Nonfiction Monday - You Just Can't Help It! Your Guide to the Wild and Wacky World of Human Behavior by Jeff Szpirglas - review

 

Ok Jeff Szpirglas is one of my people, I can tell. Is it the pinstripe suit (below)? No. Ironic deployment of business wear is, at best, a heavily qualified predictor. Is it because, in a set of factoids about acceptable public behavior, he advises young people about proper comportment at a rock show ("Stand up, punch the air with your fist")? Not that either, although I will take this as evidence that he is one FUN classroom teacher.

No. I know that Jeff Szpirglas is of my tribe because he refers to The Naked Ape in his introduction, citing Desmond Morris's titularly tempting landmark book that analyzes human behavior from a behavioral zoologist's perspective as inspiration for this current work.

Not only did I read that book as a kid, and probably for the same reason Jeff Szpirglas did (Naked! Hee!), but I read it again as an anthropology major in college, and it's on my shelf now.

CONSIDERABLY less long-winded, You Just Can't Help It presents many of the same concepts (facial expressions, color associations, body language) in an all-sidebar, graphically heavy design that is both engaging and educational. Szpirglas doesn't shy away from vocabulary with a capital V: readers learn about disfluencies, gargalesis, and aposematic coloring.

Eminently browsable, entertaining, with facts ripe for sharing (did you know that most people elected to Congress are first-borns? interesting!), this book may also help young people gain a deeper understanding of some of their own puzzling behavior.

Tammy is hosting Nonfiction Monday today at Apple With Many Seeds.

Comments

[Tammy Flanders]

Thanks for this recommendation. I'll look to add it to the Doucette Library's collection. I would think this has great kid appeal. Is this for high school level?
Thanks for adding your blog to this week's Nonfiction Monday event. I'm glad I stopped by your blog.
Tammy
Apples with Many Seeds

[Sarah]

I'm going to have to add this one as well. The cover you link to on Amazon is much younger looking then the cover on goodreads, which makes it hard to peg the age range. From the vocab, I'd say middle grade to middle school.

[:paula]

I'd call it middle grade to middle school, sure -- but I think high school kids might enjoy it as well. It doesn't get into any of the complexities of puberty and maturation, but it all still applies, even for adults!