Rate this book

Quirk: Brain Science Makes Sense Of Your Peculiar Personality (2011)

by Hannah Holmes(Favorite Author)

3.6 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1400068401 (ISBN13: 9781400068401)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Random House

review 1: As someone with both a Master's degree in Psychology and someone who carries clinical diagnoses of both anxiety and depressive disorders, the first red flag for me was when the author referred to anxiety and depression as "personality disorders" in the introduction. I let it pass, though, assuming it was a rookie mistake made by someone who might be more of a biologist by trade. But when she got to the chapter about depression where she went off on a spiel about how she does not believe it to be a real mental illness, and makes a rant about how the entire DSM is total BS, I had to stop reading. (Note: I have some major issues with changes instituted in the current version, the DSM V, but I'm not one for throwing out the baby with the bath water.) Depression is a real menta... morel illness with a biological basis, and those of us who suffer from it have to deal with enough stigma already.At this point, I decided to look into what sort of background Holmes has. As it turns out, she has only obtained a BA in a field I could not find specified in my preliminary online research. She has a Bachelor of the Arts degree in something, but no Bachelor of Science degree. With her apparent focus on brain research in mice, I would have assumed her to be some sort of practicing biologist. My mistake. The fact that she is credited as a science commentator for the Discovery Channel gives me serious doubts about their vetting process. I would not trust any of what Holmes has to say in this book. There are plenty of worthier books on neuroscience, personality, and mental health that would be of more use to your valuable reading time.
review 2: An interesting introduction to the world of neuroscience as it relates to our perception of personalities (both human and animal). However, about half way through I found it to get quite redundant and boring. Hannah Holmes is not a neuroscientist, but a science writer, which is easy to tell as you read. Holmes has a tendency to sensationalize concepts and a habit of self diagnosing throughout the book which I found a little irritating. Overall a good introduction to one aspect of neuroscience for someone who has never delved into this subject before, but it reads more like a self help book or a personal memoir by a blogger than a source of scientific information. less

Download links for: Quirk: Brain Science Makes Sense of Your Peculiar Personality

Advertising