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59 seconds
think a little change a lot
First published 2010 · 336 pages
A brisk, science-backed antidote to toxic positivity that offers bite-sized psychological hacks for everyday life.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like having a coffee with a brilliant, slightly cheeky psychology professor who wants to save you from wasting time on vision boards. It moves at a brisk, highly digestible clip, serving up bite-sized chapters that dismantle popular self-help myths before replacing them with quirky, evidence-based alternatives. The mood is relentlessly optimistic but grounded in pragmatism, replacing vague platitudes with concrete, minute-long exercises. Wiseman's prose is conversational and punchy, translating dense behavioral research into accessible, everyday language without losing the scientific rigor. It is an energizing, deeply practical read designed for busy skeptics and self-improvement enthusiasts who crave actionable life hacks over endless introspection, leaving you feeling instantly empowered to tweak your daily routines.
- Mood
- optimistic
- curious
- energizing
- Tone
- pragmatic
- enthusiastic
- myth-busting
- accessible
- wry
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- evidence-based self-improvement · debunking popular myths · behavioral nudges · practical psychology · rapid change
- The writing
- Clear, conversational, and punchy, translating academic research into easily digestible anecdotes and instructions.
- The arc
- Moves from skeptical curiosity about self-help tropes to an empowered, actionable sense of capability.
- Who it's for
- Busy professionals and self-improvement junkies who are tired of woo-woo platitudes and want quick, science-backed life hacks.
About the book
A psychologist and best-selling author gives us a myth-busting response to the self-help movement, with tips and tricks to improve your life that come straight from the scientific community.Richard Wiseman has been troubled by the realization that the self-help industry often promotes exercises that destroy motivation, damage relationships, and reduce creativity: the opposite of everything it promises. Now, in 59 Seconds, he fights back, bringing together the diverse scientific advice that can help you change your life in under a minute, and guides you toward becoming more decisive, more imaginative, more engaged, and altogether more happy.From mood to memory, persuasion to procrastination, resilience to relationships, Wiseman outlines the research supporting the new science of "rapid change" and, with clarity and infectious enthusiasm, describes how these quirky, sometimes counterintuitive techniques can be effortlessly incorporated into your everyday life. Or, as he likes to say: "Think a little, change a lot."From the Hardcover edition.
Description from Open Library.
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