Why We Do the Things We Do: Psychology in a Nutshell

by Joel Levy

Can you really tell a criminal by the bumps on his head? What does a memory look like? Can a machine think? Why are some people shy? Is it better not to feel so much? These are some of the many questions that are discussed in this comprehensive yet accessible introduction to psychology. The workings of the mind have fascinated us for centuries, but the key theories of psychology are often so complicated that it is almost impossible for the casual reader to understand. This book unlocks the important studies and theories in a series of simple questions and answers that shine new and uncomplicated light on the important aspects of psychology. It will demystify the key questions by tracking their origins in the writings of some of the most prominent thinkers in various fields, showing how these ideas and concepts have developed over time.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Science

192 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2017

About the author

Joel Levy is a writer and journalist specializing in science and history. He is the author of over a dozen books, including The Little Book of Conspiracies and Scientific Feuds: From Galileo to the Human Genome Project. Phobiapedia is his first book for children.

Reviews

[Serpil Çelebi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tatlı bir cildi var ve kapağı eğlenceli. İçeriği ise hoş. İlginç bilgiler bulabilirsiniz.
Mesela "Sıcak su ile soğuk suyu ayırt edebilir misiniz?" başlıklı bölümden olsun. Ufak bir deney var, çocuklarla da deneyebilirsiniz diyor. "İhtiyacınız olan tek şey üç büyük kâse, leğen veya kovadır. Kaplardan birini soğuk suyla, birini ılık suyla, birini ise sıcak suyla doldurun ve kapları bu sırayla yan yana dizin. Bir elinizi soğuk suya, bir elinizi de sıcak suya koyun, serinlik ve sıcaklık hisleri kaybolana kadar bir iki dakika bekleyin. Şimdi iki elinizi de ortadaki ılık su kabına batırın ve ellerinizdeki hissi tarif edin." İlk etapta soruyu okuyunca "e, herhalde ayırt edebilirim" diyor insan içinden ama sonra iş algıya geldiğinde olay yön değiştiriyor.
Benim için okuması keyifliydi ama ben bir sağlıkçı olduğumdan bakış açım normal okurlara göre biraz farklı. İzlenimim kitabın akademik yönünün biraz ağır bastığı yönünde. O yüzden her okura tavsiye edemem.

[Ayça · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorduğu sorular ilginç olsa da, bu sorulara verdiği yanıtlar bir o kadar baştan savma. Meraklısına Psikoloji alt başlığıyla yayınlanan kitap ne yazık ki ben de hayal kırıklığı yarattı. İlginç deneylerden bahsetmesi hoşuma gitti ama bunlarla ilgili ayrıca detaylı araştırmalar yapmam gerekti. Dediğim gibi biraz yüzeysel buldum. Yine de okuması keyifli ve akiciydi...

[VC Gan · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this book, the explanations were not very clear. To me, it seems like the only person who would benefit from this book is someone who is new to psychology. I thought it would be a great overview but all the information was too sketchy. I really wish I had bought another in-depth psychology book instead.

[Santhu Ghimire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this was not meant for medical professionals or anyone who wanted in-depth knowledge, but it's a good overview for beginners/people who want to understand a little bit of psychology.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short book is a great entry to some of the big questions in psychology and even some aspects of philosophy. It's presented in bite-size chapters, and each chapter is a self-contained question, meaning you can start reading anywhere you're interested. There are useful cross-references to other relevant content. I really can't praise enough how well-laid out and helpful this system is!

The answers to the questions provide a good overview of the theories and seem to present a balanced view, explaining which theories are now believed to be untrue, and current thinking in each area. There's a few simple exercises to get you thinking about yourself (such as the "am I a psychopath?" test. I'm not btw.)

It's a brilliant introduction, and my only criticism is that at times, I wanted to know more. There is an advanced reading section at the back, but it would be nice if the same author offered a more in-depth look at the content too.

[Lew-Can't-Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fantastic and intriguing book , It’s really expanded on what I already know/believed and enlightened me on new ideas . I definitely should’ve been annotating as I went along but I will skim through again and annotate

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

It will be very useful for me to open my mind

[Al Vince · Rating 4 out of 5]

Succeeds in it's aim to provide a *brief* overview of a wide variety of topics within the field in a light and pallatable format! Some reviews here seem to complain about the lack of depth; I can understand the frustration, but this is psychology in a nutshell- I don't think it should be down-rated for providing surface level details when the book is aimed not at being a comprehensive introduction to psychology for those wishing to study the subject, but a light and not too overwhelming insight into a vast span of different ideas.

I'm far from a psych expert- I'm a philosophy undergraduate, and my knowledge of psychology prior to reading this came from doing the A Level (and I got a B so yknow don't take me too seriously)- there are a few topics included that I've studied and was pleased get a refresher on and believe were explained quite accurately, such as Bandura's 'Bandura Doll' social learning theory study; the book for the most part retains a level of impartiality important in introducing psychology by emphasising how certain theories have been widely dismissed, occasionally making comments on important issues with study results such as lacking ecological validity, and generally reiterating the importance of remembering that we don't have a perfect understanding of psychology yet so much is still up in the air for discussion. I do think with regards to the M/F differences, the commentary on the importance of IQ, and the parts regarding memory further emphasis could have been put on biases impacting the studies in these areas (e.g 'men are more likely to have autism' is not necessarily true, men are more likely to be diagnosed with autism due to biases as a result of many of the studies done on neurodivergency using men as subjects; self-fulfilling prophecies might have an impact on the statistics of those with lower and higher IQ scores) - that being said the lack of emphasis on this is no worse than the slightly deceptive assertions of secondary school physics made for the sake of simplicity, so I wouldn't say it's too problematically reductive, particularly again given the aim of the book as an 'in a nutshell', TLDR introduction.

My very novice understanding of psych considered, I learned quite a bit in reading this (I didn't know a fat lot about developmental psych and being a little philosophy of mind nerd it was great also to be introduced to the psychological aspects of different kinds of illusions, and to the whole area that is sociobiology) and have been left after finishing with plenty of notes on studies, papers and psychologists to do further reading into!

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Why We Do The Things We Do, Joel Levy has packed a lot of information, about most subjects in everyday life. It uses simple language and ideas to put more complicated ideas across.

Using the most up-to-date ideas, along with older, established practices Levy takes both the expert and the Psychology novice through ideas, ranging from hypnosis, free will, smoking, happiness, the use of sleep, dreams, handed-ness, and how we relate to other people, and any prejudices that we may have.

The book starts with historical perspectives, from folk psychology, how it relates to the brain and the body, science, the ancient Greeks, and how psychology has replaced religious beliefs to explain how the world works.

In less than two hundred pages, a lot of ground is covered by Levy, from the main names in Psychology, to how we can relate their ideas, and discoveries to modern life, and relationships. He also looks at various historical movements, from Nazism to Philip Zimbardo’s prison experiments, and how certain situations bring out the worst in us as individuals and as a society.

He also looks at how we vote, how bald men never become presidents or attain high office in politics, what we look out for in potential sexual partners, and how relationships work, both chemically, and romantically.

Other topics discuss why we can never remember much before we were two years old, how we unconsciously copy other people when growing and developing, or when we learn that we are not at the centre of the universe.

A lot of ground is covered, and although certain topics could always have more depth, there is a wealth of this information on the internet, and in other books, so if you are looking for a quick overview of the more basic psychological tenets, this could be the book for you.

[grace jakimoski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not very into psychology when I read this, but honestly, this book changed my perspective on how I think about the brain. this book has some great knowledgable things about humans and the mind, and it isn't wordy, or hard to read. the only thing I disliked about this book is in some chapters don't tell you why we actually do it they just ramble on about other things which are kind of annoying and may put you in a reading slump. overall it's a great starter book if you want to learn more about psychology.

[Jenny McClellan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting facts in here but overall nothing profound or indepth. It neatly summarized, using psychological evidence some sterotypes... ie: men are from mars, women are from venus (looks breifly into grey vs. White matter in the brain). It doesnt go into much detail to explain these ordinary questions/phrases we have. Id rather seek out books on the topics i found most interesting and read further.

For a beginner look into psychology i guess it gives you a basepoint of where to look.

[Izzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in book format

I feel slightly too advanced for this book, as they seem to be recapping what we have learnt in class, which isn’t all that useful. It doesn’t go into the same depth, so I wouldn’t recognise this as a revision material.

What I liked:
🧠 Taught me that I needed to read more about Freud, as he came up multiple times
🧠 It gave a further reading list, which may be useful
🧠 Slight revision
🧠 Simple to read

Recommend: ❌

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Overview of a lot of the main concepts and topics within Psychology, coming from someone taking a Psych degree, for me it was a little basic and personally reading it more as a reminder I felt that some detail was needed but it is written really accessible and is perfect for anyone interested in Psychology :)

[Caitlin Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is an easy to read beginner friendly introduction to psychology, but it lacks depth. theories and psychologists are named without having any meat put on their bones, so you dont get a full insight into what the author is talking about, although there is a list of wider reading at the end if you do wish to indulge further.

[Shaghaf Awad · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DID NOT LIKE IT! Although the title is (Psychology in a Nutshell) but you would still expect some details and real insight about the matters discussed. I felt like I am reading a high school English book where articles/stories are summarized then summarized again. I want my money back!

[A LS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t expect too much if you have any knowledge of psychology already, but for a complete newbie it’s great at covering lots of different topics in a very small book. Perfect for getting a snapshot of different psychological theories and studies, and very easy to read.

[Zuzanna Pusz · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay book, an average summary of psychology as a whole. Not too bad, not too good, I prefer more in depth descriptions of studies with more enthusiasm. But if you're interested is psych it's an okay place to start, with an average book average rating.

[Paul Forbes · Rating 3 out of 5]

It doesn't have all the answers but is an interesting and informative read nonetheless.
Lots of further reading recommend at the end too incase you want to delve deeper!

[Jude Brigley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking. Very clearly written.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, it's aight.

It does cover a lot of Psychology, but not in great detail.

[Julia Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok but although this is usually things I enjoy reading about I found it a bit dull. I think it was just that the explanations were not always clear and so lost my interest.

[Bing Cheng Toh · Rating 3 out of 5]

was difficult to read at the start, but overall starts to get some interesting questions and ideas.

[Avishay Kadouri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book. It answers on questions about life, about how people and our mind is working. It talks about researches and the history of it and giving a general understanding of some situations.

[amelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

psychology's actually interesting???? woah!
i knew this, but a-level psych made me forget. this is a really good book :) i learnt things! ah!

[Amz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fantastic read. It quoted loads of theories physcholgist and other health professionals options/studies.
This read really gets the brain ticking .

[Didi's Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai passé un bon moment à le lire😄

[Elijah Farrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable and simplistic overview of a range of psychiatric theories and fields.

[Martina · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be a book about psychology, it was very informative and interesting reading. Grasping all the facts wasn't that difficult when written this way.

[Zahida Zahoor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Common phycological questions, with brief explanations useful for someone with no phycological knowledge or student

[Naji Filali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brief introduction to understanding why we are the way we are.