The User's Guide to the Human Mind

Smith, a clinical psychologist and blogger at ironshrink.com, defines the mind as “the combined systems that churn away beneath our conscious awareness.” Because of a genetic history that reaches back to prehistoric days, our minds continually try to protect us from environmental dangers. These protection mechanisms, which can include anxiety, depression, instant gratification, pessimistic thoughts, and immobilizing thoughts, are the mind’s way of attempting to regulate our behavior and stop us from doing what it perceives as dangerous. Smith explains that only after we have found a set of values, i.e., “the principles and standards that drive us toward meaningful action,” can we act deliberately against what the mind dictates. Many exercises in introspection (some quite difficult) are provided to help achieve this aim, as well as strategies, case studies, and suggestions of lifestyle changes. VERDICT Despite plenty of humor and numerous examples, this discussion of the human psyche is complex—covering emotions, thoughts, moods, and the internal battle between our primitive and higher minds. Still, though it lacks the simple explanations necessary for wide appeal, the book will nevertheless please serious readers of psychology.