59 seconds
think a little change a lot
by Richard Wiseman · first published 2009
72% recommend28% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Research-backed self-help that cites psychology studies for practical tips on motivation, creativity, interviews, dating and parenting. Suits skeptics of the usual self-help genre who want evidence over platitudes.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A psychologist and best-selling author gives us a myth-busting response to the self-help movement, with tips and tricks to improve your life that come straight from the scientific community.Richard Wiseman has been troubled by the realization that the self-help industry often promotes exercises that destroy motivation, damage relationships, and reduce creativity: the opposite of everything it promises. Now, in 59 Seconds, he fights back, bringing together the diverse scientific advice that can help you change your life in under a minute, and guides you toward becoming more decisive, more imagi
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Interested in seeing what books have helped people improve their lives or learn useful skills. For me, 'Driven to Distraction' was a helpful book, though limited to ADHD. 59 Seconds by Richard Wiseman has been helpful too. Logging three things I'm grateful for each day led to one of the happiest months of my life.
on “Ask HN: What are your non-technical non-fiction recommended reads?” ↗…be higher than when the buyer makes the first offer. http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/4302.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchoring The whole article could use a lot more science. I suggest reading "59 Seconds" from Richard Wiseman.
on “Salary Negotiation: Make More Money, Be More Valued” ↗I agree that even this book is good enough. The main thing is try thinking of what others get from you, and curiously thinking of what you thinking of yourself. I can recommend the "59 seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot" by Richard Wiseman, where he also explains what to tell at interviews and how to present your strengths and weaknesses. Another thing I did and it was very useful was a…
on “Ask HN: Getting back into the working world with a negative track record” ↗One of the best I've read, too, and I've read hundreds. I also highly recommend '59 seconds' by experimental psychologist Richard Wiseman.
on “Succeeding - The best general self-improvement book I've ever read” ↗Pretty interesting post. A lot of this was covered in a book I read a few months ago, one of the best 'motivational' books that I ever came across (because it's scientific) http://www.amazon.co.uk/59-Seconds-Think-little-change/dp/02...
on “The science behind what motivates us to get up for work every day” ↗Nice validating read. All of the points quoted in this are discussed in detail in Richard Wiseman's "59 Seconds" book. He references scientific studies associated with all of these points. According to that book #5 is a big no no. Wiseman claims (and shows with references) that conducted studies suggest that visualisation…
on “Top 20 Motivation Hacks” ↗…I dislike the self-help industry immensely. One example of good, scientifically backed advice is the work of Richard Wiseman: http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/ In particular, I've found his book 59 Seconds quite useful. Similarly, I learned about Wiseman's work from the Less Wrong community, which is equally useful: http://lesswrong.com/
on “How to Have the Best Year of Your Life (without Setting a Single Goal)” ↗Oddly enough, #1(buy experiences, not goods) and #2 (help others) are precisely the first topics tackled by "59 Seconds", by Richard Wiseman, which is a formidable book.
on “If money doesn't make you happy, you probably aren't spending it right [pdf]” ↗…psychological research, but it's hard to see that unless you know of the research yourself. A lot of the time what seems like common sense is actually contrary to findings in psychology research. The book 59 Seconds by Richard Wiseman is a good starting point here and it offers lots of advice which is backed up with research and data. For example, the book talks about how smiling can make you feel happier, which…
on “How to overcome resistance to work ” ↗1. "59 Seconds" http://amzn.to/12DMx27 A good no-nonsense self-help book. Outlines set of strategies for dealing with challenging situations in everyday life, touching on areas such as Parenting, Career, Dating. Author…
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in 2012” ↗…even doing a simple crossword puzzle to distract yourself may boost your creativity vs concentrating solely on trying to do something 'creative'. I highly recommend Professor Richard Wiseman's book: '59 Seconds: Think a little, change a lot' which references some studies involving topics similar to this.
on “Stanford study finds walking improves creativity (2014)” ↗I found 59 Seconds: Think a little, change a lot by Richard Wiseman to be a good contribution to the genre, if you're looking for more.
on “Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?” ↗Read about how this is actually harmful for long-term motivation though in a book called 59 Seconds with latest psychological research. Basically as kids we are rewarded for doing things like going to school. Good effort on exam and learning = A+. But then carrying into real life that kills our motivation…
on “People can read their manager's mind” ↗Yeah, it's Gladwell's conflation, I think. (And the writer's conflation of Gladwell's assertions with Ericsson's.) If you're interested in this type of thing, I'd recommend ":59 Seconds" for a somewhat more down-to-earth and research-based approach. Amongst many of the more interesting findings is that just having actual physical plants around[1] helps improve creativity and that brainstorming…
on “Creativity Is Much More Than 10k Hours of Deliberate Practice” ↗If you can find a copy of 59 Seconds, by Richard Wiseman, it's mentioned in there (with references, if I remember correctly). I don't have my copy handy.
on “Telecommuting Culture - What it tells me about your company” ↗