The Complete Idiot's Guide to Psychology, 3rd Edition [Mass Market Paperback]

Joni E. Johnston Psy.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 6, 2006 | Series: The Complete Idiot's Guide

This fascinating, straightforward guide to psychology shows you exactly why the mind matters. Clinical Psychologist Joni Johnston explains how your thoughts influence your disposition and affect your body, helping you develop a greater understanding of yourself and the people around you. The contents include a complete tour of the nervous system, thoughtful explanations of mental health issues and their treatments, and strategies on how to use positive psychology to make your life better.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

You're no idiot, of course. You know that id, ego, and superego aren't the names of characters in an intergalactic comic strip and that the Oedipus complex isn't a giant sports arena. But when it comes to understanding the ABCs of psychology, you draw a complete mental blank. Don't develop an inadequacy complex just yet! The Complete Idiot's Guide to Psychology is an easy-to-understand primer to a field that even today remains shrouded in mystery. In this Complete Idiot's Guide, you get: --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Joni E. Johnston, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist in Del Mar, California, and CEO of WorkRelationships, which helps companies build healthy work relationships. She writes a monthly column for LexisNexis and is a noted public speaker.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Alpha; 3 edition (June 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592575005
• ISBN-13: 978-1592575008
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #635,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Readability AND depth!, September 13, 2006

By 

H. Grove "Errant Dreams Reviews" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Psychology, 3rd Edition (Mass Market Paperback)

Psychology is a broad and complex subject and I was afraid any sort of overview meant for "the masses" would fall into one of two categories: too complex and dry to be considered appropriate for a Complete Idiot's Guide (CIG), or too superficial to be considered a decent overview. I was amazed to find that this book was neither. Instead of dumbing down or over-simplifying her topic, Dr. Johnston instead chose to make it interesting by writing with personality, wit, and style, illuminating her points with anecdotes and illustrative examples, and making her points relevant to everyday life. This book strikes a surprising balance between covering the theories and history of psychology and applying it to things everybody cares about.

Make no mistake--this isn't an afternoon's beach reading. It took me some time to get through this book because it's fat with information on everything from language development to schizophrenia. For anyone with an interest in studying psychology this book would make a fantastic introduction; I find it much easier to remember information about such figures as Jung and Freud when it's made relevant to modern and everyday affairs than when it's simply written as history. This book would also make a perfect resource for parents, as it delves quite a bit into how we develop as people, and how parents and childhood both do and don't influence us--including plenty of practical tips.

This book is also wonderful for pretty much anyone who could use some help coping with stress or figuring out how to deal with their troubles, or who wants to better understand a mental illness they suffer from. In particular it would be handy for folks who might not need the full help of a therapist but who could use some tips for healthier living, or people who want to know how to cope with a loved one's illness.

Whether you want an overview on the nature vs. nurture debate, the brain vs. mind delineation, issues of memory, emotions, motivation, stress, self-concepts, personality, or the difference between "normal" and "abnormal" behavior, it's covered in here--and it's covered in a fascinating and detailed manner.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Idiot's Guide to Psychology, June 20, 2004

By 

"kelbel288" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Psychology, 2E (Mass Market Paperback)

I am interested in psychology but I am only in 10th grade so I have had no formal training in psychology. I really liked this book because it gave me a quick overview of psychology without getting too technical. It was easy to read even for someone who does not know a lot about the subject. It gives an overview of every aspect of psychology and is a great book for anyone who is interested in psychology and just wants an overview.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent study guide for CLEP exam, December 6, 2004

By 

Paul Ammann (New Fairfield, CT United) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Psychology, 2E (Mass Market Paperback)

I took the Introduction to Psychology CLEP exam on Saturday, December 4th. This was the only book I used to study. Yes, the only book. The book is an excellent introduction to Psychology and provide a really good foundation. I would recommend reading it before taking Psychology 101.