Why Am I Like This?: The Science Behind Your Weirdest Thoughts and Habits

by Jen Martin, Holly Jolley (Illustrations)

With answers to some of our most anxiety-inducing questions, such as "Why do I cringe at teenage me?" and "Why do I keep putting things off?" this insightful guide to our shared human experiences and quirks delves into the science behind 32 of our strangest thoughts and habits.
 
Award-winning educator Dr. Jen Martin has created the perfect Q&A guide for the curious. In Why Am I Like This? she provides research-based explanations for popular questions about everything from overcoming anxiety and FOMO to why smells make us homesick and why we stick our tongues out when we concentrate.
 
If you've ever wondered about the psychology and science behind the oddities of our daily lives, this accessible, entertaining, and informative guide is sure to educate you on what, exactly, makes you tick. This charming, vividly illustrated book makes the perfect gift for anyone who has ever stopped to wonder "Why?"

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Self Help, Psychology, Mental Health

128 pages, Hardcover

Published October 4, 2022

Reviews

[Aylin Kuhls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Für das, was es ist, ein super Buch! Kurze knappe aber gut recherchierte Texte zu spannenden Fragen, tolle Aufmachung und sehr coole Illustrationen.

[Linnea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though this looks like a coffee table book, it was fascinating and I learned so much! It was super readable, considering the volume of research cited. And now I have answers to many of life’s questions! (Why do songs get stuck in my head, why do I hate doing nothing, why do certain bdays bring existential crises, why FOMO is a thing, etc.)

[Daphne Margeridis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up on my Melbourne Book Crawl. I found that i couldnt really relate to alot of the thoughts and habits.
I did however learn about why i stick my tongue out when im concentrating, yay! I adored the illustrations!

[Melya Waty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why Am I Like This? is a non-fiction scientific book written by an Australian author, Dr. Jen Martin, and was published in 2022.

The book has a very friendly look with pictures and concise interesting information about human quirks and tendencies. Each topic is not more than 2 pages long and it's definitely a good conversation starter or an interesting contribution on a dinner table.

It doesn't dig deeper on any of the topics which makes it an easy read.

It's a good commute read, too.

#jenmartin #whyamilikethis?

[Gemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is hilarious & yet also perplexing. This book is not like all the others out there, pretty unique actually. I enjoyed it & pondered the things the author brought up. They may be things you have thought about, but not necessarily. I was amused by certain aspects of it so imagine you probably will be too. Whether you're a procrastinator or a supposed multi-tasker there are actual reasons behind certain things. This might have you looking internally & thinking about some aspects of your life & why you do things the way you do. It may be reflective to see how some of the things may inspire you or at least give you some answers. So go check it out.

[Ariel]

I loved the illustrations in this book. I found a lot of the questions interesting but I constantly found myself wanting to know more. On the flip side, this was perfect for my attention level lately! I read the whole thing in one sitting!

[Misti · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of brief essays about some common activities/brain phenomena (earworms, multitasking, FOMO to name just a few). The writing is simple and readable, about on level with popular science articles you might find online, and each essay is no more than a few pages long. I didn't find any of the information particularly groundbreaking or informative -- your mileage may vary.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little read, would be a fun table book to have. I didn't read each section, but the ones I did were very informative. I liked the format of question, background info, facts, and then an advice bit.

[Camille Akinnusotu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book and it was fun and interesting to read. If you’re curious about all the weird things we do as humans without taking in too much research this is the book for you. It also confirmed for me that multitasking is essentially bullshit.

[Candy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to browse...

[Natalia A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book to browse before giving it to your young teenager child

[Vanessa Burwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick and fun read. Illustrations are lovely.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and fun

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little book ranging in topics, easy to read. Fun to read and learn more about the science of why things and people are.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, with some things I didn't know and some penetrating observations.

[Ivan Titkov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book for teenagers - a sort of encyclopedia entertainment. No solid storyline, no so-whats. Don't waste your time if you're 25+

[NeedEnergy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's pretty, a lot of cool thoughts, though I still lack some proved info and maybe more facts or stracture.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughts…
This was such a cute little book that did indeed answer some often thought about questions.

I think this book did what it set out to do; answer commonly asked questions like “why do I forget things when I leave the room?” And “why do I procrastinate?” In a fun and easy to read format. It was short and sweet, tackling numerous topics in bite sized chunks. I would love to see these short stories more flushed out to tickle my interest a bit more, but I can understand why it was done the way it was. Overall, I enjoyed myself and learned a few new fun facts along the way.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content looks suspiciously lightweight until you realise it was written by an award-winning science communicator, and there is also a bibliography listing the many research papers behind the information presented in the book.
It is entertaining, easy to read, and contains a super-relatable list of questions and topics exposing the quirks of human behaviour - including things like why we crave snacks late at night, and why people enjoy scary / horror experiences.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot more interesting than I thought this book would be, would recommend for a short little read.

[Melissa Melfessity · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this. It was short, fun, and got to the point. Felt like those books we used to reads as preteens "chicken soup for the soul" or something that would give you small life tidbits. LOL. I think some points were too brief or weren't even really given an answer, but over all I think it was fine.

[Steph]

Jen is a friend of mine so I’m biased. Five stars.