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11th out of 75 books
—
53 voters
59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot
In "59 Seconds," psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman presents a fresh approach to change that helps people achieve their aims and ambitions in minutes, not months. From mood to memory, persuasion to procrastination, and resilience to relationships, Wiseman outlines the research supporting this new science of rapid change, and describes how these quick and quirky techniq...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
by MacMillan
(first published 2009)
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Finally read the whole thing, and it is worth more than 5 stars.
On Happiness
First, he talked about happiness, and getting people to like you, all based on researches and studies. Self-help books are rubbish because they are based on either common sense (which is already not too bad) or completely nonsense (which is based on woo woo).
Franklin effect is very useful. I always thought if I do people favors, they would like me more. WRONG. Actually, I have to ask for favors, simple and easy to do o...more
On Happiness
First, he talked about happiness, and getting people to like you, all based on researches and studies. Self-help books are rubbish because they are based on either common sense (which is already not too bad) or completely nonsense (which is based on woo woo).
Franklin effect is very useful. I always thought if I do people favors, they would like me more. WRONG. Actually, I have to ask for favors, simple and easy to do o...more
Jul 02, 2011
Chris
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
nonfiction,
psychology
(If you want, I'll give you one marshmallow now. If you read through the whole review, however, I'll give you two. Ready? Let's go!)
Do you have problems? Of course you have problems. We all have problems. Maybe you want to land a new job, or lose weight or finish a project you're working on. Maybe you find that you procrastinate too much, or you don't get along with people, or you can't be creative. Maybe you just want to be happy, you poor, sad little person.
These are the kinds of problems that...more
Do you have problems? Of course you have problems. We all have problems. Maybe you want to land a new job, or lose weight or finish a project you're working on. Maybe you find that you procrastinate too much, or you don't get along with people, or you can't be creative. Maybe you just want to be happy, you poor, sad little person.
These are the kinds of problems that...more
I liked it.
Speaking as a former cognitive psychologist, I take issue with the interpretation of some of the results. But speaking as a former cognitive psychologist, this is the best self-help book I've read in a long, long time - and I've read a lot of 'em. The suggestions here are backed by research, and are very easy to implement. I might make a goal of focusing on one a month until I become so happy I'm insufferable.
Speaking as a former cognitive psychologist, I take issue with the interpretation of some of the results. But speaking as a former cognitive psychologist, this is the best self-help book I've read in a long, long time - and I've read a lot of 'em. The suggestions here are backed by research, and are very easy to implement. I might make a goal of focusing on one a month until I become so happy I'm insufferable.
Finished 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot by Richard Wiseman (3/5).
Books in the self help genre tend to promise quick fixes grounded in little evidence (and, not uncommonly, contradicting actual evidence). Psychological literature sometimes has validated advice, but much of it, not surprisingly, requires a large investment of time and effort. Wiseman wanted to share the scientifically validated but easy to apply tips that people could use to improve their lives.
The number of quick tips w...more
Books in the self help genre tend to promise quick fixes grounded in little evidence (and, not uncommonly, contradicting actual evidence). Psychological literature sometimes has validated advice, but much of it, not surprisingly, requires a large investment of time and effort. Wiseman wanted to share the scientifically validated but easy to apply tips that people could use to improve their lives.
The number of quick tips w...more
I've read a lot of pop psychology books, but this one is quite different from the rest. Each chapter of this book takes a topic and describes various scientific psychology experiments that have direct bearing on the topic. Many of the experiments came to non-intuitive conclusions about human behavior. Then, the book shows how you, the reader, can take advantage of these conclusions in your everyday life. Scattered throughout the book are short psychological questionnaires that help focus the app...more
A brilliant collection of evidence-based tips on how to do everything better, from being happy to having better relationships and coming up with better ideas at work to living longer.
There are too many pseudo-science 'self-help' guides out there, and unfortunately too many people falling for their mumbo-jumbo made-up guidance. This book plugs the gap in the market for those of us who recognise the value of self-improvement but demand 'how do you know?' of all those peddlers of advice who seem to...more
There are too many pseudo-science 'self-help' guides out there, and unfortunately too many people falling for their mumbo-jumbo made-up guidance. This book plugs the gap in the market for those of us who recognise the value of self-improvement but demand 'how do you know?' of all those peddlers of advice who seem to...more
Why are all of the really cool people in the world British?
Richard Wiseman knocks my socks off every time he publishes. If you're going to read his work, though, I have a couple of caveats for you:
1. His work is non-fiction, of the sort that quotes a LOT of numbers and makes both macro- and micro-adjustments in viewpoint, sometimes within the same paragraph. If you don't read heavy-duty nonfiction well, this is the wrong author for you.
2. He uses his own work as a BASIS for his books. He uses o...more
Richard Wiseman knocks my socks off every time he publishes. If you're going to read his work, though, I have a couple of caveats for you:
1. His work is non-fiction, of the sort that quotes a LOT of numbers and makes both macro- and micro-adjustments in viewpoint, sometimes within the same paragraph. If you don't read heavy-duty nonfiction well, this is the wrong author for you.
2. He uses his own work as a BASIS for his books. He uses o...more
I started reading this because Richard Wiseman writes one of my favorite blogs (http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/2...). I thought it would be a satirical deconstruction of the self help industry, instead it's an earnest deconstruction of self help industry claims that offers more realistic claims based on scientific studies. I once joked "I may be a depressed and broke failure but at least I've never read a self help book." Thanks to Wiseman, I'm now a depressed and broke failure who has read...more
An interesting summary of the current ideas used in ‘self-help’ books, and more importantly how well they actually work. Wiseman explains the various scientific experiments made by academic psychologists in order to test the claims made by the self-help industry. There are some very interesting results, both for and against some well-known techniques. At the end of each chapter Wiseman then gives a brief template for the ideal ‘self-help’ book, using techniques for changing behaviour or reading...more
59 Seconds is a self-help book with a twist - it talks about being happy, etc. but it does so based on a bunch of studies, kinda like Poor Economics. (liking these kinds of books is like liking science!) It covers a lot of different areas - here are the most interesting things I found:
- After experiencing a traumatic event, talking about it doesn't generally help, but writing about it does. (possibly because writing lets you organize your thoughts and create a narrative)
- As an exercise, writing...more
- After experiencing a traumatic event, talking about it doesn't generally help, but writing about it does. (possibly because writing lets you organize your thoughts and create a narrative)
- As an exercise, writing...more
The world of self-help is thick with urban myths and intuitively reasonable claims, and it's easy to find yourself nodding along to something that, under less emotive inspection, is fatuous.
Wiseman clearly loves that sort of inspection. In :59 Seconds he takes us on a guided tour through all the big names in folk psychology; happiness, persuasion, motivation, creativity, attraction, stress, relationships, decision making, parenting, and personality. And as he guides, he rigorously evaluates, wit...more
Wiseman clearly loves that sort of inspection. In :59 Seconds he takes us on a guided tour through all the big names in folk psychology; happiness, persuasion, motivation, creativity, attraction, stress, relationships, decision making, parenting, and personality. And as he guides, he rigorously evaluates, wit...more
This is a book that Timothy Ferris (of 4-hour Workweek fame) could have written and would have called the 4-hour Psychology. And I mean that as a compliment.
The book does an excellent job at summarising (serious) psychological research into all kinds of the human psyche, including happiness, productivity, creativity, relationships etc. Each chapter ends with a vey concise section with practical tips on how to apply that chapter's ideas in less than a minute (hence the "59 seconds" in the title)....more
The book does an excellent job at summarising (serious) psychological research into all kinds of the human psyche, including happiness, productivity, creativity, relationships etc. Each chapter ends with a vey concise section with practical tips on how to apply that chapter's ideas in less than a minute (hence the "59 seconds" in the title)....more
We all want to be happier, more creative, less stressed, and better parents, and we all want to be these things right now. Well, why not? Research about how to be a better person is out there, so why not write a book with the best quick ways to be better, ideas that can change a person in one minute or less? So went the thinking of Wiseman in creating this book.
My focus for the year is how to be happier, so I will share these tips here, in hopes of remembering them and practicing them in my own...more
My focus for the year is how to be happier, so I will share these tips here, in hopes of remembering them and practicing them in my own...more
Richard Wiseman is speaking to his friend Sophie, a 'bright, successful thirty-something' when she asks him what he thinks of the self-help industry. 10 minutes into his lecture about the scientific research into happiness Sophie stops Richard, points out she's a busy person, can he give her some genuine effective advice that could be implemented in under a minute. This book enlarges on that idea, a refreshing antidote to the avalanche of self-help literature that is at best misguided and at wor...more
I like these pop books (self-help, psychology, economics, science). But then I like Chinese food as well. While you read them the revelations seems exciting. But on reflection, have you actually learned much? This one aspires to debunk false self-help books. And certainly plenty of psychoglogical studies are cited and corrections applied. And some of it is useful. Touching someone on the upper arm signals higher status. Waiters who repeat back your order get higher tips (the power of mirroring)....more
I wonder if this book has the right title.
I knew Richard Wiseman from his other book "Paranormality", which I LOVED very much (debunking ghosts, spiritual experience, paranormal activities, etc).
This book was actually before Paranormality, and it is about debunking self-help myths. Many unfounded self-help advices were put under scientific scrutiny, and the book set aside the effective ones from the just plain bullshit. From happiness, romance, motivation, and a lot more. Wiseman will quote many...more
I knew Richard Wiseman from his other book "Paranormality", which I LOVED very much (debunking ghosts, spiritual experience, paranormal activities, etc).
This book was actually before Paranormality, and it is about debunking self-help myths. Many unfounded self-help advices were put under scientific scrutiny, and the book set aside the effective ones from the just plain bullshit. From happiness, romance, motivation, and a lot more. Wiseman will quote many...more
This is billed as an antidote to self help books and it's basically full of self help type techniques that have actual scientific research to back them up. I've never really read a self help book as I suspect them to be full of a load of made up nonsense and/or to point things out that are basic common sense. This either makes me a bad audience for this book, or maybe a good one, I can't decide. It's possibly aimed at both people who don't read self help books and those who read too much of them
...more
Professor Richard Wiseman has long been dubious about the self-help industry, feeling that many of the popular books promoting techniques for personal change have at best no evidence to support them and at worst can actually make you to feel bad about yourself when following their instructions fails to produce the promised results. Over lunch with a friend who had just bought one of these kinds of books, he got to thinking about what the research actually says are effective ways to create person...more
Richard Wiseman opens this book by telling an anecdote relating to a time a friend of his asked him what he thought of the Self-Help industry. He started to go into a scientific explanation of what might work, what might not and his scepticism of the industry as a whole. His friend interrupted and told him she only had "About a minute" at a time.
The result? 59 Seconds: How Psychology Can Improve Your Life In Less Than A Minute
Richard Wiseman is a genius. A well read, scientific, humorous and sli...more
The result? 59 Seconds: How Psychology Can Improve Your Life In Less Than A Minute
Richard Wiseman is a genius. A well read, scientific, humorous and sli...more
Jan 16, 2011
Mag
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Mag by:
Kuba
Shelves:
psychology,
non-fiction
Many people are attracted to self-improvement and self- development, but don’t have a lot of time to devote to elaborate and time-consuming techniques. This book is about how to change in 59 seconds with psychologically proven quick and dirty strategies that won’t take a lot of time to implement. Wiseman deals with almost everything under the sun found in the self-help section- from improving goal setting, through getting better at lateral thinking to good selling and dating techniques. And, he...more
59 Seconds is a beach read of the self-improvement genre. Richard Wiseman reveals various ways to change your life fast, inspired by an acquaintance who asked him for ways to change in less than a minute. He covers happiness, persuasion, motivation, creativity, attraction, relationships, stress, decision making, parenting, and personality. A few tips I learned that I have already tried are:
* Praying for other people will reduce my stress and improve my well-being.
* I will be more likely to achi...more
* Praying for other people will reduce my stress and improve my well-being.
* I will be more likely to achi...more
Only got halfway through this before I had to return it to the library, but it's definitely the best self-help book I've ever read (gonna buy myself a copy!) I haven't read a lot, because I am sarcastic and snarky, and I tend to toss anything that wanders into the realm of navel-gazing, or talks to me like I'm a 3rd grader and the author is Mr. Rogers. I am keen on science, not on mysticism. I want to know what works and why.
Each chapter explores a different subject in a very simple format: This...more
Each chapter explores a different subject in a very simple format: This...more
Started reading in ebook, and enjoyed it so much that I actually bought a copy. (At Borders in downtown Seattle at 30% off, FWIW.) Condenses lots and lots of psychology research that I've read elsewhere combined with plenty that was new to me. For the practical person, includes exercises, quizzes, tips...which was why I wanted a copy, since those bits were tough to read on my phone, and I wanted to write in the margins! A quick read in an engaging tone. Each chapter covers a different area of hu...more
I highly recommend this to all, because one never knows with what inner demons one's friends are struggling. The author takes on many common sources of unhappiness, debunks the self-help dogma, and distills simple techniques that amount to "brain magic that ought to work for most people most of the time". All these techniques are easy to understand and implement and extremely practical.
With only 320 pages, obviously he can't get too deep into the neuroscience, but there are plenty of citations...more
With only 320 pages, obviously he can't get too deep into the neuroscience, but there are plenty of citations...more
When I first picked up this book I didn't want to read it. It looked like it was another "self help" book of the type Oprah promotes. It is, but it isn't. The author wrote it in response to that kind of book. It does give myriads of processes for improving your life, from how to be happy, how to praise children to get the most positive results, to how best to find out if you're more feminine or masculine--but everything in it is research based. This VERY readable (and amusing) book takes one top...more
All in all I found it to be a very boring book. Also the author starts out the book by saying that social experiments conducted to build the self-help myths are often incorrect in their premises or conclusions. But the whole book itself is filled with justifications based on experiments conducted by scientists. The details of some of the experiments are also sketchy. So ultimately the author is contradicting himself in pointing out the invalidity of scientific experiments but using it as the bas...more
Oct 18, 2011
Lars-Christian Elvenes
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People interested in a scientific approach to self-improvement.
59 seconds revolves around the idea of finding things that help you improve in various areas of life, that can be explained in under a minute.
What I liked about the book is Richard Wiseman's approach. If you're looking for something from the self-help section, but you're a bit on the sceptical side, this could be a book for you. In 59 seconds, Wiseman looks at many of the traditional topics that are covered in most self-help "how to improve your life" type books (with an enormous variety in qual...more
What I liked about the book is Richard Wiseman's approach. If you're looking for something from the self-help section, but you're a bit on the sceptical side, this could be a book for you. In 59 seconds, Wiseman looks at many of the traditional topics that are covered in most self-help "how to improve your life" type books (with an enormous variety in qual...more
I couldn't decide between 2 or 3 stars. This book actually reminded me a little of Freakonomics.The author covers A LOT of ground. He cites a lot of studies for what really makes people happy compared to what conventional wisdom holds. I'd say about half the topics I'd already read about somewhere else, but still he has some good sounding ideas. Nothing too in depth, though. Kind of like Oprah or Cosmo....self help for people with limited attention spans. This was the first time i've been unhapp...more
Another pretty good book that is convinced on the one hand that you can do things to "Change Your Life", they just shouldn't be looked for in books that promise to "Change Your Life". In the first few pages he debunked the myth of the oft-quoted Harvard students who wrote down their goals versus those who didn't and I chuckled over the fact that I'd been taken in by this story too. Well, so what? As this book states, some of those techniques do work, you just have to understand which and why bef...more
It's very simple, this book. His idea was to write a book on improving one's life for busy people; This book gives you scientifically proven stuff that will make a difference in tiny bite size chunks. One minute = change. There are a few things that have stuck out in my memory since finishing this a few months ago. 1) the impact of green plants on creativity 2) the impact of green in general (I've bought some green pens and have been using them ever since) 3) the difference between what men thin...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description uses British phrase.. sort of funny. | 1 | 17 | Jul 02, 2012 04:33am | |
| Wrong title? | 3 | 54 | Jul 07, 2009 04:23pm |
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Professor Richard Wiseman started his working life as a professional magician, and was one of the youngest members of The Magic Circle. He then obtained a degree in psychology from University College London and a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh.
Richard currently holds Britain’s only Professorship in...more
More about Richard Wiseman...
Professor Richard Wiseman started his working life as a professional magician, and was one of the youngest members of The Magic Circle. He then obtained a degree in psychology from University College London and a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh.
Richard currently holds Britain’s only Professorship in...more
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“Happiness doesn't just flow from success; it actually causes it.”
—
4 people liked it
“researchers discovered that people who have just consumed caffeinated drinks were more likely to be swayed by arguments about various controversial topics.55 In short, good evidence that there really is no such thing as a free lunch or an innocent cup of coffee.”
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2 people liked it
More quotes…
"So, in case you need help. Target on a single person who might offer you help, and turn this person from a bystander into a...more
Feb 29, 2012 07:46am
"So, in case you need help. Target on a single person who might offer you help, and turn this person from a by...more
Feb 29, 2012 04:38pm