Popular by Mitch Prinstein and Why? by Mario Livio

POPULAR by Mitch Prinstein is subtitled “The Power of Likability in a Status-Obsessed World” and he stresses the difference – and relative desirability – between those two elements (likability and status). Prinstein is the John Van Seters Distinguished Professor of Psychology and the Director of Clinical Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and spends a great deal of time exploring the meaning of popularity, particularly the relationship between popularity in high school (or even childhood) and adult life.

Prinstein divides his argument into nine chapters with titles like “The Popularity Boomerang” and “Clicks and Cliques” (a look at the influence of social media). In some ways, it seems ironic that POPULAR will likely be used by our AP Psych classes, although they will certainly find much to relate to in his many anecdotes.  And hopefully, they will benefit from his view that “the more we understand about popularity and how it affects us throughout our lives, …. the better chance we have for meaningful, satisfying, and rewarding interpersonal relationships...” POPULAR received a starred review from Library Journal and numerous other positive comments, including those from authors such as Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink.   

WHY? by astrophysicist Mario Livio is another new psychology book and deals with “What Makes Us Curious.” One interesting aspect is that while Livio considers himself a very curious person, this field is not his specialty and he therefore needed to consult across disciplines with psychologists and neuroscientists. He begins the book with reference to Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour” and then introduces emphatic curiosity as well as the importance of surprise. Subsequent chapters refer to inventors and theorists such as da Vinci, Galileo and Feynman. 

Livio’s chapter five deals with the Intrinsic Love of knowledge and looks at curiosity as a “powerful source of motivation for its own sake,” much like we recently find students gravitating to library maker spaces for the chance to freely tinker and experiment. WHY? also involves a discussion of memory, willpower, and a quote attributed to Einstein: “The important thing is to not stop questioning.” 

 

The Grit Guide for Teens

I recently previewed THE GRIT GUIDE FOR TEENS written by Caren Baruch-Feldman, a certified school psychologist. While only about 150 pages, the book contains roughly two dozen activities to help teens understand grit, set effective goals and make grit a habit. It is written in a positive, conversational tone and talks, for example, about different types of grit or resilience (academic, social, wellness, extracurricular, and emotional) while providing profiles of various students to further illustrate its points.  A few years ago, I used Sean Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens with a Special Education class and can readily see where THE GRIT GUIDE FOR TEENS will be of interest to both students and faculty, especially to Social Work, Special Education and Advisor Chairs.  

The publisher says this work is research-based and that “studies show that grit isn’t something you have to be born with it can be taught and learned!” They also provide online resources and worksheets for parents and teachers. I am looking forward to pursuing this work with others; as Baruch-Feldman notes, “First, shake your head no. How does that make you feel? Now nod your head yes. How did that feel?” THE GRIT GUIDE FOR TEENS will be a valuable addition to our resources on mindset, stress management, and mindfulness.