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BOOK REVIEW Are You Crazy?: 18 scientific quizzes to test yourself by Andrew N. Williams Perigee - July 2005
Reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty
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' Studies in the 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. Are You Crazy?: 18 scientific quizzes to test yourself, by Andrew N. Williams |
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Enrich Your Life With a Philosophy Book... |
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