The Psychology of Joss Whedon: An Unauthorized Exploration of Buffy, Angel, and Firefly (Psychology of Popular Culture series) (Paperback)

~ Joy Davidson PhD (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Joss Whedon—creator of the wildly popular Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its spin-off Angel, the short-lived series Firefly, and the feature film it inspired, Serenity—takes a seat on the couch in this in-depth examination of the psychological gravity that has captivated his deeply devoted fan base. Whedon fans will enjoy a discussion of issues that are both funny and profound, from the significance of Angel’s mommy issues and the best way to conduct government experiments on vampires to what could drive a man to become a cannibalistic Reaver and the psychological impact of being one girl in all the world chosen to fight the forces of darkness.

About the Author

Joy Davidson, PhD, is a psychologist, certified sex therapist, and author who is a familiar expert guest on national television and radio, including Oprah, 20/20, CNN News, NPR, Prime Time Live, Entertainment Tonight, and Montel. She is the author of or contributor to 6 nonfiction books and the creator of multivolume self-help videos for women and couples. She is a well-known magazine and web advice columnist and appears frequently in publications such as Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Esquire, Redbook, and Men’s Health. She lives in New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Benbella Books (December 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933771259
• ISBN-13: 978-1933771250
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #135,958 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and informative, January 20, 2008

By	andriella (Toronto, ON, CA) - See all my reviews

This is the first book I have read in the Psychology and Popular Culture series, and I enjoyed it. Although I have taken a university psych course and had some background knowledge on the topics discussed, the book still would have been easy to understand if I hadn't.

The book covers mostly Firefly/Serenity and Buffy, although there are a few essays about Angel. The contributors do reference all seasons / episodes of the series, so this is a book that's best to read after you've watched all episodes (unless you want to be spoiled).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for the casual reader, May 26, 2009

By	K. Piñeiro "coldfallingrain" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you're not a psychology student/ scholar this is the book for you. It's interesting, informative and explains, in easy to understand words, the psychological terms it employs. So even if you've never taken a psych class you can still enjoy the book, and probably even learn a few things about your own psyche in the process.

Like the other reviewer said, I've seen essays referring to all seasons of Buffy and Angel, and every episode of Firefly. So it's definitely better if you have seen every episode before reading the book, just so it doesn't ruin watching the show for you.