Ever wondered why bad musicians always win the Eurovision Song Contest, or how incompetent politicians get elected? You need some Quirkology in your life. While other scientists beaver away on obvious problems, Richard Wiseman has been busy uncovering the secret ingredients of charisma, exploring how our personalities are shaped by when we are born and examining why people usually miss the obvious signs of their partner's infidelity. Using scientific methods to investigate offbeat topics that interest the general public as well as the scientific community, "Quirkology" brings a new understanding to the backwaters of the human mind and takes us to places where mainstream scientists fear to tread.It is comparable to "Freakonomics", but British, far more populist, and a lot funnier. Findings include: How does your surname influence your life? What does the way you walk reveal about your personality? Why should women have men write their personal ads? What is the funniest joke in the world?
Existential therapy has been practiced and continues to bepracticed in many forms and situations throughout the world. Butuntil now, it has lacked a coherent structure, and analysis of itstenets, and an evaluation of its usefulness. Irvin Yalom, whoseTheory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy has rendered such aservice to that discipline since 1970, provides existentialpsychotherapy with a background, a synthesis, and a framework.Organized around what Yalom identifies as the four ultimateconcerns of lifedeath, freedom, existential isolation, andmeaninglessnessthe book takes up the meaning of each existentialconcern and the type of conflict that springs from ourconfrontation with each. He shows how these concerns are manifestedin personality and psychopathology, and how treatment can be helpedby our knowledge of them. Drawing from clinical experience,empirical research, philosophy, and great literature, Yalom haswritten a broad and comprehensive book. It will provide anintellectual home base for those p
