All Reviews
Reviews are listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent review appearing first in the list.
The Guise of Another
The Guise of Another is an unpleasant story that nevertheless keeps the reader’s attention. It is full of gratuitous violence and some sex. The…
The Measure of Madness
In a photo taken in 1856, the painter Richard Dadd is sho…
The Memory of Light
Young adult fiction is often at its best when it offers us a window into the psychological perspective of a particular character. Novels in this gen…
The Nurses
In The Nurses, Alexandra Robbins promises to tell “what it is really like to be a nurse” with this disguised narrative of four nurses in an unna…
The Philosophy of Living
In his excellent book, The Philosophy of Living, François Jullien gives us another in depth meditation on Eastern philosophy that offers…
The Pornography Industry
Tarrant’s primer on porn, The Pornography Industry, addresses some basic and some more complex issues. It’s a fairly short book with 10 chapters…
The Trolley Problem Mysteries
Philippa Foot, in her famous article, “The problem of Abortion and the Doctrine of the Double Effect,” (Philippa Foot, “The Problem of Abortion and Doctr…
Under the Influence
Maynard’s story set in California is told by Helen. She is a divorced mother of a young boy. She lost custody of her son because of an incident involving…
Understanding Grief
With Understanding Grief: An Introduction, Richard Gross aims to provide an accessible and comprehensive introduction to the major models o…
A Child of One’s Own
This is a fascinating book. Rachel Bowlby’s background is in comparative literature, and sh…
A Monster Calls
Conor and his mother live in a cozy house before a church with a graveyard and a yew tree. He’s been having the same nightmare repeatedly: powerless, han…
A Natural History of Human Morality
It is hard to explain how human morality has evolved. Explanations regarding evolutionary self-interest seem to explain away the phenomenon, rather than…
Adolescence and Body Image
Adolescence and Body Image: From Development to Preventing Dissatisfaction by Lina A. Riccardelli and Zali Yager discusses how adolescence body…
Children of the Aging Self-Absorbed
Children of the Aging Self-Absorbed: A Guide to Coping with Difficult, Narcissistic Parents and Grandparents is a book for adult children who ar…
Fast Girl
Fast Girl is the memoir of Suzy Favor Hamilton, from her childhood to her current married life. She is known for her accomplishments as a runner…
Fine Lines
A good many times I have been present at gatherings of people who, by the standards of the traditional culture, are thought highly educated and…
Handbook of Critical Psychology
What is critical psychology and how is it important for our lives? Can we even define it? Should we abandon psychology in favor of critical psychology? H…
How to Grow Old
First, this is a beautiful little book. It looks serious but accessible, important but human sized. Second, Freeman presents the reader with Cicero’s “an…
Let’s Talk About Death
Let’s Talk About Death: Asking the Questions that Profoundly Change the Way We Live and Die by Steve Gordon and Irene Kacandes is a series of em…
Minds, Brains, and Law
In Minds, Brains, and Law: The conceptual foundations of law and neuroscience, Michael S. Pardo and Dennis Patterson explore scholarly knowledge…
NeuroLogic
NeuroLogic: The Brain’s Hidden Rationale Behind Our Irrational Behavior is a foray into the world of neuroscience directed towards the layperson…
Not So Abnormal Psychology
In Not so abnormal psychology: A pragmatic view of mental illness, Ronald B. Miller offers a critical review of the field of abnormal psychology…
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Philosophy and Science Fiction
Science fiction (SF) portrays counterfactual realities, possible worlds, alternate histories. Yet, it tries to explore scenarios which, as far as we know…
Self-Knowledge and Self-Deception
Why do I suffer? In asking and answering this question, I may be mistaken with respect to the reasons for my suffering–for example, due to lack…
Symptoms of Being Human
Riley is 16 and they have just changed high schools because they were getting bullied at their old private school. Now they are starting public school an…