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Riveted: The Science of Why Jokes Make Us Laugh, Movies Make Us Cry, and Religion Makes Us Feel One with the Universe
Professor Jim Davies's fascinating and highly accessible book, Riveted, reveals the evolutionary underpinnings of why we find things compelling.
What we like and don't like is almost always determined by subconscious forces, and when we try to consciously predict our own preferences we're often wrong. In one study of speed dating, people were asked what kinds of partners they found attractive. When the results came back, the participants' answers before the exercise had no correlation with who they actually found attractive in person! We are beginning to understand just how much the brain makes our decisions for we are rewarded with a rush of pleasure when we detect patterns, as the brain thinks we've discovered something significant; the mind urges us to linger on the news channel or rubberneck an accident in case it might pick up important survival information; it even pushes us to pick up People magazine in order to find out about changes in the social structure.
Drawing on work from philosophy, anthropology, religious studies, psychology, economics, computer science, and biology, Davies offers a comprehensive explanation to show that in spite of the differences between the many things that we find compelling, they have similar effects on our minds and brains.
What we like and don't like is almost always determined by subconscious forces, and when we try to consciously predict our own preferences we're often wrong. In one study of speed dating, people were asked what kinds of partners they found attractive. When the results came back, the participants' answers before the exercise had no correlation with who they actually found attractive in person! We are beginning to understand just how much the brain makes our decisions for we are rewarded with a rush of pleasure when we detect patterns, as the brain thinks we've discovered something significant; the mind urges us to linger on the news channel or rubberneck an accident in case it might pick up important survival information; it even pushes us to pick up People magazine in order to find out about changes in the social structure.
Drawing on work from philosophy, anthropology, religious studies, psychology, economics, computer science, and biology, Davies offers a comprehensive explanation to show that in spite of the differences between the many things that we find compelling, they have similar effects on our minds and brains.
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First published August 5, 2014
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About the author
Jim Davies
3 books34 followersJim Davies is a professor in the Institute of Cognitive Science at Carleton University. Director of the Science of Imagination Laboratory, he explores processes of visualization in humans and machines and specializes in artificial intelligence, analogy, problem-solving, and the psychology of art, religion, and creativity. His work has shown how people use visual thinking to solve problems, and how they visualize imagined situations and worlds.
In his spare time, he is a published poet, an internationally-produced playwright, and a professional painter, calligrapher, and swing dancer.
In his spare time, he is a published poet, an internationally-produced playwright, and a professional painter, calligrapher, and swing dancer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
June 17, 2014
(Advanced reader copy received for free through the First Reads program.)
The Good: This book had a lot of good points, and it was very comprehensive. (Almost too comprehensive, in parts, as I'll discuss below!) The author knows his stuff, and in general I felt that I did learn from the book (I even found myself discussing it in a random conversation, so the broad strokes of it really stuck.) Overall, it was interesting and well-researched, and the writing was engaging, though this isn't a book that I'll keep or read again.
The Bad: However, a few things that I felt seriously held the book back:
First, the organization left me with the feeling that the author was discussing topics more than once, with only a minimally different slant each time. When the chapters are about qualities, and he then discusses how those qualities feed into art, religion, media, etc. over and over, it gets a bit repetitive. I found it hard to slog on through the second half.
Secondly, the author, oddly enough, kept making predictions as if he was writing a scientific paper. He'd explain his theory or hypothesis, then discuss a further hypothesis that he didn't have data for...and then he'd stop. No discussion of whether studies were ongoing or what, just "I'd expect X to happen." I found it very odd, and it reminded me of reading science journal articles more than a popular book. It lacked...closure, I guess. (Not that I expected an answer where none is available, but just closure of the thought while reading.)
Thirdly, the author was almost TOO comprehensive in pulling in his examples, and the extra information often led to a messy tangle of logic that was difficult to follow in places. I feel like the book could have had about a quarter of it cut, as the author sometimes belabored his point, bringing in every tiny study he could find or minimally-related bit of evidence, or moving off on a logical excursion that didn't have much to do with the chapter's theme. I was often left in the middle of a chapter looking back, wondering what the chapter was supposed to be about, again? The lack of subheadings and the very long chapters did not help in this respect.
The Neutral:
The author could have gone several directions with the "why religion makes us feel one with the world" topic. He took the view that religion is a superstition that humanity has made up and perpetuated because the stories feed into a lot of the things that we are psychologically and biologically wired to find interesting. I had no problem with this, but something about the way he treated the topic left a bad taste in my mouth for reasons I can't really articulate. I guess I felt like he was taking a wink-wink-nudge-nudge-we're all atheists here, right? tone when he didn't necessarily have to, and it just rubbed me the wrong way.
The Good: This book had a lot of good points, and it was very comprehensive. (Almost too comprehensive, in parts, as I'll discuss below!) The author knows his stuff, and in general I felt that I did learn from the book (I even found myself discussing it in a random conversation, so the broad strokes of it really stuck.) Overall, it was interesting and well-researched, and the writing was engaging, though this isn't a book that I'll keep or read again.
The Bad: However, a few things that I felt seriously held the book back:
First, the organization left me with the feeling that the author was discussing topics more than once, with only a minimally different slant each time. When the chapters are about qualities, and he then discusses how those qualities feed into art, religion, media, etc. over and over, it gets a bit repetitive. I found it hard to slog on through the second half.
Secondly, the author, oddly enough, kept making predictions as if he was writing a scientific paper. He'd explain his theory or hypothesis, then discuss a further hypothesis that he didn't have data for...and then he'd stop. No discussion of whether studies were ongoing or what, just "I'd expect X to happen." I found it very odd, and it reminded me of reading science journal articles more than a popular book. It lacked...closure, I guess. (Not that I expected an answer where none is available, but just closure of the thought while reading.)
Thirdly, the author was almost TOO comprehensive in pulling in his examples, and the extra information often led to a messy tangle of logic that was difficult to follow in places. I feel like the book could have had about a quarter of it cut, as the author sometimes belabored his point, bringing in every tiny study he could find or minimally-related bit of evidence, or moving off on a logical excursion that didn't have much to do with the chapter's theme. I was often left in the middle of a chapter looking back, wondering what the chapter was supposed to be about, again? The lack of subheadings and the very long chapters did not help in this respect.
The Neutral:
The author could have gone several directions with the "why religion makes us feel one with the world" topic. He took the view that religion is a superstition that humanity has made up and perpetuated because the stories feed into a lot of the things that we are psychologically and biologically wired to find interesting. I had no problem with this, but something about the way he treated the topic left a bad taste in my mouth for reasons I can't really articulate. I guess I felt like he was taking a wink-wink-nudge-nudge-we're all atheists here, right? tone when he didn't necessarily have to, and it just rubbed me the wrong way.
July 14, 2014
Have you ever wondered why people are compelled to watch the news every night or why religion is such a powerful influence to so many? Why is discovering patterns so thrilling and solving puzzles so satisfying?
Jim Davies, in his book Riveted: The Science of Why Jokes Make Us Laugh, Movies Make Us Cry, and Religion Makes Us Feel One with the Universe, looks to answer these questions and many more regarding why we as humans find certain things to be compelling. He uses a plethora of scientific research studies to reveal very interesting findings. (I was especially fascinated by the research related to music and the impact some of these scientific studies could have on education.) The problem is, however, he ends up filling the rest of his absurdly long chapters with a substantial number of highly opinionated conjectures. The confusing writing (e.g. unclear antecedents, excessive wordiness, and lengthy sentences) take away even more from the information being presented. It is fortunate that he chose to write a (mostly) summative final chapter as so much of this book was unorganized, rambling tangents. Overall, I found Riveted: The Science of Why Jokes Make Us Laugh, Movies Make Us Cry, and Religion Makes Us Feel One with the Universe to be a "slow read" and its only redeeming quality to be the random information I learned from the cited study correlations. (I almost wish Davies could have organized the book differently and found a way to write two separate texts instead of this one, but I'm hopeful for a second book from this author as I think it will be easier to read.)
**Please Note: I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. The copy I received was an ARC.
Jim Davies, in his book Riveted: The Science of Why Jokes Make Us Laugh, Movies Make Us Cry, and Religion Makes Us Feel One with the Universe, looks to answer these questions and many more regarding why we as humans find certain things to be compelling. He uses a plethora of scientific research studies to reveal very interesting findings. (I was especially fascinated by the research related to music and the impact some of these scientific studies could have on education.) The problem is, however, he ends up filling the rest of his absurdly long chapters with a substantial number of highly opinionated conjectures. The confusing writing (e.g. unclear antecedents, excessive wordiness, and lengthy sentences) take away even more from the information being presented. It is fortunate that he chose to write a (mostly) summative final chapter as so much of this book was unorganized, rambling tangents. Overall, I found Riveted: The Science of Why Jokes Make Us Laugh, Movies Make Us Cry, and Religion Makes Us Feel One with the Universe to be a "slow read" and its only redeeming quality to be the random information I learned from the cited study correlations. (I almost wish Davies could have organized the book differently and found a way to write two separate texts instead of this one, but I'm hopeful for a second book from this author as I think it will be easier to read.)
**Please Note: I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. The copy I received was an ARC.
May 15, 2017
Jim Davies is a professor at the Institute of Cognitive Science and the director of the Science of Imagination Laboratory who has also been featured in Skeptic one of the few journals I still subscribe to. The inner jacket describes the book as being about what rivets our attention: "Why can't we look away from a car crash? Why are we so interested in the lives of celebrities? How do paintings move us, athletes fascinate us, and certain songs captivate us?" Davies draws upon philosophy, anthropology, religious studies, psychology, economics, political science and biology in his attempt to explain why we find compelling the things we find compelling!
So, I cannot tell you how excited and interested I was to read this book! I mean, the subtitle of this book reads: "The Science of Why Jokes Make us Laugh, Movies Make Us Cry, and Religion Makes Us Feel One With The Universe." And much of what he offers from "compellingness theory" as well as the psychological and biological factors that we find riveting is truly rivetingly interesting. And as someone interested in cognitive and perceptual biases and how they can mislead us into seeing patterns that don't exist (which can then lead us to believing in things that don't exist), there was much in this book that I found interesting.
What I didn't find riveting was the writing. Sadly, Davies' writing began to feel redundant and bland. The irony has not been lost on me. I would have liked to give this book at least three stars, but the truth is I didn't "like" it because reading it began to feel tediously like a chore. So, I had to go with two stars: It was "okay."
So, I cannot tell you how excited and interested I was to read this book! I mean, the subtitle of this book reads: "The Science of Why Jokes Make us Laugh, Movies Make Us Cry, and Religion Makes Us Feel One With The Universe." And much of what he offers from "compellingness theory" as well as the psychological and biological factors that we find riveting is truly rivetingly interesting. And as someone interested in cognitive and perceptual biases and how they can mislead us into seeing patterns that don't exist (which can then lead us to believing in things that don't exist), there was much in this book that I found interesting.
What I didn't find riveting was the writing. Sadly, Davies' writing began to feel redundant and bland. The irony has not been lost on me. I would have liked to give this book at least three stars, but the truth is I didn't "like" it because reading it began to feel tediously like a chore. So, I had to go with two stars: It was "okay."
May 26, 2014
Riveted is a mass market science book much in the same vein as Inheritance which I've read earlier this year. I was given this book by Goodreads in the giveaway program. Riveted gives a lot of fun, quaint tidbits of statistics and information about why peace people do what they do. It can be fun but I would be cautious in believing all of it. Riveted is not as a quick read as Inheritance and not as much fun but the style is there. Enjoy.
April 10, 2021
First audiobook! This was such a fun one :)
April 11, 2024
Jim Davies is a professor at the Institute of cognitive science of Carlton University and director of the science of imagination laboratory.
In short, it’s a book about people and why we get riveted; paintings picture people, we are driven by Hope and fear, patterns move us more than randomness while incongruity, novelty, puzzles are important to us and biases like confirmation bias warp us. Explains a lot about us humans.
”Should people follow the news? Some activities are pleasurable and doing them is inherently rewarding. Others are difficult to do, but pay off with happiness or pleasure in the future. Some other things are important to do, even if you never get much from it. I worry that news has none of the characteristics that make something worthwhile. It’s not fun, it causes anxiety, it gives you a warped sense of reality, and people who watch it are rarely going to do anything with the information they get. For most people, watching the news is like sharpening a saw that they will never use to cut anything.” 209
Some phenomena are compelling. What is compellingness? This book does a tremendous job explaining why our brains are riveted by famous people, religion, conspiracy theories, aliens, popular movies and music, seeing patterns that don’t exist and self serving biases. Extremely well written and balanced to the point that you risk missing the important message and dismissing it although the book breaks new ground.
• 33% believe in ghosts
• Seeing the color red before a cognitive test is not good. Blue (and green) enhances creative tasks etc.
• We like when complexity is in the middle and something is slightly mysterious
• At the same time, something that is easy to process makes us believe it is true
• We anthropomorphize gods and aliens
• Most people, in the world, believe in god (counterfactual)
In summary; be careful with the input to your brain (garbage in garbage out):
“The brain is an association maker. Every bit of information it takes in, it feeds into its huge, unconscious pattern-detecting machinery. With this in mind, one should be wary of the kind of input this machinery receives. Just as you would not want to put data into a spreadsheet or computer model that is not representative of the system you are trying to understand, exposing yourself to too much anomalous information will give you a skewed take on our world. If you expose yourself to lots of horrible stories, you will be scared.” 240
In short, it’s a book about people and why we get riveted; paintings picture people, we are driven by Hope and fear, patterns move us more than randomness while incongruity, novelty, puzzles are important to us and biases like confirmation bias warp us. Explains a lot about us humans.
”Should people follow the news? Some activities are pleasurable and doing them is inherently rewarding. Others are difficult to do, but pay off with happiness or pleasure in the future. Some other things are important to do, even if you never get much from it. I worry that news has none of the characteristics that make something worthwhile. It’s not fun, it causes anxiety, it gives you a warped sense of reality, and people who watch it are rarely going to do anything with the information they get. For most people, watching the news is like sharpening a saw that they will never use to cut anything.” 209
Some phenomena are compelling. What is compellingness? This book does a tremendous job explaining why our brains are riveted by famous people, religion, conspiracy theories, aliens, popular movies and music, seeing patterns that don’t exist and self serving biases. Extremely well written and balanced to the point that you risk missing the important message and dismissing it although the book breaks new ground.
• 33% believe in ghosts
• Seeing the color red before a cognitive test is not good. Blue (and green) enhances creative tasks etc.
• We like when complexity is in the middle and something is slightly mysterious
• At the same time, something that is easy to process makes us believe it is true
• We anthropomorphize gods and aliens
• Most people, in the world, believe in god (counterfactual)
In summary; be careful with the input to your brain (garbage in garbage out):
“The brain is an association maker. Every bit of information it takes in, it feeds into its huge, unconscious pattern-detecting machinery. With this in mind, one should be wary of the kind of input this machinery receives. Just as you would not want to put data into a spreadsheet or computer model that is not representative of the system you are trying to understand, exposing yourself to too much anomalous information will give you a skewed take on our world. If you expose yourself to lots of horrible stories, you will be scared.” 240
May 20, 2014
I received this book for free through GoodReads first reads.
This book is captivating right from the start. Jim Davies is using the very technique strongly laced through his text to keep the readers attention which is talking about other people. The book provokes thought and self reflection and opens ones eyes to the world that we exist in every day. I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially those seeking a deeper understanding of life.
This book is captivating right from the start. Jim Davies is using the very technique strongly laced through his text to keep the readers attention which is talking about other people. The book provokes thought and self reflection and opens ones eyes to the world that we exist in every day. I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially those seeking a deeper understanding of life.
September 25, 2017
Title& Author: Riveted: The Science of Why Jokes Make us Laugh, Movies Make us Cry, and Religion Make us Feel One with the Universe by Jim Davies
Publisher & Year: St. Martin’s Press; 2014
REVIEW:
“Understanding compellingness and how it works requires some understanding of our brains and how they were shaped by evolution.” -J. Davies
What makes something compelling? Riveted seeks an answer to that question. Throughout the entire book there are a ton of psychological research references and examples to help Davies get his point across. These references and examples were the most entertaining parts, mainly because research that is done in the psychological/sociological field is fascinating to me. I thought Riveted had some great flow for the majority of the book and then spots of crawling narrative. Davies likes to repeat himself a lot with the concepts, but maybe that is because we as humans love the idea of patterns (which is something I learned in this book). Also, the last chapter is entirely based on Davies’ atheism and how religion just doesn’t make sense or better put isn’t a rational thing to participate, just a fair warning for anyone looking to read this book that might take offense.
There are only 7 chapters to Riveted, each describing a different aspect of Davies’ very own “compellingness foundations theory” (hence the question proposed to you in the first sentence). There are topics from the old brain and new brain narrative to fear and hope and how those two emotions determine how we as humans react to a host of questions encountered in everyday life. The introduction to this book is probably one of the best I have ever read, some of you might not find introductions important but the one in Riveted kicks ass. When reading this book try to have an open mind, especially those that might be very religious, Davies holds no punches when it comes to all religions. I took away a better understanding for human behavior, which can be pretty valuable.
Publisher & Year: St. Martin’s Press; 2014
REVIEW:
“Understanding compellingness and how it works requires some understanding of our brains and how they were shaped by evolution.” -J. Davies
What makes something compelling? Riveted seeks an answer to that question. Throughout the entire book there are a ton of psychological research references and examples to help Davies get his point across. These references and examples were the most entertaining parts, mainly because research that is done in the psychological/sociological field is fascinating to me. I thought Riveted had some great flow for the majority of the book and then spots of crawling narrative. Davies likes to repeat himself a lot with the concepts, but maybe that is because we as humans love the idea of patterns (which is something I learned in this book). Also, the last chapter is entirely based on Davies’ atheism and how religion just doesn’t make sense or better put isn’t a rational thing to participate, just a fair warning for anyone looking to read this book that might take offense.
There are only 7 chapters to Riveted, each describing a different aspect of Davies’ very own “compellingness foundations theory” (hence the question proposed to you in the first sentence). There are topics from the old brain and new brain narrative to fear and hope and how those two emotions determine how we as humans react to a host of questions encountered in everyday life. The introduction to this book is probably one of the best I have ever read, some of you might not find introductions important but the one in Riveted kicks ass. When reading this book try to have an open mind, especially those that might be very religious, Davies holds no punches when it comes to all religions. I took away a better understanding for human behavior, which can be pretty valuable.
March 19, 2023
I haven’t finished this book; and I’m not sure I will.
I’ve had this on a wish list for a few years because I love all things science and human history. I’m not sure what it is that is making me struggle to read it.
Some reviews say this book is gripping: I disagree, I can’t get on the hook, though I really want to. I feel like he starts an argument and then lends us a bunch of examples for it but never closes the argument, such that I’ve read 10 pages of garbled half-related trite facts that don’t point back to the starting argument.
Lots of people like the pop culture references: but I don’t, I think it spoils the science he’s trying to show us. A lot of the pop culture references are reused, “Avatar” for example… but, in chapter “incongruities” he argues that while people enjoy repetition and familiar eventually they want something more complex, and this book does not deliver on this own sensational claim. Hence, maybe this is why I cannot remember what chapter I am on, or why I don’t want to continue reading.
Someone else mentioned the organization of the book left him wanting: and I agree. I feel like I cannot retain any of the science he is trying to share and I feel as if the content of what I’m reading doesn’t deliver on the title of the book - and it’s not that it isn’t in there; it’s that it is choked out by a bunch of semi-related topics, counter arguments and a lack of closure to those arguments. Very long chapters where each paragraph is a new pop-culture reference or example to a small idea and isn’t very complex nor considerate of a larger idea. It’s very piecemeal almost as if each paragraph stands on its own idea and then we are thrust into a new one without any conclusion, nor back to the first, or summary of how they are all related to one another at the end.
I find it boring and exhausting to read.
I’ve had this on a wish list for a few years because I love all things science and human history. I’m not sure what it is that is making me struggle to read it.
Some reviews say this book is gripping: I disagree, I can’t get on the hook, though I really want to. I feel like he starts an argument and then lends us a bunch of examples for it but never closes the argument, such that I’ve read 10 pages of garbled half-related trite facts that don’t point back to the starting argument.
Lots of people like the pop culture references: but I don’t, I think it spoils the science he’s trying to show us. A lot of the pop culture references are reused, “Avatar” for example… but, in chapter “incongruities” he argues that while people enjoy repetition and familiar eventually they want something more complex, and this book does not deliver on this own sensational claim. Hence, maybe this is why I cannot remember what chapter I am on, or why I don’t want to continue reading.
Someone else mentioned the organization of the book left him wanting: and I agree. I feel like I cannot retain any of the science he is trying to share and I feel as if the content of what I’m reading doesn’t deliver on the title of the book - and it’s not that it isn’t in there; it’s that it is choked out by a bunch of semi-related topics, counter arguments and a lack of closure to those arguments. Very long chapters where each paragraph is a new pop-culture reference or example to a small idea and isn’t very complex nor considerate of a larger idea. It’s very piecemeal almost as if each paragraph stands on its own idea and then we are thrust into a new one without any conclusion, nor back to the first, or summary of how they are all related to one another at the end.
I find it boring and exhausting to read.
September 15, 2017
This book is along the line of Hit Makers and Utopia is Creepy, explaining things like Confirmation Bias, which is the very human tendency for people to look for evidence for opinions they already have. In a way, "confirmation bias" explains the division in Washington and America. He discusses the psychology of fake news and the origins of conspiracy theory, trashing pseudo-science and the supernatural in such an emotion-free manner, that true believers in fill-in-the-blank are likely to be upset. If you believe all atheists deserve the hell they get, you are going to give this book one star. If, however, you are willing to listen (audiobook in my case, since I'm an audiobook reviewer and novelist at Good-Reads dot Blog) the book rewards you with many things you may not have known. I'll just mention one: UFO Abductions and the Greys. Didn't realize that people usually describe small hairless, noseless creatures with big eyes primarily because they were popularized in films (and Roswell, which I have visited.) We visualize what we expect, and it's usually in a half dream state when the mind is most susceptible. Also, studies show that bald men are considered smarter, especially if they have small noses and big eyes. "Imagine the opposite," the author says. "Hairy, big nose, small eyes. Intelligent?"
May 13, 2019
The title should really be: "Why I Think Religion Is Wrong and Everyone Else Is Stupid."
While there was some good content, the author spends so much time ranting about religion and too little time talking about art - and almost no time talking about literature. I'd be okay if this book presented itself as a theological one, but I picked it up thinking that it was about what we find compelling. Two stars.
While there was some good content, the author spends so much time ranting about religion and too little time talking about art - and almost no time talking about literature. I'd be okay if this book presented itself as a theological one, but I picked it up thinking that it was about what we find compelling. Two stars.
January 9, 2025
Pretty interesting, good perspectives on how and why we interact with the world in the way we do. There were definitely some far out statements that I disagree with in regard to the second half of the book and I think many of the arguments for and against religion were weak and lacked depth. Although it was very fascinating to me the link between religious practices and levels of ocd and similar disorders.
July 30, 2018
Some good facts in there and nice research summaries but I felt the overarching structure resulted in too much repetition to be completely comfortable reading. For example, reasons for the existence of religion were discussed in almost every chapter alongside only (in my opinion) tangentially-relevant other topics.
August 19, 2017
Great book if one wants to understand the reason why we find ideas/people/invetions etc. compelling and how one might use that knowledge to his own advantage.
Glad that Tai Lopez recommended this goldmine of a book.
Glad that Tai Lopez recommended this goldmine of a book.
February 20, 2020
Great book! Read it as a part of my course and I love how Jim seamlessly connects everything together. Great read and will definitely provide insights on your own thought process and how you can exploit it to be more productive and creative.
October 24, 2022
Notizen:
-Sehr viel Kritik zu Religionen
-OCD höhere Wahrscheinlichkeit für einen Glauben (Katholiken am meisten)
-Widersprüche ziehen uns an.
-Gläubige leben länger und glücklicher.
-Rationalität kann schaden
-Sehr viel Kritik zu Religionen
-OCD höhere Wahrscheinlichkeit für einen Glauben (Katholiken am meisten)
-Widersprüche ziehen uns an.
-Gläubige leben länger und glücklicher.
-Rationalität kann schaden
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2019
More science to help understand what makes the brain do what it does...
November 16, 2019
It was quite repetitive and didn’t go into enough detail for most concepts. Overall, it presented a lot of interesting information and was a relatively enjoyable read.
January 22, 2020
Super cool book! I feel like I understand myself, and by default others, much better now.
December 17, 2020
An interested read on what keeps our attention and why.
January 11, 2022
Pretty engaging but I don’t grasp the thesis.
January 9, 2024
Comprehensive and very conceptual based book, loved it! However, was less “riveted” towards the end. 😛
July 3, 2019
Good and easy read. A lot of great information. Not a lot of unique perspectives, but a very good reinforcement of much of the available science on the subject.
September 22, 2014
What is it about driving by the scene of an accident that causes drivers to slow down and stare at the wreckage? Why do we find certain landscapes comforting? How is it that we find such entertainment in things that scare us? This book explores the possible scientific answers to questions like these. Drawing upon evolutionary history, psychology, neuroscience and other research, the author presents a set of hypotheses, which he calls compellingness foundations theory, which provides a framework for understanding why and how we find certain situations compelling.
The arguments presented here are logically sound, and provide a useful baseline from which to try and understand human behaviors that otherwise appear to be wildly irrational. This theory of compellingness foundations suggests that the human tendency to produce and believe wild conspiracy theories resides in the traits we developed through evolution to survive. These traits, which gave our ancestors an edge in the battle for survival, are not well-adapted to our new reality, leading us to seek explanations that are not well founded in evidence. These same traits, or others related ones, also seem to explain our apparent strong inclination towards religious belief. Much of what is presented here is an analysis of the basis for religion in our neuropsychology and evolutionary history. While the author, by his own admission, is atheist, his conclusions about the merits of religion, especially for society, may surprise many readers.
The author readily acknowledges that many aspects of his hypothesis are, as yet, untested. This means that we should consider his arguments with a healthy level of skepticism until experiments and research can produce reliable data to support them. Rather than presenting the results of existing research, this book takes the prior research as a starting point, and provides a map showing the way into new areas that the author believes to be ripe for exploration. In that sense, this book is a challenge, inviting others to join him in looking at these areas to see if the predictions his theory makes can be verified.
But for the lay reader, this book is still helpful because it provides insights into our behaviors and responses that are difficult for us to understand. If nothing else, it should provide a thoughtful reader with plenty of material to reflect upon in coming to a better understanding of themselves as well as others.
The arguments presented here are logically sound, and provide a useful baseline from which to try and understand human behaviors that otherwise appear to be wildly irrational. This theory of compellingness foundations suggests that the human tendency to produce and believe wild conspiracy theories resides in the traits we developed through evolution to survive. These traits, which gave our ancestors an edge in the battle for survival, are not well-adapted to our new reality, leading us to seek explanations that are not well founded in evidence. These same traits, or others related ones, also seem to explain our apparent strong inclination towards religious belief. Much of what is presented here is an analysis of the basis for religion in our neuropsychology and evolutionary history. While the author, by his own admission, is atheist, his conclusions about the merits of religion, especially for society, may surprise many readers.
The author readily acknowledges that many aspects of his hypothesis are, as yet, untested. This means that we should consider his arguments with a healthy level of skepticism until experiments and research can produce reliable data to support them. Rather than presenting the results of existing research, this book takes the prior research as a starting point, and provides a map showing the way into new areas that the author believes to be ripe for exploration. In that sense, this book is a challenge, inviting others to join him in looking at these areas to see if the predictions his theory makes can be verified.
But for the lay reader, this book is still helpful because it provides insights into our behaviors and responses that are difficult for us to understand. If nothing else, it should provide a thoughtful reader with plenty of material to reflect upon in coming to a better understanding of themselves as well as others.
June 25, 2018
My review is here: https://www.bradrevell.com/2018/06/ri...
Three key takeaways from the book:
1. We are compelled by things we fear because some parts of our minds treat frightening information as important, be it truth, fiction or lies. We are compelled by things that give us hope because hope makes us feel happy or better prepared to encounter future difficulties.
2. People are more likely to give to charity after riding up an escalator than riding down one. Without going into details we have a general association of goodness with “aboveness” and the upward direction.
3. We like to watch sports for the same reason we like to play them. In our minds, we are playing them.
Three key takeaways from the book:
1. We are compelled by things we fear because some parts of our minds treat frightening information as important, be it truth, fiction or lies. We are compelled by things that give us hope because hope makes us feel happy or better prepared to encounter future difficulties.
2. People are more likely to give to charity after riding up an escalator than riding down one. Without going into details we have a general association of goodness with “aboveness” and the upward direction.
3. We like to watch sports for the same reason we like to play them. In our minds, we are playing them.
February 22, 2015
When I pick up psychology/science books like “Riveted” that are intended for a broad audience, I always worry that I’m going to be disappointed by fluffy, dumbed down, generalizing text. I was happy to find that “Riveted” is actually pretty “dense” and specific—it depends heavily on scientific research, gives detailed explanations, has a ton of keywords/concepts like you’d get from a textbook, looks at each idea from different angles, and even includes discussion of a few studies that contradict points the author was making for comprehensiveness and transparency. The writing itself had a nice conversational tone with some occasional humor thrown in. Overall, a very informative, fascinating and fun read.
The tagline mentions religion, jokes and movies, but a wide variety of things, like books, quotes, ideas, conspiracy theories, art, sports and music are also covered. The basic theme was that we find things compelling because of biological/evolutionary impulses and psychological biases. This is extremely useful to understand. When presented with ideas or situations, you can take these impulses and biases into account and evaluate your reactions and thoughts more objectively, which leads to better decision making.
I only have one complaint. It seemed like a disproportionally large chunk of the book was devoted to analyzing religion. While I found the religion parts interesting, and I feel like I have a much better appreciation of why religions come into existence and why people are so dedicated to them, I wish there could have been more emphasis on other things. (Religion is a huge part of our culture, so maybe that’s why it was given so much space in the book?)
Note: I received an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The tagline mentions religion, jokes and movies, but a wide variety of things, like books, quotes, ideas, conspiracy theories, art, sports and music are also covered. The basic theme was that we find things compelling because of biological/evolutionary impulses and psychological biases. This is extremely useful to understand. When presented with ideas or situations, you can take these impulses and biases into account and evaluate your reactions and thoughts more objectively, which leads to better decision making.
I only have one complaint. It seemed like a disproportionally large chunk of the book was devoted to analyzing religion. While I found the religion parts interesting, and I feel like I have a much better appreciation of why religions come into existence and why people are so dedicated to them, I wish there could have been more emphasis on other things. (Religion is a huge part of our culture, so maybe that’s why it was given so much space in the book?)
Note: I received an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 12, 2014
I received an ARC from a Goodreads giveaway.
I found this book about why we find things to be compelling, a compelling read. The book is well-researched with plenty of references for those interested in the academic sources, and is written in an easy to understand way for general audiences.
Davies explores six dimensions that influence what we find compelling: social compellingness theory, hopes, fears, our tendency to find patterns, our motivation to explore incongruities, our psychological biases, and biological influences.
Each chapter covers one of these dimensions, though by the last chapter, there's a lack of direction in how it's organized. I had to get used to the fact Davies started to jump around in his topics, and nearly spent the entire last chapter on religion. I'd prefer if the book had some headings for organization's sake. Of the subjects covered in the books, he spends the most time on religion, and art. As a reader and writer I enjoyed his discussion on narratives, movies, and fiction. Unfortunately, I had an expectation on the cover he would cover jokes more, but it only had a brief mention. If you are a religious person, be wary of Davies's skepticism towards religion and favoritism towards science. Nonetheless, this is an interesting read for those who want to know why we find things compelling and as for psychology in general, provides potential applications such as how writers can make their narratives more compelling or when encountering ideas and beliefs to be aware of our biases before evaluating them.
I found this book about why we find things to be compelling, a compelling read. The book is well-researched with plenty of references for those interested in the academic sources, and is written in an easy to understand way for general audiences.
Davies explores six dimensions that influence what we find compelling: social compellingness theory, hopes, fears, our tendency to find patterns, our motivation to explore incongruities, our psychological biases, and biological influences.
Each chapter covers one of these dimensions, though by the last chapter, there's a lack of direction in how it's organized. I had to get used to the fact Davies started to jump around in his topics, and nearly spent the entire last chapter on religion. I'd prefer if the book had some headings for organization's sake. Of the subjects covered in the books, he spends the most time on religion, and art. As a reader and writer I enjoyed his discussion on narratives, movies, and fiction. Unfortunately, I had an expectation on the cover he would cover jokes more, but it only had a brief mention. If you are a religious person, be wary of Davies's skepticism towards religion and favoritism towards science. Nonetheless, this is an interesting read for those who want to know why we find things compelling and as for psychology in general, provides potential applications such as how writers can make their narratives more compelling or when encountering ideas and beliefs to be aware of our biases before evaluating them.
August 25, 2014
Davies does an admirable job of pulling together current research in various disciplines to explore attention and what makes a thing "interesting".
What makes things attract and hold attention are partly in the things themselves (their content & forms), and partly in us (our biological and psychological make-up). For example anything dealing with people and the human experience is more appeal to us, all things being equal, which explains why most people prefer portraits or action scenes over unpopulated landscapes. Likewise we pay attention to things that arouse or evoke our hopes & fears, things that have patterns for us to discover, and incongruities & puzzles for us to resolve, as these are all triggers that we have evolved to respond to for survival. Lastly he looks at some of the accidental features of our sense, bodies, and reasoning that determine what attracts our attention.
The book is filled with fascinating examples as well as hilarious non sequiters ("The Cremaster cycles films of Matthew Barney come to mind"). Writers, marketers, and salespeople should probably read this book closely, but Davies' lucid style and clear explanations make this accessible for anyone, and worth your attention.
*Full disclosure, I won a copy of this book via the Goodreads first reads program*
What makes things attract and hold attention are partly in the things themselves (their content & forms), and partly in us (our biological and psychological make-up). For example anything dealing with people and the human experience is more appeal to us, all things being equal, which explains why most people prefer portraits or action scenes over unpopulated landscapes. Likewise we pay attention to things that arouse or evoke our hopes & fears, things that have patterns for us to discover, and incongruities & puzzles for us to resolve, as these are all triggers that we have evolved to respond to for survival. Lastly he looks at some of the accidental features of our sense, bodies, and reasoning that determine what attracts our attention.
The book is filled with fascinating examples as well as hilarious non sequiters ("The Cremaster cycles films of Matthew Barney come to mind"). Writers, marketers, and salespeople should probably read this book closely, but Davies' lucid style and clear explanations make this accessible for anyone, and worth your attention.
*Full disclosure, I won a copy of this book via the Goodreads first reads program*
December 7, 2014
A tour of the brain, and the many things that make it sit up and pay attention
One of my new favorites, this is a great look at “compelling-ness” -- why we are mentally attracted to things that hold sway over our lives and thoughts: sexual attraction, religion, art, the paranormal and more. It’s all premised on evolutionary psychology, which is shorthand for “fascinating, but can’t ever even be remotely verified,” but the author is so knowledgeable and confident, and the book so crammed full of supportive studies, by the end I was completely convinced. Of course, as he would argue, that’s likely the result of about six different kinds of biases related to brain processes and cultural pressures. It felt too short by half, mostly because it was so damn enjoyable, and I felt I learned something new on practically every page (or section; this was my first full read on a Kindle). The writing was solid, though a bit meandering with some occasionally jarring transitions. But the theory is so intriguing, the supporting studies so fascinating (lonely people find rooms colder than the non-lonely, people riding an escalator up are more generous than those riding down), that it more than made up for the occasionally flat writing. There’s something in this book for every writer, artist, religious scholar and, sadly, marketer.
One of my new favorites, this is a great look at “compelling-ness” -- why we are mentally attracted to things that hold sway over our lives and thoughts: sexual attraction, religion, art, the paranormal and more. It’s all premised on evolutionary psychology, which is shorthand for “fascinating, but can’t ever even be remotely verified,” but the author is so knowledgeable and confident, and the book so crammed full of supportive studies, by the end I was completely convinced. Of course, as he would argue, that’s likely the result of about six different kinds of biases related to brain processes and cultural pressures. It felt too short by half, mostly because it was so damn enjoyable, and I felt I learned something new on practically every page (or section; this was my first full read on a Kindle). The writing was solid, though a bit meandering with some occasionally jarring transitions. But the theory is so intriguing, the supporting studies so fascinating (lonely people find rooms colder than the non-lonely, people riding an escalator up are more generous than those riding down), that it more than made up for the occasionally flat writing. There’s something in this book for every writer, artist, religious scholar and, sadly, marketer.
October 8, 2014
It's my field of degree and this would be a 2 or 3 star for most everyone else who has never schooled in the depth of the subject. But he uses some facts and then gives them a cause and effect determination that just doesn't universally follow, IMHO. In fact, sometimes the "facts" are repeated in ways that demonstrate more of his own worldview "eyes" than they do any illustration for the state of our understanding of Cognitive Psychology. This especially pertains to the arts (dance, music etc.) His definitions of some exactly pertaining context issues are also his own as he repeatedly redefines them to make associations. Some of the topics were 2 star, some early chapter ones almost 3. On a whole the book is comprised just for a wider readership, especially those celeb or arts enthralled or in high media exposure, or modern tech centered communication habits. He wants us to believe that all humans act on feelings more than on knowing. The organization of material in this book is not to the advantage of an accurate understanding of the most important basis to the subject information that actually DOES appear there. For that last reason I couldn't give it the second star.
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