David L. Weiner - Böcker

". . . get[s] to the bottom of why the human brain seems to propel us toward destructive behavior." - Dallas Morning NewsHow often have you heard that what distinguishes humans from other forms of advanced life is our superior brain? We can think rationally and make intelligent decisions; we are masters of ourselves and our world. But the fact is that the way we think and react can get us into trouble. We don't "use" our brain - it uses us! Understanding how our instincts, "gut reactions," emotions, and conditioning rule our lives is one powerful part of author David L. Weiner's Brain Tricks.Brain Tricks probes what Weiner calls the "dark side" of the brain - raw animal instincts rooted in our primitive past when survival, mating, and taming the environment required instant, uncritical, and wholly self-centered decision making. Though modified by early childhood conditioning, our primitive thought patterns continue to this day. Our brain ignores the rituals and rules of civilized society as we overreact to sudden situations, indulge in strong emotions and prejudice, and try to manipulate others. When we succumb to our dark side, "brain tricks" trouble is not far off. We alienate friends and lovers, quarrel with our bosses, become obsessed with possessions, commit murder, and start wars.In clear, easy to understand language, Weiner dramatizes "the genetic and conditioned programming that can lead us into chaos." Using well-developed vignettes featuring friends, lovers, business and professional associates, he provides an inviting vehicle for discussing our hard-to-resist tendencies to exert power over others, indulge in greed, succumb to jealousy and rage, and invent scapegoats to mask our own faults.

From the sexcapades of Bill Clinton to the unbelievable story of Hugh Grant and the prostitute; from the 15-year-old who weighs only 82 pounds but believes she's obese, to the professor who screams profanities at other drivers in snarled traffic--we wonder out loud, "What are they thinking?!" What drives so many apparently normal, intelligent people to act irrationally, harming themselves and others?According to Sigmund Freud, such behavior may be caused by the "id," our built-in mental invitation to everything from dangerous fun to horrendous acts of irrationality. For popular psychology writer David Weiner, "id" stands for "Inner Dummy," the part of the brain that we must come to understand if we are ever to know why we do foolish, irrational, and compulsive things. Drawing on the groundbreaking theories of evolutionary psychology, Battling the Inner Dummy localizes the source of our irrationality in the limbic id-the most primitive part of our brain that endlessly thirsts for status, sex, territory, nurturance, and survival. "We become captured by these drives," Weiner says. "By understanding our Inner Dummy, we can avoid disasters in our own lives."Along with sound advice from clinical psychiatrist Dr. Gilbert Hefter on how to handle our own Inner Dummies with built-in rewards and punishments, Weiner brilliantly interweaves delightful, imagined conversations with Freud and staffers at a mythical advertising agency, who have been given the assignment of communicating the nature of the id's irrationalities to the general public (e.g., t-shirts that say, "Would someone please fix my Inner Dummy before I fall in love with another idiot?" and a bathroom scale that allows you to weigh eight pounds less each time you use it).This inviting, humorous romp with Inner Dummies who have made the news illustrates how we can apply "ID prevention" in our daily lives and includes all the major strategies science and medicine have developed over the years to counter Inner Dummies that threaten our well-being. See how well you're handling your own inner dummy by taking the quizzes at www.innerdummy.com.

Best-selling psychology author David L. Weiner reveals the personalities behind the facades of "power freaks." Coming in many guises - including the business psychopath (who may be working down the hall from you), the arrogant and status-obsessed, the messianic, and the perfectionist - they are all driven by an irrational need to dominate and to enhance their status, regardless of the consequences to others. In this well-researched and insightful guide to handling power-crazed individuals who create havoc at work and at home, Weiner explains why they act the way they do and what you can do to prevent them from making your life a living hell!Power Freaks includes a power quiz to help you assess your own instinctual drive for power, plus an interactive web site that allows you to compare this side of your personality to that of other respondents. Finally, it teaches you how to recognize such potentially destructive people in your life and, most importantly, helps you to develop a strategy to deal with them. In a competitive world, increasingly dominated by intense corporate cultures, this brilliant study in organizational psychology will help you swim safely through shark-infested waters.