Psychology – Page 2 – Scott J. Pearson’s Book Review

The Motivation to Work by Frederick Herzberg

By Scott J. Pearson | October 14, 2023October 20, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

This classic study from 1959 describes, better than everyone else why modern men work beyond economic subsistence. Because it focuses only on men, it’s limited in a gender-diverse workplace, but because it studies two diverse occupations – accountants and engineers – it remains fairly generalizable. It concludes that the main reason people dislike their workplace is mismanaged environmental factors. But it also concludes that managing environmental factors properly does not positively motivate people to work.…

A Theory of Human Motivation

By Scott J. Pearson | October 11, 2023October 12, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

This foundational 1943 paper about human motivation and work deserves to be read in its original form, accessible here. Many textbooks provide a good summary of AH Maslow’s theory of human motivation around needs, but Maslow’s original work describes a more complex picture. For example, he does not describe a linear progression as lower needs become met. Instead, he paints a picture where multiple motivations often play off each other, where higher motives mingle with…

Biography-Memoir Management-Business Psychology Research-Education

Connecting with the Autism Spectrum: How to Talk, How to Listen & Why You Shouldn’t Call It High-Functioning

By Scott J. Pearson | October 10, 2023October 20, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

In recent years, a new genre of book has emerged from those with autism. These books explain to the general public how to deal with autistic folk, specifically themselves, better. After decades of mistreatment, this group seeks to raise their voice for better social conditions. I’m not exactly sure how to classify these books because they’re half-memoir, half-psychology. They aren’t exactly rigorous science, but they are very reality-based. To this list, Casey “Remrov” Vormer adds…

Leadership Management-Business Psychology

You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing & Why It Matters

By Scott J. Pearson | October 7, 2023September 24, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

Listening is an often-overlooked skill in today’s society heavily geared around marketing and self-expression. It involves asking probing questions and interpreting each word, expression, and pause that a speaker makes. It’s critical for jobs in journalism, intelligence, leadership, and social work. In this book, journalist Kate Murphy explores how listening works and how you can make better use of its science. For source material, Murphy interviewed hundreds of people from all walks of life along…

Psychology

Running on Empty: Overcome Your Childhood Emotional Neglect

By Scott J. Pearson | September 24, 2023September 25, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Much attention of psychologists around neglect focuses on physical neglect. Likewise, in academic literature, the word “neglect” is used in tandem to form the phrase “emotional abuse and neglect.” However, as noted by the author, emotional neglect by itself is not directly discussed much (at all?) in the academic literature. Perhaps this occurs because of it is a diagnosis of omission – that is, it’s something that doesn’t happen with significant results. In this self-help…

Management-Business Psychology

The Art of Attack: Attacker Mindset for Security Professionals

By Scott J. Pearson | September 18, 2023September 18, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Today, when most people hear “security,” they think of protection against hackers on the Internet. Indeed, the explosion of information available online has exposed an almost infinite number of vulnerabilities. However, many forget that every vulnerability starts with a human actor. Understanding that attacker’s psychology, therefore, provides a paramount route of defense. In this book, Maxie Reynolds, a security analyst, seeks to teach readers how to master the attacker mindset so that they can anticipate…

Biography-Memoir Indie Psychology

Oh, By the Way, I Have a Mental Illness

By Scott J. Pearson | August 27, 2023August 27, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Those newly diagnosed with a mental illness usually face a bleak time. While a diagnosis is infinitely better than uncontrolled mental illness, sources of hope to overcome challenges can be few and far between. Many rightly focus on learning more about their psychological condition. Reestablishing your professional and personal lives, often wrecked by disease, becomes paramount. Some build on this knowledge and transition their career towards specializing in mental illness. However, few published stories are…

History Psychology

Fires in the Dark: Healing the Unquiet Mind

By Scott J. Pearson | August 25, 2023August 25, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Kay Redfield Jamison is a well-known psychotherapist at Johns Hopkins who herself famously suffers from bipolar disorder. In 1996, she wrote eloquently about her journey in An Unquiet Mind. In this book, she posits the idea that to be most effective, healers – the doctors, counselors, and leaders – need to be healed themselves. To support her argument, she provides life narratives of many such eminent people, with a focus on the early-to-mid twentieth century.…

Healthcare Psychology

Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health

By Scott J. Pearson | July 30, 2023October 20, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Attaining mental health from pervasive mental illness presents a contemporary challenge to the American healthcare system. Decades of progress in the basic science have not resulted in progress among outcomes, sadly. This reflects a broader observation that scientific advances have not been accompanied by necessary social advances. After a lifetime spent bettering patients’ lives as a psychiatrist and researcher, Thomas Insel here points the way to what an America with true mental health would look…

Family Psychology Research-Education

The Self-Driven Child: The Science & Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives

By Scott J. Pearson | July 8, 2023August 13, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Like many, I had parents who tried to engineer their lives for “success,” but paid no attention to my passions, interests, and approach to life. Firsthand, I’ve seen that parenting style’s folly and futility and want to take a different angle with my daughter and with other children I have influence over. Enter The Self-Driven Child. This book helped concretize abstract beliefs into a coherent philosophy. It distills basic child psychology into a workable format…