kickerdad - , reviewed on 4/16/2012 + 116 more book reviews

Finished Vital Lies,Simple Truths: The Psychology of Self-Deception by Daniel Goleman over the weekend. While probably the least exciting book I have read recently - it reminded me quite a bit of my psychology texts from college - the content held enough allure to pull me through it. Even with my prior expsoure to many of the concepts, and considering that much of the thinking is dated (published 1986), there were enough nuggests to ponder, particularly regarding the topic of groupthink.

In my opinion, this book presents a challenge, somewhat, to read. If you have any level of background in cognitive or developmental psychology, I think you will find yourself nodding your head, confirming that you've heard this before,and keep turning the page in hopes of find something new. The text serves as a good reminder of things you may have forgotten, or at least hadn't thought about in awhile. For those who don't have any background in the subject, portions of the text get technical and while Mr. Goleman attempts to explain things, the subject is so large there can't help but to have loose ends dangling.

Overall, a worthwhile read - my recommendation: don't get caught up in the details but stay focused on the main concepts.

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