Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You

(Paperback, Main)

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Description

Does what's in your bathroom or on your desk reveal what's on your mind Is your choice of food or the way you sleep about to give you away And why do handshakes display how outgoing we are more than our bedrooms For ten years Sam Gosling has been studying how people project (and protect) their inner selves, and how we form impressions of others. One of the world's most ingenious researchers, he dispatches teams of scientific snoops to poke around in people's homes and offices, and discovers that our possessions and daily lives can unexpectedly say more about us, often when the information is cleverly combined, than our most intimate conversations. Once you know what to look for, you can see how reliable a new boyfriend is by peeking into his medicine cabinet or whether an employee is committed to her job by analysing her desk. The bottom line: the insights we gain can boost our understanding of ourselves and sharpen our perceptions of others. Packed with original research and fascinating stories, Snoop is a captivating guidebook to our not-so-secret lives.

Reviews

Charming and well written ... [a] readable and practical guide to understanding the people around you. * New Scientist *
Sam Gosling is an engaging writer, a brilliant psychologist, and a charming individual, and he must never, ever be allowed inside my office! * Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Bonk *
A must-read for anyone who wants to learn about the cutting edge of psychological research. * Eric Abrahamson, co-author of A Perfect Mess *
Gosling's conclusions are supported by rigorous academic research, but his engaging book is aimed at a popular audience...Snoop's conceit makes for an entertaining tour of how people project their inner selves outward into the world. This may seem like just common sense, but it's not. * The Washington Post *
Snoopology is a science with a right way and wrong way of doing it...I was blithely going about it entirely the wrong way. A fascinating book. -- Lucy Kellaway * Financial Times *
Accessibly written, Snoop captures the prevailing mood for decoding symbols -- Alastair Mabbott * The Glasgow Herald *
He wades through different stereotypes and professional backgrounds in his quest to profile people and their idiosyncracies, emerging with an entertaining and illuminating offering - even if you wouldn't realyl want to be in his researching shoes. -- None credited * Sunday Buiness Post *
Gosling's book might just make you change the way you see your world and the people in it. -- N/A * Psychologies *

Author Bio

British-born Sam Gosling studied at Leeds University and is now associate professor of psychology at the University of Texas in Austin, where he lives. He has been profiled in the New York Times and other magazines and this is his first book.