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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another fine book from Mr. Williams, July 20, 2005
This review is from: Are You Crazy?: 18 Scientific Quizzes to Test Yourself (Paperback)
Andrew N. Williams is an experimental psychologist with 20 years of experience conducting studies for academic, government, and private research firms. He has also written dozens of technical reports and journal articles, and is the author of "How Do You Compare?," a book I reviewed last year and to which I gave a positive review, considering it a worthy contribution to what some call "pop psychology." This particular category of literature, often unfairly dismissed by intellectual "purists" as "not fit for any but the simplest of minds," has always had a wide audience and, I suspect, even been read by those intellectuals who have been critical of it. The term "pop psychology" is, in my opinion, a perfectly appropriate name for this type of work which appeals, after all, to a popular audience (hence the designation as "pop") and ought to be considered in the same vein as "popular science," which not even active scientists have a problem with. As long as a work in "pop psychology" doesn't fall into the trap of "faddism" (and "How Do You Compare?" did not do so) no one should have a problem with it, including the professionals.
Now Williams has penned a new work entitled "Are You Crazy?: 18 scientific quizzes to test yourself" and he asked me to read and review his latest contribution to the genre of pop psychology. Again, this is not a book written for professional psychologists; it is a book written for the ordinary person who has an interest in psychology and, in this particular case, in "self-psychology"; that is, Williams is providing a means for the common Joe or Jane to ask and analyze questions and answers about a fundamental question that virtually everyone has asked himself or herself at some point in life: "Am I crazy?" If you have never raised that question about yourself, then, I submit, you may really need to read this book and take the tests!
As he did in his previous book, Williams takes a really serious subject and presents it in an entertaining way without doing insult to the seriousness of the matter at hand. He has culled questions from a variety of psychological tests and you are encouraged to answer these questions, score yourself, and analyze your responses based on certain criteria. These "quizzes" are generally "subjective" in nature, that is, they deal with what is called the "affective" domain rather than the "cognitive" domain of human existence. Strictly speaking, there are no "right answers," only "honest" or "dishonest" ones. On the great temple at Delphi in ancient Greece were inscribed the words "Know Thyself," probably the most basic imperative we as human beings need recognize and accept. So here is the opportunity to "know" something about yourself, not yourself in any comprehensive way, of course; that would involve a battery of tests taken over many days under professional supervision. Williams merely provides the opportunity to privately gain some insight into your "self," and make some evaluations regarding your current psychological status. Are you really crazy? Maybe -- or maybe not.
It should be pointed out that, while many of the quizzes are interesting and entertaining, some of the "tests" do have serious implications. For instance, Chapter 3, entitled "Consumed with passion: eating and drinking disorders," deals with some very significant physical and psychological problems, problems which can be life threatening. Your responses to the questions involving eating disorders or use of alcohol, for example, may make you aware of a problem you actually have and for which you should seek professional help. So this book, while it does have its lighter side, also has a serious one. While the tests included do not, of course, provide for in-depth diagnosis of any serious psychological problem, they may, on the other hand, provide an indication of an unrecognized problem for which one should seek help.
A lot of readers, I am sure, will be particularly interested in Chapter 4 which deals with "Sexual Peccadilloes." Since I read Havelock Ellis' "Psychology of Sex" many years ago, and which describes virtually every sexual behavior humanly possible, nothing in this chapter surprised me and I admittedly glossed over it. I was far more interested in his chapter on fears and phobias. Here I learned some new things. For instance, I had never heard of "hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia," which I suspect is a rather uncommon type of phobia. Live and learn, as I like to recommend to myself and others. Oh, you may be asking, what is the nature of that phobia I just mentioned? Well, you'll just have to read the book to find out. There are many other unusual phobias also on the list that Williams provides. Maybe you suffer from one or more of them. (As far as I know, I only suffer from two phobias and they are not listed; they also don't interfere with my life -- fortunately.)
There are many interesting anecdotes in "Are You Crazy?," and I'm sure most readers will be fascinated by stories about people who have, to say the least, rather odd proclivities. Such as those who lie about deaths in the family in order to collect sympathy cards. Or those who crave dirt and eat it by the handful. Or, worse, those who feel the need to amputate an arm or a leg in order to feel good about themselves. Many of the behaviors discussed in Williams' book may simply be described as "quirky." Others do border on the truly "crazy." Some are basically harmless. But some are deadly serious. Regardless of the category that any human behavior may be assigned to, every reader of this work will learn something about human behavior in general, and something about his or her psychological life in particular. Furthermore, every reader will probably gain some insights into the behaviors of individual friends and members of the family. I don't hesitate in recommending Williams' new contribution to all readers who take themselves and their life seriously.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Helpful Reality Check, July 16, 2005
This review is from: Are You Crazy?: 18 Scientific Quizzes to Test Yourself (Paperback)
Having read and reviewed Williams' previous book, "How Do You Compare?," I was excited to discover this author had written another self-examination guide. While the world is just seething with insanity, our natural tendency is to have a "I'm OK, you are crazy" view of things. Some people are not as crazy as we think they are, we are not necessarily as sane as we think we are, and some of the quirks we are embarrassed about are not as whacky as we think.
An honest reader of "Are You Crazy?" will get a helpful reality check. For most of us, reading the text and doing the self-tests will help us affirm that we are OK after all. Probably for many more of us, this book will help us be more accepting of other people and their behavior. And for some, this book will be a lifeline--by identifying that something is wrong after all. Of course, the value of the tests rests squarely on the honesty of the person taking them. Those who are in denial probably need more help than this book can provide. But for most folks, it will prove to be a very good use of their time.
"Are You Crazy?" does include some Anglo-Saxon vernacular, which some folks may find offensive. But for those who "venture outside the monastery," the language is descriptive and appropriate.
What is in "Are You Crazy?"? This book consists of eight chapters. The first chapter focuses on the reader--with tests on narcissism, negativity, and shyness. The second chapter focuses on the reader's relationships with others--with tests on security, jealousy, and manipulative behavior.
The third chapter focuses on eating and drinking disorders. Interestingly, eating and drinking disorders are "normal" in the USA (which is why we have an obesity epidemic and a diabetes epidemic). People without these disorders are actually oddballs! The drinking disorder part is referring to alcohol only, not to other beverages. So, for example, if you drink "osteoporosis in a can," this book won't identify that as crazy behavior--even though it is. Nor does it go to the very core of the dieting vs. eating right "debate." But it does touch on that.
The next four chapters delve into darker areas. These include se*ual peccadilloes, phobias, weird stuff, and really weird stuff.
The book closes by wrapping all of this up in Chapter Eight. Now that you've looked at all of these things, what do they mean? What is the big picture, and how does it relate to you?
If you want to break out of self-defeating delusion--what I think of as being perpetually asleep--(you may not even be aware you are in it) add this book to your collection. The movie "The Matrix" was a big hit, primarily because it reflected the fact our world as we perceive it is not at all our world as it is. And that is very dangerous. I think most people are actually scared of the truth, because with truth comes responsibility. But no ostrich has ever escaped the hunter by sticking its head in the sand.
You may have heard the expression, "The truth shall set you free." If you believe that expression has any validity, then this book is a "must read" for you. If, on the other hand, you don't mind sand in your ears--then you should probably buy this book only as a gift to someone else.
A note on style and composition: Form is important, as it dictates readability. Fortunately, this book actually uses Standard Written English (SWE)--with only a few grammatical gaffes here and there. In an age where most "authors" seem oblivious to basic writing, this book stands out as one where the author actually cares about communicating to the reader. Given the subject matter, Williams'consideration for the reader is a crucial plus.
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