Relatively Strange - Marilyn Messik

Forced to call on resources she didn't know she possessed and thrust headlong into the violence of a situation for which nothing could have prepared her, Stella’s suddenly face to face with the stark reality of medical experimentation and its horrifying consequences.

But in a world of uncertainties, she’s sure of one thing - this hero stuff really isn't her. Normal, or as near as damn it is what she wants,  and if that means smothering her instincts and adjusting her expectations well so be it. At least she'll know should she slip off the wagon occasionally, it'll be choice not chance, and to suit herself.

Isn't it a fact though, just when you think you've got yourself on track, events can overtake and derail you?

Relatively Strange, the first in the Strange Series introduces Stella; her irreverent sense of humour, the conviction she always knows best and an overdeveloped sense of justice. Throw into the mix a complete  inability to keep her nose out of other people's business and some serious psi abilities, and results are as unpredictably uncomfortable as you might expect.

What did I think?

Relatively Strange is perhaps the strangest book I have ever read; Strange by name and Strange by nature indeed.  Stella is such an amazing character and the way that this book is written from Stella's birth makes you feel like you've known her your whole life.  

Stella is a child of the 1950's and I was shocked to discover that her school days weren't very different from mine in the 1970's.  For pity's sake, for how many years did children suffer the boiled cabbage lunches and frog spawn tapioca and jam pudding?  I felt very nostalgic reading about PE lessons in the school hall with the bars along the walls and the pointless throwing of the coloured bean bags.  Of course, I hated PE and would have much rather been reading a book than doing roly polies on the mat but it did bring back some long forgotten, although not so fond, memories.

I loved Stella's Grandma and her Grandma's sisters.  I don't think it happens so much these days but many of my Dad's aunts used to mouth their words so that young ears couldn't hear.  The only problem was that nobody else could understand what they were saying either unless they were proficient in exaggerated lip reading.  The whole family dynamic and Stella's place in the family was very interesting to read and I loved how a lot of her family were blind to her abilities.  She couldn't possibly have flown up that tree so she must have climbed it!

When Stella's abilities become known, everything gets more sinister with the evil Doctor Dreck experimenting on gifted children.  Someone has to stop him before it's too late and Stella joins forces with a motley crew of gifted people who have a plan to rescue Dreck's latest patient.  It felt a bit like X-Men as Stella is trained for her mission and her fearlessness and bravery is quite astounding.

I bet a lot of people have wished that they could read someone's mind, when you wonder what someone is thinking or how they feel about you.  Well Stella has that gift and it's not all its cracked up to be, that's for sure.  It's actually quite sobering to realise that you really don't want to hear someone else's thoughts.  It's hardly surprising really if you consider how often you have negative thoughts about yourself, but it's always more hurtful hearing it from someone else.  Although there's nothing wrong with being different, it's perhaps good to be normal.

Written with such amazing humour and warmth, Relatively Strange is a very unusual, nostalgic and thought-provoking book.  I am delighted to see that Stella's story continues in Even Stranger and I look forward to picking up with her where we left off.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Pavlov's Dog: And 49 Other Experiments That Revolutionised Psychology - Adam Hart-Davis

Experimental psychology burst onto the intellectual scene in the middle part of the nineteenth century, radically transforming the way we understand human thought and behavior.

Featuring clear explanations and first-rate scholarship, Pavlov’s Dog introduces the reader to iconic experiments, including Pavlov’s salivating dogs, Bandura’s Bobo doll experiments, Milgram’s obedience studies and Zimbardo’s classic Stanford prison experiment. In each case, context, procedure, results and implications are carefully considered, allowing the reader to gain a strong sense of psychology as a living, breathing endeavour.

What did I think?

I just have to say first that I love the graph paper cover; it made me want to get out my pencil and ruler and plot some charts!  I also love the funky images that you can see at the top of the cover, they are replicated throughout the book and reminded me of Monty Python's Flying Circus.  The cover actually says a lot about the style of the book: it's science made fun by Adam Hart-Davis.

I've always had a keen interest in psychology and I think there's nothing more interesting than finding out how the human mind works.  I hadn't heard of Pavlov's Dog before reading the book but that is only one of the many amazing experiments that Adam Hart-Davis describes in bite-sized pieces.  The book is written in chronological order with experiments grouped into six parts so you can see how psychology has evolved throughout the ages.   

I not only found myself intrigued by the experiments, but I saw myself in so many of them.  Anyone who knows me will have heard me mentioning space invaders at one time or another.  No, not the video game but those people who stand TOO CLOSE!  Felipe and Sommer studied invasions into personal space in their 1966 experiment so I'm glad to see that I'm not alone in 'moving along the bench' when my space is invaded.

Another experiment that intrigued me was the peer pressure test conducted by Asch in 1956.  I remember going on a management course not long after I had read a psychology book (for fun, as you do).  The trainer conducted an experiment whereby he stated three facts about himself and asked the group which one was a lie.  The group's answers were split between two of the facts, whereas I was the only person who chose the fact that was actually the lie.  The psychology book I read had told me how to identify a lie but the point is that mine was the only answer that differed to the whole group.  Perhaps some of my colleagues agreed with my choice, but succumbed to peer pressure and went with the majority as Asch's study concluded.

So if you've ever wondered why you can't tickle yourself or wanted to know how you can hear with your eyes, this is the book for you.  It's a fascinating introduction to psychology for those new to the science, but also a fantastic reference guide to the main experiments that have shaped psychology into the science we know today.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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