Psychology / Sociology

[waynehead83]

Recently read Timothy Leary, Aldous Huxley - The Doors of perception, Jim Morrison - Life Death Legend, sex Drugs and cocoa pops (about how we are all influenced by the media) . Was wondering if anyone can suggest any books I might find interesting, doesn't have to involve drugs lol. Just written by someone who sees things differently and how we are all influenced by tradition, steriotypes and the media (an outside thinker). Thanks, Wayne

[Books do furnish a room]

Try "The Electric Kool-aid Acid Test" by Tom Wolfe or possibly anything by Ken Kesey. There are plenty more and I will have a think.

Edited February 18, 2011 by Books do furnish a room

[waynehead83]

Try "The Electric Kool-aid Acid Test" by Tom Wolfe or possibly anything by Ken Kesey. There are plenty more and I will have a think.

 

Thanks very much will have a look now on Amazon. May I suggest The Damage Done if you're into prison books. The best and most horrific true life account I have ever read

[Kylie]

Anything by Hunter S Thompson, probably starting with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. You might also like Jack Kerouac's On the Road.

[aviv chadash]

Noam Chomsky - Manufacturing Consent.

I really want to read this but my list is very long at the moment.

Chomsky cites evidence to support his views and so you can also look in to the evidence yourself and make up your own mind; however, I do not know if there is a reference list in this book.

I wouldn't say he is necessarily unorthodox in his views, however, but you might like it.

Just a suggestion.

Aviv.

[waynehead83]

Thanks very much for all the suggestions, I've read all of Hunter S. Thomsons stuff though. I will check the others out

[Lumo]

Reckoning with Risk: Learning to Live with Uncertainty (Gerd Gigerenzer) is a good read about statistics and the way they are misperceived by the public and miscommunicated by doctors (many who don't understand them themselves) and lawyers. It's a bit repetitive in places, but nonetheless quite interesting.

 

"Out of it: A Cultural History of Intoxication" (Stuart Walton) is supposed to be a good read about drugs and the way they are perceived and misperceived by different cultures and societies. I have not read it all, but have flicked through it from time to time.

[Lucybird]

The Lucifer Effect- Phillip Zimbardo. It's about how our social roles can effect our actions and talks about a mock prison experiment, it's a bit scary that it's true but it's one of my must read books (there is a review on my blog)

[Lumo]

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks is also an interesting read.

[waynehead83]

Thanks for all your suggestions I will check these out

[bold]

Did you read Blink by Malcom Gladwell ... I loved it, specially the first pages, then it gets repetitive… it shows how our brains can process the data stored from our experiences faster than we think... It is all about snap judgment backed up by proper info in our brains...