Psych

The Story of the Human Mind

By: Paul Bloom

Narrated by: Graham Halstead

Length: 15 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

A compelling and accessible new perspective on the modern science of psychology, based on one of Yale’s most popular courses of all time

How does the brain—a three-pound wrinkly mass—give rise to intelligence and conscious experience? Was Freud right that we are all plagued by forbidden sexual desires? What is the function of emotions such as disgust, gratitude, and shame? Renowned psychologist Paul Bloom answers these questions and many more in Psych, his riveting new book about the science of the mind.

Psych is an expert and passionate guide to the most intimate aspects of our nature, serving up the equivalent of a serious university course while being funny, engaging, and full of memorable anecdotes. But Psych is much more than a comprehensive overview of the field of psychology. Bloom reveals what psychology can tell us about the most pressing moral and political issues of our time—including belief in conspiracy theories, the role of genes in explaining human differences, and the nature of prejudice and hatred.

Bloom also shows how psychology can give us practical insights into important issues—from the treatment of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety to the best way to lead happy and fulfilling lives. Psych is an engrossing guide to the most important topic there is: it is the story of us.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Paul Bloom (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Excellent book

The narration was well done. The author explains the psychology terms well. I don’t agree with him on everything but as he makes clear…that’s ok.
Well worth your time

amazing

informative, up to date, courageous, what a wonderful book about psychology and psychiatry, paul bloom summarizes pinker, kahneman, gilbert, skinner, freud and more

Excellent!

Wonderful book! Like always Paul Bloom shines in his work. Delightful and so interesting! Thank you!

Classic psych 101 class

This book is a complete psychology 101 class. Literally the same I took in college years ago. It's a great overview of the field and I think it's the best introduction to psychology overall.

That said, it has its flaws (Overemphasizing the importance of genetics in behavior, too much time on old psychology like Freud, old social psychology and old behaviorism when the research moved on long ago and it's not covered. For example nothing is mentioned about the modern contextual science continues Skinner's radical behaviorism and the therapy methods derived from it like ACT, DBT among others are the most popular methods right now.)

It has it's strengths also like I said. It does a good job being an overview of psychology, a field that is divided in many pieces like social psychology, clinical psychology, industrial/organizational psychology etc...It's impossible to cover everything going on in psychology so I will give it a pass.

Beautiful

Thanks for a wonderful insight into the world of psychology. You can come to my house anytime!

Informative and relaxing

I enjoyed it. it was something I could relax to in the car while also learn. 

good read

Was looking for a good up to date book and this was it. Covers a lot of subjects and also has a podcast that goes chapter by chapter. I will listen to this again and buy the book. Great book for new and seasons psychology enthusiasts.

Great overview of human condition

Very interesting with the accompanying podcast. I could have used a bit more exposition on neurophenomenological explanations of the brain and consciousness but this is based on an undergraduate survey course. So glad that Dr. Bloom takes this on! Maybe we can get an update in a few years.

Great overview

This book is clear, concise, and engaging. It weaves together the history, major research, and a yr current best understanding of the human mind. I especially appreciated the author’s humility in what we know and don’t know and his acknowledgment of the limitations of some research that focuses a narrow band of humans. The book does a great job of balancing skepticism with current ideas about the mind. Also a terrific job explaining the complex and interesting roles of genes and environment.

Excellent book!

“Psych” is an insightful and well-written book that provides a comprehensive overview of the field of psychology.

Bloom is a gifted writer, and he has a knack for explaining complex psychological concepts in a clear and engaging way. He also has a dry sense of humor, which helps to keep the book from becoming too heavy.

The audiobook is narrated by Graham Halstead, who does an excellent job of bringing Bloom's words to life. Halstead has a clear and expressive voice, and he is able to convey the humor and the seriousness of Bloom's writing.

I highly recommend “Psych” to anyone who is interested in learning more about the human mind. The book is informative, entertaining, and thought-provoking.

Additional comments for non-native English speakers:

I think this book is especially valuable for non-native English speakers. The book is written in a clear and concise style, and the narrator's pronunciation is very clear. I found that I was able to understand the book much better than I would have if I had read it in print.

If you are a non-native English speaker who is interested in learning more about psychology, I highly recommend this book. It is a great way to improve your English skills while also learning about a fascinating subject.