This is the first of several book reviews I will be doing for my column, which is of course focused on issues affecting business owners. So, then, what’s a nice book about psychology doing on a blog like this? Well, take a seat on the couch, and I’ll tell you.
It’s a small world when it comes to blogging, and in the course of blogging on The Retirement Plan Blog, I came across the British Psychological Society's Research Digest Blog, which is written and edited by Christian Jarrett. I’vereferenced several of its studies on our blog. (See "One More Reason to Consider A Commuter Transit Benefit", "ERISA. It's Not Elementary", and "What We’ve Got Here Is Failure To Communicate".)
So when I learned that Christian and his American co-author, Joannah Ginsburg, published a book, I was eager to see whether it was as interesting and as helpful as the BPS blog. The answer is a resounding yes.
Here’s how the publisher describes it:
This Book Has Issues delves deep into the human consciousness and casts light onto the reasons why we think, feel, and act the way we do. Packed with illuminating real-life examples, introductions to groundbreaking psychologists, and plenty of experiments and tests to unveil the way your own mind works, This Book Has Issues has the power not just to intrigue and entertain, but also to change the way you think.
Divided into eight fascinating chapters, This Book Has Issues covers everything from the real reasons we fall in love to the science behind a good night’s sleep. From extreme disorders to the truth behind the ways we live our everyday lives, This Book Has Issues takes you on a journey through the amazing landscape of the mind.
That’s from the marketing department. So let me translate it from “popular psychology” into “business owner psychology”. The success of our businesses depends on the performance of our employees (including ourselves) and how we can satisfy the needs and expectations of our clients and customers. In other words, the human factor drives the organization’s performance.
So in that context, if you want to:
* Learn how our brains can sometimes make mistakes
* Get tips to boost your memory abilities
* How to look at problems some people have with language and counting
* Challenge your basic ideas on behavior and communication
* Get the latest research on relationship, leadership, and brainstorming
* Get to know yourself better using a range of tests
* Learn how to deal better with stress
* Learn how to get better sleep
then This Book Has Issues is for you.
Christian’s and Joannah’s book is available in the U.S. from Barnes and Noble and in the U.K from Amazon U.K.
Jerry Kalish is founder and President of National Benefit Services, Inc., a Chicago-based employee benefit consulting and administrative firm that serves private-held companies, publicly traded companies, and public sector employers. He blogs at The Retirement Plan Blog and can be reached at jerry@nationalbenefit.com.
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