You Just Can't Help It!: Your Guide to the Wild and Wacky World of Human Behavior

by Jeff Szpirglas, Josh Holinaty

How many times have you been frightened and felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand up? Or been unable to hold back a laugh? Or flinched when an object whizzed by, too close for comfort? The thing is, you just can’t help yourself — you’re only human! Part Desmond Morris’s The Naked Ape , part MAD Magazine , and all Jeff Szpirglas, this unique book provides a cultural, historical, and socio-biological perspective on human behavior.

Szpirglas’s goofy, kid-friendly sensibility paired with the book’s look, energy, and scope is guaranteed to engage and captivate young readers. Kids will read about body language, birth order, staring contests, fits of laughter, crowd behavior, sniffing dirty diapers, yawning, dreaming, and the art of lying — only to realize that science is at work behind each action!

You Just Can’t Help It! is an enthralling and slightly zany exploration of the basic human biology that determines our reactions, social interactions, and the ways we communicate with one another.

Genres: Nonfiction, Childrens

64 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

Jeff Szpirglas has had a varied career. He's shoveled manure, worked in a steelyard (he hails from Hamilton, after all), and even frolicked in the offices at CTV Television and Chirp, chickaDEE, and OWL magazines, where he was the kids' page editor. His manure-shoveling days long behind him, Jeff currently teaches children by day and writes books/fights supervillains by night.

Reviews

[Heather]

They Did WHAT?! is still my favorite of Jeff Szpirglas' books, but this one is also top-notch. The book goes through our senses as well as the ways we interact with others, and is chock-full of interesting information and tidbits. Very well-done.

[Kate Hastings]

Grades 5+. An interesting look at the oddities of human behavior-- our senses, emotions, communication strategies, etc. The graphics and layouts are very enticing. I look forward to spending more time with this book.

[Sarah]

I don't know why people do the stuff they do, but I WANT to know, and I'm pretty sure so do kids at the library.

[Scottsdale Public Library]

Szpirglas' words and graphics explaining why we do the things that make us human make this a book you just can't help love reading. –Monty K.

[OhWell]

OK, but more suitable for a lower age group.

[Yonina]

I thought this was a very infomation book.It gave you cool intersting facts that i have never thought of before.If you are in to facts about why we do why what we do this is a top shelf must read!

[Raina]

Engaging presentation of a grab-bag of facts. Blurbed this one at local elementary schools during my summer reading promotional visits this year.