Richard Wiseman

Presents unusual aspects of human behavior as revealed in psychological experiments, examining such issues as how jokes are evaluated as being funny, what makes people willing to help those in need, and what makes some personal ads more successful than ot

How We Discover the Big Truths in Small Things

Quirkology

For over twenty years, psychologist Richard Wiseman has examined the quirky science of everyday life. In Quirkology, he navigates the oddities of human behavior, explaining the tell-tale signs that give away a liar, the secret science behind speed-dating and personal ads, and what a person's sense of humor reveals about the innermost workings of his or her mind—all along paying tribute to others who have carried out similarly weird and wonderful work. Wiseman's research has involved secretly observing people as they go about their daily business, conducting unusual experiments in art exhibitions and music concerts, and even staging fake séances in allegedly haunted buildings. With thousands of research subjects from all over the world, including enamored couples, unwitting pedestrians, and guileless dinner guests, Wiseman presents a fun, clever, and unexpected picture of the human mind.

Quirkology How We Discover the Big Truths in Small Things