AP exam.He was the only student in his online class, so no study partners, no class discussions, and not an AP course to begin with.I'm certain that taking the class was important, and provided the volume of information tested.But I think that this book helped him prepare to be tested, helped to fine tune areas where more study would help, and even provided some useful strategies (this was his first AP exam).

It was well worth the purchase price.

Works as expected
I bought this book for a an AP Psychology class I was taking that it was required for. Perhaps the most impressive thing was that I ordered this on a Friday from amazon while on a trip out of state. I needed it the following Tuesday and despite using basic shipping for $4.00, it was at my door that Sunday. I had expected to not receive till that Monday or Wednesday at least, so I was relieved.

The review book itself was informative and thorough. I was glad that my teacher had picked such a comprehensive text as a review, because it did helped me study and feel comfortable taking the AP test. Nothing really notable stands out about the book, other than that it is dry. I will not hold this against the authors, because for the quantity of information it packs into relatively few pages, this book is a gold mine for test takers.

To close up, the CD enclosed does work, and on Mac OSX (if you have Flash player), but I did not use it. Upon trying it, the test taking experience on the CD seems sound, so if that's what you want go for it. If you are just looking for an AP Psychology review book though, this is it.

DID NOT GET MY ORDER
STILL DID NOT RECEIVE MY ORDER AND THE ESTIMATE WAS BY APRIL 29TH! I DONT KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON!!!!

Baron's AP Psychology with CD-ROM
While the content is beyond that about which I was curious, the style and arrangement of the book are both very easy and helpful. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (8)

Great for psych majors
My professor advised me to get this book to help with getting ready for graduate school. It is a tremendous help. I recommend anyone who is a psychology major to buy this book! Like my professor told me "its worth its weight in gold!"

SO HELPFUL!
I'm currently getting ready to apply for graduate schools in psychology and this book is incredibly helpful. My favorite part is the list of schools which include whether or not they give financial aid, what kind of programs (psy d, PhD, masters) and subprograms (neuropsychology, experimental, child psyc, etc) there are, and how much the program focuses on research vs clinical training. There's a ton of other useful information in it too. I use the book to find schools to look in to, and the book gives me their website so it's easy to find. Then I decide from there. But the book is incredibly useful as a starting point and I've only had it for a little while so I'm sure I'm yet to uncover many other wonderful uses for it.

A Must-Have!!
This book is a FANTASTIC summary of all possible research that can be done on clinical/counseling psych grad programs.It has helped me tremendously in applying to schools.The book has helped me be more organized and less stressed, seeing that all of the important information/deciding factors of the various programs are right at my fingertips.Very helpful worksheets are included at the back of the book in order to compare your top schools/programs.I cannot say enough good things about this book!I would recommend it to anyone/everyone interested in attending clinical/counseling psych grad school or to anyone that has any type of interaction with potential students.

This is the playbook that everyone uses!
This book is INDISPENSABLE when applying to graduate programs in clinical and counseling psychology, and as others state, not just a bunch of program statistics. Sure, it has all the statistics you need to start narrowing down to schools that are a good fit, but it tells you so much more. I would bet that 90%+ of successful clinical Ph.D. students have either read or used this book in some manner, it is that useful and valuable (no I don't have data to back that up.) When you go on interviews for graduate school though it will be clear that everyone is playing from the same script, and for good reason, the successful candidate presents themselves in a manner that is professional and prepared. Having been through the application process twice, I would have fared better had I paid closer attention to some of what the authors stated, my second time through was very successful and I am in a great program. I don't think I would have made it without the information in this book.

BEST BUY
If you were to choose one book to help you apply to grad school, this is it. It's like sitting down with the world's best psychology advisor. It tells you how to play the game and win. I was extremely anxious about applying for grad school before, and now I feel very excited and prepared armed with this book. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I haven't finished...but I will!
I just think it's fascinating to see how people saw modesty and how it affected the sexes. I was really impressed with the detail in the book. Not just information about women in the States, but men and women all over the world. Very solid read. ... Read more

Product Description

A Perfect Plan for the Perfect Score

We want you to succeed on your AP* exam. That's why we've created this 5-step plan to help you study more effectively, use your preparation time wisely, and get your best score. This easy-to-follow guide offers you a complete review of your AP course, strategies to give you the edge on test day, and plenty of practice with AP-style test questions. You'll sharpen your subject knowledge, strengthen your thinking skills, and build your test-taking confidence with

• Full-length practice exams modeled on the real test
• All the terms and concepts you need to know to get your best score
• Your choice of three customized study schedules--so you can pick the one that meets your needs

The 5-Step Plan helps you get the most out of your study time:
Step 1: Set Up Your Study Program
Step 2: Determine Your Readiness
Step 3: Develop the Strategies
Step 4: Review the Knowledge
Step 5: Build Your Confidence

Topics include: History and Approaches, Research Methods, Biological Bases of Behavior, Sensation and Perception,States of Consciousness, Learning, Cognition, Motivation and Emotion, Developmental Psychology, Personality, Testing and Individual Differences, Abnormal Psychology, Treatment of Psychological Disorders, and Social Psychology
Also includes: Practice tests

*AP, Advanced Placement Program, and College Board are registered trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

Customer Reviews (1)

The Best of The Best!!!
I absolutely hate McGraw Hill! But this book is a surprise. I think that the AP series are the only good series in McGraw Hill Publishing. It analyzes the chaoter section by section and gives quizzes to ensure proper understanding. This is a steal for the price! I actually thought Princeton Review/Kaplan would be a good bet but I am for sure that this is the best one by far. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (9)

Textbook
Item received quickly, excellent condition. Amazon always the first site I go to when I need anything. Always great service!

just loved it..
hello! well this book is completely awesome, I am using it for my psych class and i am really glad i got this book, its really helpful and answers most of the questiions you could possibly have about general psych. it is very readable and has quick reviews that totally give you a positive feedback. By the time I really needed this book to be delievered fast, and so it did, i ordered on a thursday and got deliever monday morningbefore 8 am. I am really satisfied with this product and I highly recommend it!

Excellent
The book is in brand new condition. I had an excellent experience with the seller.

Exploring Psychology
The book was in great condition. I was just disappointed in how long it took to receive the book.

Book review
This book is great and it helps with study tips. Very easy to read and understand. ... Read more

Product Description
Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 6 - Sex in Relation to Society is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Havelock Ellis is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Havelock Ellis then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
This unique book closes the gap between psychology textbooks and the research that made them possible by offering a first hand glimpse into 40 of the most famous studies in the history of the field, and subsequent studies that expanded upon each study's influence. Readers are able to grasp the process and excitement of scientific discovery as they experience an insider's look at the studies that continue today to be cited most frequently, stirred up the most controversy when they were first published, sparked the most subsequent related research, opened new fields of psychological exploration, and changed most dramatically our knowledge of human behavior. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Avoid This Seller!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Over a month has passed, 35 days to be exact, and order was never shipped until today. File a claim over a week ago and had to purchase this book from another seller with added shipping charges since book was needed for college.

Avoid this seller at all costs as they have never communicated back and now expect me to pay for a book that they never met the obligation to ship on time.

Psychology 101 review
This is a very good book to review some of the most important studies in psychology. Good for intro psyc students, and for those who are interested in human mind and behavior.

Very Satisfied!
The product arrived in less time than I expected and was in excellent condition just as the ad stated! Thanks for your promptness and professionalism!

Forty Ways to Leave Your Psychology Textbook
Roger Hock's book reviews forty studies which have heavily influenced the direction of psychology.Many will be familiar to even a first-year psychology major.And you may feel he has left out a few--I was surprised not to find George Miller's "The Magic Number Seven Plus or Minus Two" in the Intelligence, Cognition and Memory chapter, for example.The studies he has chosen are good ones, though.

My five favorites among the chapters:

"Little Emotional Albert" is based on Watson, J.B. and Raynor, R. (1920).Conditioned emotional responses.Journal of Experimental Psychology, 3, 1-14.This article describes applied research that scared a little boy with a loud noise while he was looking at a white rat.The researchers then documented how this fear generalized to similar objects.The study was groundbreaking in its time and a good stimulus for a discussion of research ethics.

"What You Expect is What You Get" is based on Rosenthal, R. and Jacobson, L. (1968).Teachers' expectancies:Determinates of pupils' IQ gains.Psychological Reports, 19, 115-118.The study shows that students may become more or less intelligent depending on what their teacher's have been told about their intelligence.

"In Control and Glad of It!" is based on Langer, E.G. and Rodin, J. (1976).The effects of choice and enhanced personal responsibility for the aged:A field experiment in an institutional setting.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 34, 191-198.The article shows the benefits of choice and self-determination in elder care.It is an early produce of Jean Langers work on Mindfulness and its effects in a number of settings.

"Learning to be Depressed" is based on Seligman, M.E.P. and Maier, S.F.(1967).Failure to escape traumatic shock.Journal of Experimental Psychology, 74, 1-9.This study shows that dogs which cannot escape an electrical shock will stop trying, even when conditions are changed so that escape is not possible.It is an early piece of Seligman's research (See Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life) which has led to effective diagnosis and treatment of depression.

"To Help or Not to Help" is based on Darley, J. M. and Latane, B. (1968).Bystander intervention in emergencies:Diffusion of responsibility.Journal of Personality and Social psychology, 8, 371-378.It links failure to respond to those needing help to the number of people available to respond.

WARNING: Contrary to what you may expect, the book does NOT reprint the actual studies.I found this initially annoying since the title implies otherwise.It does contain a reference to each study, a review of its contents and significance, and pointers to other related references.The book is useful as a guide to supplemental readings in an introductory psychology class.The professor just needs to supply copies of or links to the studies themselves.

Great Book
This is a very insightful, easy to read, and informative piece of literature. This book would be equally valuable to a person in the field of Psychology as well as any other curious reader. The author presents a number of important studies in Psychology that changed the field and (for many) the existing knowledge for ever. ... Read more

Product Description
Using the APA undergraduate psychology learning outcomes, the author establishes clear learning objectives for readers and ties the text assessment to these objectives. Praised for a very engaging writing style, comprehensive coverage of key research, and strong pedagogical features, Ciccarelli focuses on getting students to actually read their textbook. Student feedback from numerous class tests and instructor feedback from an extensive reviewing process emphasize the appeal of Ciccarelli's approach to teaching and learning in today's classroom. 

Customer Reviews (15)

Very good product
I revieved this 2 days after ordering and it looks brand new. Very good product and I would buy from this person again.

Psychology Book
This was shipped very quickly and was in the condition just as it was described. Thanks so much! A++

Great Item
I got an A in the class , I love buying books that have no writting or highlights at a great deal and this seller did that to the T

Psychology
The book is in excellent condition even though it is used.It's much better than I anticipated and I saved $86 by purchasing it through Amazon instead of the school book store.That's quite a savings when you are buying books.I plan to buy my next book, Sociology today, through Amazon as well.This is a great service for anyone attending school.The cost of educational books today is prohibitive.By the time you pay for your class credits and books you are broke.It makes attending school difficult.I'm glad I found you.

Review
The book came on time and and good condition. There were no problems getting in contact with this seller when I had a question. ... Read more

Product Description
David Myers' bestselling brief text has introduced millions of students to psychology. His exceptional writing style and careful structure make the text supremely engaging and understandable. Thorough updating, new features and a strong media supplements package make this seventh edition the most compelling, concise psychology textbook available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (43)

thank you
great condition very helpful highlights acutally. Gratful for the speedy mailing an the product. thank you

book review
The book turned out to be just what we ordered. It's a textbook that we needed for class so it works for class.It's probably not something that we would have gotten on our own.

Exploring Psychology textbook
I received my order in only 4 business days, and the book is in excellent condition!

Great!
Not only did I get a great deal on this book, but it came in better condition than I expected. If it weren't for the highlighting throughout, I would have thought it was brand new! Would definitely order from this dealer again.

bookwork
The book was as described and on time! Thanks!! You saved me a lot of money! ... Read more

Product Description
50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology uses popular myths as a vehicle for helping students and laypersons to distinguish science from pseudoscience.

• Uses common myths as a vehicle for exploring how to distinguish factual from fictional claims in popular psychology
• Explores topics that readers will relate to, but often misunderstand, such as ???opposites attract,????? ???people use only 10% of their brains,??? and handwriting reveals your personality
• Provides a ???mythbusting kit??? for evaluating folk psychology claims in everyday life
• Teaches essential critical thinking skills through detailed discussions of each myth
• Includes over 200 additional psychological myths for readers to explore
  Contains an Appendix of useful Web Sites for examining psychological myths
• Features a postscript of remarkable psychological findings that sound like myths but that are true
• Engaging and accessible writing style that appeals to students and lay readers alike

... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Not a myth, excellent quality
The book was in excellent condition and the service was easy with fast delivery. All the qualities required for this school item.

Very effective review of some of the most commonly held misconceptions in the field of psychology
As a psychologist who has a clinical practice, I sometimes find it irritating when others assume that the work I do is just some form of common sense advice-giving.But then I see a book like this one, and I am reminded that the general public is filled with so-called "common sense" misconceptions about the entire field of psychology.Luckily, authors Scott Lilienfeld, Steven Lynn, John Ruscio, and the late Barry Beyerstein, all professors of psychology, have challenged some of these most commonly-held beliefs with solid, research-based evidence from a multitude of leading psychology journals and other seminal works in the field.

In their Introduction, the authors talk about "Psychological Science and Common Sense" and offer tools for myth-busting, including ten of the mostly likely reasons why myths develop.Here they discuss factors such as selective perception and memory, confusing correlation and causation, the influence of the media, and problems with terminology (it appears that some of the other reviewers may have skipped this section and/or would benefit from rereading this information).The main body of the book is divided into 11 chapters, each organized around a specific topic area--for example, "Myths about Memory," "Myths about Emotion and Feeling," "Myths about Psychological Treatment," etc.Each chapter contains 4-6 specific myths; about 4-6 pages is devoted to each individual myth.Finally, at the end of every chapter, the authors have listed "Other Myths to Explore."Here they simply provide statements of "Fact" and "Fiction" (anywhere from about 12 to 30) without any accompanying research backup.

In simply perusing the chapters prior to starting to read the book, I was happy to see that none of the myths came as a great surprise to me.In fact, I'd actually argued several of these points myself in the past, including that the expression of anger to others isn't always better and that electroconvulsive therapy isn't violent or harmful.This doesn't mean that I completely agreed with the authors about everything, however.One of the myths listed is "A positive attitude can stave off cancer."No, a positive attitude might not be able to "stave off" cancer, but in psychologist Martin Selgiman's work with optimism, he HAS shown some excellent effects, including improved survival rates, in teaching optimism to cancer patients (see Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life).I also had a question about the derivation of one of the statistics included in one of the "Other Myths to Explore" sections.I emailed the three living authors about this, and two of them responded almost immediately to say that they would research the exact origin of this number so that they could confirm its accuracy for the second edition of the book (currently in development).

The fact that I had a few disagreements with the authors did not alter my main impression--i.e., this is an excellent book which was extremely well-researched.As a clinical psychologist, I was trained in the classic scientist-practitioner model, and part of this training involved learning how to 1) recognize whether something has appropriate research backing, and 2) review that research with a healthy skepticism.Like the myths that it addresses, this book of course should be approached with a critical eye.However, in doing so, what one is likely to find is an engaging, extremely readable challenge to some commonly-held popular psychology myths written by experts in the field.Highly recommended for anyone within the disciple of psychology or simply those with an interest in the topic.

Summaries of peer-reviewed studies
This is a very good book. The writing is clear, consise, and all of it is based on scientific psychology research - complete with citations and references in APA style. More than "a read" - it is a type of reference book for these many common phenomena. Don't be fooled by the title "popular" - the items are all well known, and in that sense they are popular. But this is not "pop psychology" - this is a well-written list about summaries of published peer-reviewed studies. Highly recommended to non-psychology readers and useful as a reference or for review for serious psychology students. Great job!

Questioning psychology and science
It is good to know the faults of science and psychology. This book highlights a good number of notions that have been accepted within the field of psychology and its general readership that are false. It leaves you (in a good way) asking "What else?"

A skeptics toolbox for debunking psychological notions
This is a fun, easy to read book that will shatter the preconceived notions of even the most skeptical and erudite reader.The authors tackle some dogged psychological notions that for some reason or other have persisted.Some of the psychological notions shattered will be a bit of a surprise and shock to the readers, which makes this book all the more interesting.One caveat though is that after reading this book you will notice friends, family and colleagues confidently spouting one of these debunked psychological notions and you will have to decide if you want to be the know-it-all or let the remark slide.But if a particularly egregious comment is rendered, this book will provide you the information and the references to spread the truth.The notions in this book should be spread far and wide, so we can get rid of some of the cherished garbage our society takes for granted.The one problem I have with this book is that they often try a little too hard to be controversial and to destroy sacred cows.This doesn't mean that they are inaccurate in their dismissal, just that their debunking will not be as profound as the title of the chapter will imply and they often do battle with imagined strawmen while avoiding the subtleties of the argument.But that is a minor quibble with only a few of the chapters.For a fun, interesting read you can access a toolbox of psychological notions to debunk in this book.Highly recommended. ... Read more

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Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's famous investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. In this new edition of his groundbreaking classic work, Csikszentmihalyi demonstrates the ways this positive state can be controlled, not just left to chance. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience teaches how, by ordering the information that enters our consciousness, we can discover true happiness and greatly improve the quality of our lives.

Customer Reviews (23)

Shallow Pop Psychology
I must admit, I didn't get very far in this book before throwing it down.As a trained psychologist, and a life-long meditator in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition (Karma Kagyu), I thought this would be a perfect book for me.However, it turns out that the author has just elaborates an idea he has and bases it on many vague connections, but nothing substantial.The sheer number of factual errors, generalizations and glossing over details in the first couple of chapters had me shaking my head constantly. Look, there is no reason to involve the history of the universe and all of mankind in a book about cognitive styles. Why are we bringing systems theory into this? He talks about various religious traditions, philosophies, social science and hard scientific disciplines as if he did more than read a wikipedia page about them (like any other new age book). He confuses mindfulness with concentration. I could go on and on.

This book is a mishmash of common pop-psychology ideas: be mindful, be confident, accept your condition, set goals, savor the sensual, find meaning in life. I had similar ideas when I was in college, before I realized through serious investigations, how banal and shallow they were.If only I had written a book at that time, referenced dozens of philosophical and scientific disciplines to project the idea that I'm intelligent (without fact checking them) and then sold it to hundreds of thousands of saps like this author did.

a little blinkered and prejudicial, but good read for the westernised modern world
dr. unpronouceable almost lost me with his ignorance and prejudice when he said, "Traditionally, the problem of exsitence has been most directly confronted through religion, and an increasing number of the disillusioned are turning back to it, choosing either one of the standard creeds or a more esoteric Eastern variety."

if he had ever cared to read beyond and before kierkegaard, nietzsche or even plato and socrates, let his worshipping mind wonder beyond the abrahamic personality cults of moses, jesus and mohammed, and let himself hop on a flight beyond the arabian sea, he would have known that in the orient (and that includes the forgotten fount of india) it is not religions governed by dictats that rule the roost, but ways of life backed by philosohpies. thus hinduism, which is a nomenclature of the west, is actually indian philosophy, which has various strains but some very very profound and robust philosophical and some spiritual core.

so no wonder that throughout the entire first chapter, where he makes some really compelling points, i kept on asking myself "what is the new thing has this guy says he has discovered?" because all what he propounds and more, are already in the texts of indian philosophy, wrongly called by the western academic as hindu or buddhist scriptures.

having said that, what dr. m_______ actually has done is nothing but the age old practice of quest for happiness, and having seen some light, put it out for the world to see. kudos to you dr. m____! i salute you for your journey because as you found out, it's only the journey that matters, not the end.

now, i hope you realise that because you made the journey within the modern setting of an academic portal, it does not go on to become the only definitive and therefore superior one to the ones made before. if your "flow" is followed by millions for next thousand years and is cluttered with anthropological debris and cultural trash, you will also be worshiped as a prophet and "flow" will go on to become another religion to be duly debunked by others at a later date.

you get the drift, i presume.

but a book surely worth a read and ponder as it gives us a contemporary tool for the quintessential quest.

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
It's interesting that the author (Csikzentmihalyi) forewarns the reader that he or she will need full concentration on the material in Flow to grasp it completely. I found this to be entirely true. At times, I would start drifting off, since certain sections are understandably less interesting than others, but afterward, I would find that I needed to reread that part to comprehend the information in a subsequent portion of the chapter. This book is a great read, and I actively seek to find/gain optimal experiences in my day-to-day life.

Fascinating & Frustrating
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi originally wrote "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" in 1990. It's an interesting read, both fascinating and frustrating at the same time. But the main idea, the idea of flow experience, is a powerful one and should be considered during product design.

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Good but..........
Thesubject held me until the constant and unnatural use of the female pronoun and female illustrative examples just became so irritating that I could simply no longer entertain this book. I suspect this protocol was dictated post writing by a member/softhe feminist PC brigadeThis appears to be aparticular problem with American publications, but is also creeping into the UK.Shame, spoilt what otherwisemay have been a great read. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (29)

Excellent
I was very please with my purchase. The seller sent the book very quickly and it arrived on time. I was happy with my purchase.

Enjoyable and interesting
I really enjoy reading this text. It was required for a course in Abnormal Psychology so I HAD to read it, but I find it so interesting and informative, I actually look forward to reading it. I may even keep it for my home library when I am finished with the course. The reading is not difficult and the examples and analogies are very helpful.

amazing deal
I am so please with this purchase. It came very fast and was in excellant shape. i hope i get the chance to use this seller again in the future. A++

Seller did not reply to any emails
This seller was the best price for the item I wanted so I decided to purchase with them. They have not bothered to respond to either of my emails as to my book that hasn't been delivered or bothered to follow it up for me - some sellers have to be the cheapest as their service is terrible and aren't interested in keeping customers if it involves any effort. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR - not much with these people!

Great Textbook
I took this course in Psych and found this text to be exceptionally illustrative, easy-to understand, and thought-provoking.
I credit this text and my professor for how well I did in the class. ... Read more

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Get comfy on the couch with tips for great mental health

Discover why you are who you are – and why you act the way you do

Ever wonder exactly what psychologists do? Are you curious about how you learn, think, and feel? This user-friendly guide takes you from Freud to forensics to family matters as you explore the wonders of human behavior and discover how to know yourself and others better than ever before.

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

Customer Reviews (18)

Good first look at psychology
Gives one the overall view of psychology that you will get in college from Psychology 101, 102, 103

Fun and Interesting Read
Psychology for Dummies by Adam Cash was far more informative than my Psychology course in college. In fact, I learned more from this book than I did from the entire semester in college.

Great starter or refresher book.
I'm taking a psychology course next semester and decided to give this book a go.It's a great read with a lot of useful information.

Fact checking and topic focus would improve an otherwise strong book
Psychology for Dummies provided a lot of very good information, but also was plagued with some poor editing and factual inaccuracies.

Positives:
1.Writing style:The author writes with a good 'conversational' writing style that is easy to follow and made reading the entire book very easy.
2.Use of examples:The author's use of examples were effective in helping me understand the ideas being explained.

Negatives:
1.Typos:There were quite a few typos that detract from an otherwise high quality writing
2.Factual mistakes:There were a few minor mistakes of fact which, while not material to the subject of the book, do cause further detraction from the book (for example:Sun Tzu was from what is today China, not Japan.. he was a General, not a Judo expert... and his book was "The Art of War", not "The Art of Peace").Again, this is not material to the subject covered in the book, but is a bit of a distraction.
3.Covered some unrelated material that should have been let out of the book.As only on example, the book spends time going over the physical development of the body of a fetus during the nine months of pregnancy.Removing this part could have left more room to cover psychology (such as human development beyond adolescence).

Overall, I was highly impressed with the book.I am a slow reader, but was still able to read it cover to cover in less than two weeks.The author is clearly very knowledgeable, and does a very good job synthesizing information and explaining it in a way that us "dummies" can understand.I do recommend this book if you are interested in getting a broad overview of psychology, theories, and types of treatment.I particularly liked the discussions about personality, forensic (criminal) psychology, etc.

William

psychology For Dummies
My son asked me to find him an intro book to psycology. This was it. It is written in the format of all the other "For Dummies" books. It has alot of good info in it. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (17)

Amazing Service
I ordered this book on Oct 20 2010 and received it by Oct 26 2010 vary fast service. This book was in better condition then I anticipated it to be. Thank you!

Better than many
This was a required text for a college course. What I always want to know before purchasing a textbook is what EDITION is it? First ed.? 4th? 8th? Anytime a seller puts a textbook up for sale the EDITION of the book they're selling is the most important detail, which is usually not given by most sellers! The sellers need to educate themselves on this small issue. I find it amazing that most sellers do not know they will be skipped over for consideration without the "edition" information. In this case it was given to me by the seller and that is the main reason I purchased it from that seller. I knew I was getting the right edition according to the requirements of the course taken. The book was used, but in very good condition. I saved 50% on the cost of a new book, and it was delivered on time. Also, the seller's price was, of course, far more fair than my school's bookstore, and far more fair than any other Amazon seller's asking price for the same used edition.

Great Condition
I received the book in a timely manner and I bought it used but it is like new.

Great
I appreciate the way that the book was recieved and was just at stated and love that I didnt have to pay full price for the material...Thanks!!!

College and Psychology
I'm a college student and i'm sooooo glad i didn't have to purchase this book at our book store. I bought it here on Amazon with shipping for like 30-40 bucks less than the University's price. I give it two thumbs up! :) ... Read more

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World-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck, in decades of research on achievement and success, has discovered a truly groundbreaking idea–the power of our mindset.

Dweck explains why it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success–but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. She makes clear why praising intelligence and ability doesn’t foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may actually jeopardize success. With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to raise their grades, as well as reach our own goals–personal and professional. Dweck reveals what all great parents, teachers, CEOs, and athletes already know: how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (101)

Stop the Madness!Tell Me Once or Twice but not a Thousand Times!
She says the same simple basic stuff over and over again. Common sense stuff. Its not so black and white on everything. Growth mind set vs. fixed mind set. Yawn, yawn, yawn. I soooooooo wish my boss had not made us read it. Wasted time I could have read enjoying other books.

"The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People" is much, much better than this repetitive thing...

"Be curious! Believe you can learn! Don't give up! Have a good support team! Use it! Take risks! Don't be afraid to fail!" And on and on and on . . . That is the growth mind set. And the fixed mind set is simply the opposite of those things.

Another book that is much, much better than this one is, "Influencer: The Power to Change Anything".

The real deal-- The future of motivation and learning
Carol Dweck's "Mindset" is, bar none, one the best books I've ever read about change, mindset, motivation, growth, and learning. Sophisticated, funny, articulate, accessible and well-researched, "Mindset" should become a standard requirement in understanding and improving education, business, and personal relationships."Mindset" adds a powerful and useful dimension to change discussion and provides tools and analysis superior in clarity and maturity to the sea of self-help books out there.It leaves the the "men are from Mars, women from Venus"-type books in the dust and far outstrips the maudlin attempts at change management one sees in books like "Who Moved My Cheese."

"Mindset" brings our attention, with resonant examples, to the critical and deep dispositions we hold, that largely determine our personal styles and our possibilities.Just as importantly, however, "Mindset" shows us how we might transform our dispositions to thrive in relation to change and therefore go beyond simply accepting our dispositions as fixed.Typical books follow the label-prescribe-solve formula:"You are 'this' so you must do 'that.'Here are some exercises."This book, by grateful contrast, lays out the ground work for exploring one's personality, working on one's habits, and creatively engaging learning in a way that develops practice and awareness in addressing one's outlooks toward change (including how one responds to failure).

I can't think of a better book to prepare one well for the emerging future in our fast transforming world.I find the central dynamic of this book between a "fixed" and "growth" mindset to be the crucial issue of our current creative, dynamic, and multicultural global era.Because it resists labels and welcomes exploration, Dweck's interesting and useful discussion goes beyond even some of the better research in the field while still retaining a compelling, grounded, and forward-looking focus.As a scientist and philosopher of learning and an activist and transformer of education, It is refreshing for me to read a book so remarkably free of the foundational flaws that prevent effective change discussion."Mindset" has a way of "working" on you in a way that is both playful and serious in the best sense of those words.

Highly, highly recommended, Zeus Yiamouyiannis, Ph.D., Learning Consultant

Keeping Potential Front of Mind: The Importance of the Growth Mindset in Education
Dweck's book does an excellent job in highlighting the importance of maintaining a growth mindset when designing educational systems. If educators believe that intelligence is fixed then schooling becomes more of a process of sorting, labeling, and testing, rather than focusing on improving instruction so that more students can reach their full potential. The bottom line is that one test score tells us little to nothing about a student's potential.

Just as importantly, Dweck does a good job of showing the value for educators to adopt a growth mindset in relation to their own potential for becoming more effective teachers (and administrators) and for inspiring colleagues to do the same. Just as Dweck shares insights that can be valuable to educators, she also gives examples of cultivating a growth mindset to parents who are, of course, the first teachers as well as the adults youth spend the most time with throughout the first 18 years.

Great For CEOs and Boards of Directors
I've been following Dweck's research since the late 90's and Self Theories.That book was excellent but a little heavy on research for anyone who isn't information-driven.

This new book is very readable, full of research besides her own and uses anedotal real-life examples.I recommend this book to parents who want to motivate their children and of course to school officials as a means to avoid "dancing the lemons" a term coined by the Benmwood Foundation.

But my suggestion after nearly 40 years as a CEO is that anyone running any type of organization or boards of directors who want growth-oriented leadership, should use this book to help screen for out people with a fixed mindset and suck the producitivty out of any enterprise.

The unspoken message
A fantastic message of two ways to look at life.The Fixed mindset is a PRIDEFULL mindset. The Growth mindset is a HUMBLE mindset. As Carol Dweck points out Praise can help in developing one or the other mindset. When your mindset is fixed it can be puffed up or deflated. Both are poor coping skills during the hardships of life. With a Growth mindset we can grow stronger and stronger in coping with lifes challenges. Praise can and will direct our focus on one mindset or the other. Excellent book inspight of the very few quotes containing bad language. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (18)

Good book, bad purchase
The book is a good book. The purchase... not so much. Ordered a hardback book in good condition, received a spiral bound book that would be hard pressed to be considered in good condition. Emailed company, and after several days of back and forth emails was finally offered a refund.

lost book
Hi I didn't get this book at all. After I orderd I had to to Russia emergency, so I canceled class and came back in Sept now I need a book Please, check where is my book?
Natasha Issatchenko 908-6254329

Great Book!
This book has a lot of detailed information that I need to write a paper.It was definitely worth ordering.

very helpful!
This book is the same a the etext (minus the quizes and sims) very helpful when you have online classes and want a physical book.

Text printed from right to left
The text in this book was printed from right to left. (hebrew) Very Unhappy with this purchase!!! ... Read more