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HOT READS FOR THE PRACTITIONER

Title: Do Yourself A Favor!

Competencies: self-development, managing self, achievement orientation, stress management

Who benefits: today’s post is strictly for those seeking personal development and enlightenment.

Consultant Usage: most consultants at any level could benefit from some personal/professional development

What’s it about? Today I want to review a college textbook extraordinaire. Where was this book when I went to college? The book is Social Psychology. It is reader friendly. It is not data-bloated, it is results oriented. It explains why “stuff happens” in ways you and I can readily understand. In some cases it offers paths of self-improvement if one is so oriented.

The book is so expensive that if you clicked on the link above and saw the price … well you probably aren’t reading this. A shame. Because first I am going to introduce you the first chapter (27 pages, worth the price alone). And then, if I have your interest, I will tell/sell you how to get it for FREE. And a whole lot more – FREE. It is my commercial, trying to sell you something for free, which even I can afford.

First, Chapter 1 of Social Psychology:

The author begins with this quote. If the quote isn’t appealing, stop now and come back next week: “Social psychology (is) the scientific study of how people think about, influence, and relate to each other.” Now if you already know all this stuff you are either very, very smart or suffer from “Hindsight bias, also known as the knew-it-all-along effect or creeping determinism. “(It) is the inclination to see events that have already occurred as being more predictable than they were before they took place.” See, I have already learned that I am a “know-it-all”! Not that there is anything wrong with that. I think that I can achieve 100% accuracy if in the future I make all of my predictions after the outcomes are known.

The first chapter is also known as the “Big Ideas” chapter. The focus is on these four statements:

1. How we construe our social world.

2. How our social intuitions guide us, and sometimes deceive us.

3. How our social behavior is shaped by other people, by our attitudes and personalities, and by our biology.

4. How social psychology applies to our everyday lives and to various other fields of study.

Now I grant you that I haven’t given you much to work with so far. You have a definition and four “Big Ideas”. But if you like those topics, I can promise you a fascinating journey. Chapter 1 is one of the most interesting and most readable books (chapters) I have ever read. Each paragraph invites you to continue. The layout is beautiful. The occasional cartoon is hilarious. And every page has at least one take-a-way.

Now here are two facts and my commercial. Fact #1, the book is 768 pages in length (but oh those first 27 pages are so tantalizing). Fact #2, in hardcover the book costs $160.46 (but with free shipping). My commercial – but the salient parts of the book and a whole lot more can be yours for FREE. Yes FREE my friend. All you have to do is …

Join with me by taking the free online course Social Psychology from Wesleyan University. The course hasn’t officially begun yet but the professor has made the first week available for those who want a head start.

The course professor is different from the book author. But they both know how to hold a reader/watcher. The first week videos are fascinating, fun, filled with interesting insights. First week topics include “The Psychological Construction of Reality”; “Confirmation Bias”; “Self-Fulfilling Prophecies”; “Social Judgments in a Blink of an Eye”; and “What Other People Think of You”.

In addition to the excellent first chapter from the book described above there is a second (free) reading Not To Miss – “On Being Sane in Insane Places”.

But wait, there is more (doesn’t every infomercial say that?) The course also introduces students a wonderful website called The Social Psychology Network. I spent 15 minutes exploring the site and haven’t explored all the wonderful resources available. Most of it can be used for free, even if you don’t join. Sign-up for the course and you can use the whole thing for free even if you don’t watch a single video.

Personal note to loyal readers Joy, Lee, Anita and those of you who devote your lives to issues of diversity, please go to the website and on the left hand side click on “Social Psychology Topics”. The first list to come up could be an invaluable resource to you in your noble work. Let me know what you think.

Folks it is all absolutely fabulous, excellent, exciting and it is FREE, FREE, FREE. And this post comes with a 100% money back guarantee!

Catch you later.

Bill Bradley

Bill Bradley (mostly) retired after 35 years in organizational consulting, training and management development. During those years he worked internally with seven organizations and trained and consulted externally with more than 90 large and small businesses, government agencies, hospitals and schools.