101 Things I Learned® in Psychology School

Frederick created the popular “101 Things I Learned®” series, which considers an academic discipline or profession and breaks aspects of its study down into brief explanations and illustrations. In this book, he and psychologist Bono (Washinton Univ.; Happiness 101) partner to discuss the study and practice of psychology. This particular volume is designed to amuse apprehensive first-year college students, rather than serve as an adequate presentation of the concepts that beginning psychology students may encounter. The book brings some levity to an approach of a rigorous academic program, which might serve the purpose of allaying beginning students’ biggest worries, but some inexperienced students might come away thinking they have been presented with the discipline’s core concepts in a sensible order. Instead, this is a quirky collection of popular notions that doesn’t consistently provide any guidance. Some readers might view the book’s drawings as irrelevant as well, but on a positive note, the index is helpful.