Nonfiction: You Are Not So Smart / You Are Now Less Dumb, both by David McRaney

Books that originate from blogs are always very interesting to me, especially when they're on a pet topic like neurochemistry, behavior, and psychology.

I read these back to back, on August 5th and August 6th, and I probably should not have - they're a little repetitive even inside themselves, and even more so when compared to each other.  I know that it's the type of book where people can be presumed to read chapters at random, or to read the second book before the first, but it was a little jarring.

You are Not So Smart
David McRaney
ISBN: 9781592406593

You are Now Less Dumb
David McRaney
ISBN: 9781592408054
Both Nonfiction; behavioral science and neuro-psychology.

First off, I saw these float through the library, and was really taken by the cover, so congratulations on mastering that specific portion of influence and marketing.

Once inside, the short chapters didn't quite ever get deep enough into the crunchy bits for my taste, but I fully realize I'm an outlier who reads actual journal articles because they're interesting.  (They'd be more interesting if statistics weren't as impenetrable to me as Mandarin Chinese, but one must persevere.)  The topics were a bit scatter-shot, and I think this more than anything reflects the blogged origins of the book.  There just wasn't much connection or build between the chapters, and that is much more reminiscent of a blog, where each post is pretty much taken on it's own unless it specifically references another.  In a book, even nonfiction, the ebb and flow of an overall narrative structure (which, ironically enough, is addressed in decent length in both books) makes the journey through the pages (see, I'm even doing it here) seem more enlightening and fulfilling.

It's the difference between those amazing Japanese conveyer-belt eateries, and a good 4 star restaurant.

In the first, you get to pick and choose, and each dish is designed to stand alone.  You eat too much because you want a little bit of everything (and if you're American, you waste more than you should by tasting and then not finishing when you didn't like it), you don't really have a set beginning or ending (oooh, I just sat down, but mochi is coming through right now!) and there isn't any exterior cue for you to stop eating (other than the incriminating pile of plates you accumulate) until you finally waddle your satiated way up to pay the amazing low price for your gastronomical sins.

In the second, you have a narrative established.  Everything from the table (dressed in crystal, heavy utensils, and vivid white cloths) to the high-class music (played softly) and the lighting (also soft) makes the meal into an experience rather than a simple dinner.  As for the food, there's an order there also.  Appetizer, soup, salad, entree, dessert, a drink (or two, or three - no more than three in this environment) and a helpful menu and staff optimize your choices into a pleasing progression that ends with you happily forking over a ridiculous amount of money for your experience.