New and noteworthy books – November 2021
Hi everyone! My name is Sander Sprik. I am the subject specialist for psychology at the university library.
I worked at the Heymans Institute for many years in the faculty library. But when the BSS library became part of the university library in 2017, the library staff moved to the university library as well. So we are less visible now, but we are still here!
As subject specialist, one of my tasks is to keep our psychology collection up-to-date and to make sure that important psychological resources are available and working properly. Staff and students can also use me as contact person for all library-related questions, so don’t hesitate to contact me.
From now on, I will periodically present an overview of new psychology books and other resources that have become available in the library collection. And if you want to suggest a title for acquisition by the library, or if you think that a certain topic is underrepresented in the library collection, just let me know. Feedback is also very welcome!
Here is the first selection of interesting new titles that became available in the UG’s library collection recently:
How to talk to a science denier: Conversations with flat earthers, climate deniers, and others who defy reason – Lee McIntyre (link)
It is obvious why this book is important: science denial seems to everywhere these days. This book presents tools and techniques to talk to and maybe even convince science deniers. McIntyre’s main advice: talk to science deniers calmly and respectfully, meet them face to face.
Dark persuasion: A history of brainwashing from Pavlov to social media – Joel E. Dimsdale (link)
Can minds be controlled, is brainwashing possible? Scientists (mostly employed by governments and agencies like the CIA) have certainly tried to make it work, this book presents a fascinating overview of their attempts.
An internet in your head: A new paradigm for how the brain works – Daniel Graham (link)
Many metaphors have been used to describe how the brain works, with the brain as computer probably being the most common one. In this book neuroscientist Daniel Graham argues that the brain can best be seen as a communication system, like the internet.
Conscious mind, resonant brain: How each brain makes a mind – Stephen Grossberg (link)
How can a brain give rise to a mind? How does the nervous system generate our conscious experience? In this comprehensive and wide-ranging book Stephen Grossberg presents a unified theory from a neurocomputational perspective, explaining how neural circuits generate psychological functions and phenomena, like sensation, perception, cognition, emotions and mental disorders.
Handbook of medical hallucinogens – Charles S. Grob & James Grigsby (eds.) (link)
Psychedelics are making a comeback in therapeutic settings, as experiments with microdosing MDMA (ecstasy), LSD or psilocybin to patients with conditions like PTSD or depression illustrate. This book gives a state-of-the-art overview.
Trial subscription: Very Short Introductions series online (link)
The library now offers trial access to the full series of Very Short Introductions from Oxford University Press. This series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects, including many psychology-related topics (e.g. creativity, memory, anxiety, forensic psychology, perception). Our trial access lasts until December 31. Please take a look and let me know what you think. (Should we retain access to this series?)
Also of interest:
* How social science got better: Overcoming bias with more evidence, diversity, and self-reflection – Matt Grossman (link)
* Science denial: Why it happens and what to do about it – Gale M. Sinatra & Barbara K. Hofer (link)
* Black boxes: How science turns ignorance into knowledge – Marco J. Nathan (link)
* Apathy: Clinical and neuroscientific perspectives from neurology and psychiatry – André Aleman & Krista Lanctôt (eds.) (link)
* Connections: A story of human feeling – Karl Deisseroth (link)
* Brainscapes: The warped, wondrous maps written in your brain – And how they guide you – Rebecca Schwarzlose (link)
* Reading our minds: The rise of Big Data psychiatry – Daniel Barron (link)
* Technological addictions – Petros Levounis & James Sherer (eds.) (link)
* What are the chances? Why we believe in luck – Barbara Blatchley (link)
* The genetic lottery: Why DNA matters for social equality – Kathryn Page Harden (link)
* Subconsciousness: Automatic behavior and the brain – Yves Agid (link)
Sander is the subject specialist for psychology at the main university library.
