Quirkology: The Curious Science of Everyday Lives | 
 enlarge | Author: Richard Wiseman
Publisher: Pan Books
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy New: £3.01
You Save: £4.98 (62%)
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Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 1193
Media: Paperback
Pages: 200
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 0330448110
EAN: 9780330448116
ASIN: 0330448110
Publication Date: April 4, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 The wonderful world of Quirk... July 29, 2008
Alice Fuller
Wiseman certainly chose the right title for this book - it is quirktastic! As he takes us on a journey through the bizarre, surreal and fascinating world of everyday phenomena, Wiseman justifies his position as Britain's (only) professor for the Public Understanding of Psychology many times over.
For the most part our writer effortlessly takes the mundane and presents a series of experiments which instantly reveal a wealth of curious insights into the more lighthearted side of the human condition. Of particular `quirk' were the sections devoted to superstition (why people would rather wear a jumped that was dropped in dog muck than was washed but had been worn by a mass murderer), jokes (why weasels are the funniest animal and K the most humorous of the alphabet letters) and kindness (which group of people are most likely to post a undelivered letter addressed to `Friends of the Nazi Party' and how to convince people to promote collectivism in their back gardens). Less exciting was his talk of names (p.136) and tallness (p.149) and their influence on people in society. Although mundane to me but quite possibly quirky to you...?
Overall a thoroughly entertaining book which, excluding the abovementioned sections, could only have been improved if Wiseman (who possesses a personality as quirky as his book) had popped out and read it aloud to me!
P.S I would have given this 4.5 stars had Amazon's little rigid system let me..
A quirky book filled with good pub ammo June 28, 2008
Green horn (England, UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is very easy to read and hard to put down. It answers all those questions that we all have but are afraid to ask because they are not deemed to be "clever" enough.
Buy this and then when the converstation is running dry just mention one of the numerous facts and quirks that you have learned. You will impress and enlighted those around you.
 Brilliant June 20, 2008
Mr. S. M. B. Ayres (Ipswich, UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A fantastic book, I was gripped from start to finish.
Richard Wiseman sums up a few of the subjects covered towards the end of the book that would prove great conversation at a dinner party. This does not disapoint.
The book is written so well it reads itself, and the humour is present throughout.
As a first psycology book, I found it left me wanting to read more about our curious Quirkological behaviours (and the ingenious ways scientists have found to expose them).
Good fun. May 13, 2008
susie (Hertfordshire)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is great fun; an easy to dip into, undemanding read.
Worth buying, if only to do the experiment to find out whether you are a good liar or not, or to read the world's funniest joke!
It did not get full marks from me because I found that, after a great start, it tails off towards the end.
Great science January 4, 2008
Alain Geenrits (Antwerp, Belgium)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Superb book by a great scholar. Applying science to every day life leads to some amazing discoveries. Fascinating insights into hauntings and ghosts and use of statistics to disprove astrology. And did you know the pace of life is really increasing ? That everyone the world over walks faster ?
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