Quirkology: The Curious Science of Everyday LivesAudiobook review by Paul Fiander
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Quirkology: The Curious Science of Everyday Lives
Written by: Richard Wiseman Narrated by: Peter Noble Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins Publisher: Audible Studios |
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Why Should I Read Quirkology: The Curious Science of Everyday Lives?
Research into the real world can be a difficult area to understand, we hear of odd experiments being undertaken all the time but usually we only hear about the results. Quirkology reports on some rather obscure investigations into the working of normal things but helps the listener to understand why they can be important. Richard Wiseman is a “Quirkologist” and many of the anecdotes he gives refer to work he has completed. He also dives deeply into the history of Quirkology and gives some insight into many of the odd experiments you may have heard of in the past like the Prison study where students became guards and prisoners and those in power went a bit power mad, as well as gems about bumper stickers, losing post and waiting at green lights. The narration by Peter Noble is sharp with the hints of humour in the text coming through. |
Review
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Quirkology is a rather odd name for the science of everyday things but after listening to this book you can not help but to think it's a pretty perfect title. The idea that everything in life can be explained may not appeal to everyone but for me and hopefully you reading this review then it most assuredly is. The more we can learn about the world we live in and of course the people who we share the planet with the better and if this field of study just happens to wrapped up in a discipline full of creative thinking scientist with an eye for the obscure the more the better.
The author of the book is Professor Richard Wiseman is a Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology, he is also a magician, author and consultant on a few TV shows including Derren Brown shows and the Mentalist. So with this resume behind him you would expect an academic book that has the ability to reel in the masses and that is exactly what Quirkology delivers. His mix of wit and understanding of the topic allow him to use basicish language to make even complex studies feel like child's play. Admittedly he is not describing the search for the Higgs Boson or the makeup of DNA instead he is looking at the way things in the real world work and by real world I mean the world everyday world we live in. |
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Wiseman treats this book a s look into the history of Quirkology as well as a look at the current (at time of writing?) research in the subject as well as a look back at some of the highlights of his career, most notably in this last category is the hunt for the world’s funniest joke. The idea of looking for a funny joke is not one most would think of, not only that but once you had the idea how would you test for something as subjective as humour. The way Wiseman and his team dived into the subject is one of the highlights of the book and my only regret is that the study finished years ago and I was not able to take part. Still this kind of look at the way you can use the scientific method to investigate rather everyday phenomenon is the main thrust of the book and why it’s worth reading.
As Wiseman trawls through research related to Astrology Bumper stickers and Murderers he does so with with a rather pun filled humour that easily but a smile on my face. His writing style is flowing and many a popular science writer could learn from his style. The idea of making science accessible is one that is close to my heart and Wiseman is one of the finest proponents of this field. There is an idea that the best way to show you know a subject is to teach it, from this book you can tell the author knows Quirkology inside and out thanks to his ability to relay the information to the audience.
That’s the gushing over with, there aren't many issues with the book but one that may get under the skin of some readers is the sections related to our own superstitions. These sections look into ghosts, astrology and the idea of essence transference from a person to an object. Many of these quirks are common to many people but the ideas that underlie them an odd mixture of thought processes. However in the case of the Ghosts the section related to the subject actually give some evidence that there may be a reason you feel a chill running down your spine in certain places. I won’t spoil the reasons why suffice to say it’s actually related to the a technique the military once tried to exploit against enemy troops.
The cream on the top of the Audiobook is the narration by Peter Noble, he has read many of Wiseman’s books and he just seems to get the author's humour. This allows the jokes and puns to hit home at the right time and even raise a chuckle when reading out Wiseman’s chapter titles, which seem random but relate to the studies he is about to describe.
Overall this is a wonderful look at a rather obscure arm of research but it is also one that affects our lives more than many other. So if you want to know why your Surname may be holding you back or why you are lucky then this really is a book you should listen to without delay.
As Wiseman trawls through research related to Astrology Bumper stickers and Murderers he does so with with a rather pun filled humour that easily but a smile on my face. His writing style is flowing and many a popular science writer could learn from his style. The idea of making science accessible is one that is close to my heart and Wiseman is one of the finest proponents of this field. There is an idea that the best way to show you know a subject is to teach it, from this book you can tell the author knows Quirkology inside and out thanks to his ability to relay the information to the audience.
That’s the gushing over with, there aren't many issues with the book but one that may get under the skin of some readers is the sections related to our own superstitions. These sections look into ghosts, astrology and the idea of essence transference from a person to an object. Many of these quirks are common to many people but the ideas that underlie them an odd mixture of thought processes. However in the case of the Ghosts the section related to the subject actually give some evidence that there may be a reason you feel a chill running down your spine in certain places. I won’t spoil the reasons why suffice to say it’s actually related to the a technique the military once tried to exploit against enemy troops.
The cream on the top of the Audiobook is the narration by Peter Noble, he has read many of Wiseman’s books and he just seems to get the author's humour. This allows the jokes and puns to hit home at the right time and even raise a chuckle when reading out Wiseman’s chapter titles, which seem random but relate to the studies he is about to describe.
Overall this is a wonderful look at a rather obscure arm of research but it is also one that affects our lives more than many other. So if you want to know why your Surname may be holding you back or why you are lucky then this really is a book you should listen to without delay.
Review copy and Cover Image courtesy of Publisher
