Sophistication by W.M. Bernstein
This unique book brings together serious neuroscience and seriously deadpan humor, resulting in an opus that can best be described as Sigmund Freud meets Dave Barry meets Malcom Gladwell amateur science—minus the amateur part.
Sophistication suggests how readers can become more competent thinkers, able to interpret complex issues and make better decisions in all aspects of life.
Four states of mind, which if chronic become your personality are described: shmo, schmuck, schadenfreudist, and sophisticate. The goal, for anyone hoping to get ahead in life, is to become a sophisticate—and learning how is a real trip!
The book lampoons the self-help genre itself (Dale Carnegie’s famous advice boils down to influencing people by using their name a lot and wearing a hat); Major League Baseball (it’s an orthodox religion); and Vladimir Putin (Stalin Lite).
Sophistication offers keen insights into the biological, psychological, and sociological causes of behavior that could help you achieve success—or not. Either way, this book takes you on a fascinating foray into the inner workings of the human mind.
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Author Bio:
William Bernstein PhD is a writer and medical psychologist. He is the author of a ‘Basic Theory of Neuropsychoanalysis’, ‘The Realization of Concepts’, and ‘Sophistication’.
He attended Tufts University (BS Biology); University of Texas at Austin (PhD Social Psychology); Columbia University (Postdoc in Social and Organizational Psychology and Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology); Harvard Medical School (Graduate, ‘Center for Psychoanalytic Studies. Massachusetts General Hospital).