Book Reviews

If I just had space to write about one criticism pertaining to the presented book, it would be that the title "Searching for Meaning - Idealism, Bright Minds, Disillusionment, and Hope" gives only a vague notion about the information that is actually contained within. more

Do animals have souls? What is the connection between animals and people? Is there a spiritual bond between human and beast? How do animals impact our lives? Dr. Vint Virga, a distinguished practitioner and leader in veterinary behavioral medicine has written a book that answers many of these questions. more

“It's recently occurred to me I might not even have a problem.” (Andrew Largeman, Garden State) I’m home for Christmas, and starting to get nervous. Soon I will meet my relatives, and with that a bunch of nagging questions will be waiting for me. Questions like “How’s your thesis going?” and “What will you be doing after graduating next summer?” and “What, you still don’t have a plan for the future? Doesn’t that make you feel uncomfortable?” – Well, what... more

There are probably more misconceptions about Sigmund Freud than any other psychologist, or to be precise, medical doctor. My knowledge about Freud was limited to what I learned in my bachelor program and I felt that it was time to find out more about the founder of psychoanalysis. Therefore, when my PhD endeavor took me to a conference in Vienna, I decided to mix business with pleasure and grabbed Freud’s narrative biography written by Irving Stone. Irving Stone is a... more

Kenrick has a very nice writing style and is quite self-deprecating in most of the anecdotes he presents. In his book Sex, Murder and the Meaning of Life , Kenrick talks about his years growing up in a tough neighborhood, his priorities in the different times of his life, and finally provides some advice based on his experience. His approach is to explain how and why humans behave in particular ways from an evolutionary psychologist’s perspective. However, this book was... more

Freud’s genius has left an indelible mark on the field of psychology. For decades, Freudian Psychoanalysis was the gold standard in psychotherapeutic treatment. However, the process of psychoanalytic psychotherapy can be costly and could keep the client in therapy for years as a regular couch attendant. As a result, the clients might attain the insights they seek to know about their inner enigmas which have engendered a subjective and perceived neurosis, and healing might ensue. Anthony Dugdale, a psychology instructor... more

Not by chance did I read the latest book by Zimbardo and Boyd, called The Time Paradox: The New Psychology of Time That Will Change Your Life shortly before Christmas. Doing so, I had two goals in mind. Firstly, I am establishing a custom of giving personal Christmas gifts, i.e. books that I like and specifically chose for someone in particular. Therefore, when Christmas approaches my books-to-read list is filled with titles that I have gathered throughout the year as... more

Malcolm Gladwell is a well-known journalist. His writing skills are extraordinary. Consequently, his book BLINK is well readable and describes the concepts Gladwell presents in a way that is easy to understand. I don’t think I would go too far by calling BLINK one of the grandmothers of modern popular scientific books that deal with psychological matters. The term blink refers to the blink of an eye, that is, to a very short moment that leaves no time for conscious... more

Is human suffering an inevitable manifestation of life, or is it a divine and sadistic test of human faith and will to survive? Are suffering and pain the great sanctifiers that cleanse the soul from impurities, or are they the masochistic and mandatory passages toward maturity, wisdom, and emancipation from the banalities of life? Unfortunately, human suffering is multifaceted and assumes many shapes. Whether it is physical, emotional or mental the ensuing results would be either an utter anger and... more