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What Makes Us Tick?: The Ten Desires That Drive Us (2010)

by Hugh Mackay(Favorite Author)

3.68 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

073362507X (ISBN13: 9780733625077)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Hachette Australia

review 1: The book layout lots of facts and knowledge, well written and very easy to read. 'We dressed war up in stirring, inspiring stories of heroism and sacrifice, but there's a nasty story we don't often tell: we go to war because that's one of the things we want more of - why else do we maintain the world's armies and arsenals? Our desire for war is bound up with patriotic greed, economic greed, religious greed, territorial greed, delusions of grandeur, paranoia, insecurity, cultural identity and values, and with the dark, ignoble side of human nature - the side that wants to crush opponents rather than deal with them.''...but in the end, falling in love is a fall, and we have to land somewhere.'
review 2: Truth be told, I am a sucker for studies on social behaviour... mores. Complex and insecure, we have a tendency to think of ourselves as the most important person in the world, with problems and desires that are uniquely our own. In What Makes Us Tick? Mackay reveals that as a whole, we share ten ‘social’ desires that motivate our behavior and are linked to our sense of identity, relationship with people and place in the society. Interestingly, Mackay also offers explanations as to the motivation behind some of the uglier characteristics of our behaviour.'The darkest shadow cast by each of our desires is the wish to see that same desire frustrated in someone else…Refusing to acknowledge another person, for instance, is usually a shadow cast by our own unfulfilled desire to be taken seriously.' A longtime social researcher, Mackay’s conclusions revolve around studying small groups of people and observing their interaction with one another. Peppered throughout the book are quotes that add personal colour and life to each chapter. There is nothing new or earth shattering revealed here. Most readers will recognise these desires in themselves and in their daily interactions with others. But maybe that’s the point: maybe we’re not so different after all. The ten desires chronicled connect us and by recognizing and acknowledging them, we can learn to be a little kinder, more accepting and a little less self-possessed. 3.5 stars less

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