Title: Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You
Author: Sam Gosling
First published January 1, 2001
263 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9780465027811 (ISBN10: 0465027814)
Rating: 3.36
Overview
In Snoop: What Your Stuff Reveals About You, Sam Gosling delves into the fascinating world of personal belongings and their hidden meanings. Gosling’s team of researchers have investigated everything from individuals’ workspaces to their favorite websites, and have uncovered some surprising insights into the human psyche.
He shows us how our possessions can reveal our true personalities, and how the way we arrange them can speak volumes about our character. Through a combination of original research and intriguing anecdotes, Snoop provides a captivating window into the human soul, and shows just how deeply our environment affects who we are.
With this book, Gosling offers a fresh perspective on what it means to be human, and invites us to take a closer look at the things we surround ourselves with every day.
Editoral Review
Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You by Sam Gosling is a well-researched and fascinating exploration of how our possessions reveal our personalities. As a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, Gosling has spent years studying the relationship between our material possessions and our inner selves.
Published in 2001, the book still retains its relevance today in the age of social media and constant online surveillance. Gosling examines how our living spaces, workspaces, and even our digital footprints can reveal much about our personalities, from our values and beliefs to our habits and preferences.
The book is structured into four parts with each section building upon the previous one. Gosling starts with an introduction to the concept of space and place and how they relate to personality.
He then moves on to analyze how different types of possessions such as books, music, and art can reveal insights into our personalities. The second part of the book focuses on the digital world and how the information we share online, from our social media profiles to our search history, can reveal our true selves.
Gosling warns the reader of the risks and challenges of this online exposure, highlighting the importance of privacy and self-awareness. In part three, Gosling offers practical advice on how to improve our self-awareness and personal growth, showing us how to better decode the signals we send or receive from our environment.
Finally, in part four, he explores the implications of personality diagnosis and personality testing in different areas, such as marketing, education, and the workplace. One of the strengths of the book is how well-researched it is.
Gosling provides an impressive array of scientific studies and research to back up his arguments. He uses diverse examples throughout the book, from well-known figures like Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein to ordinary citizens, to illustrate how possessions and spaces can reveal personality.
Another strength of the book is Gosling’s engaging writing style. He explains complex concepts in an accessible and entertaining way, providing readers with a better understanding of their own personalities while keeping them captivated throughout the book.
Additionally, the numerous anecdotes and stories keep the reader interested and invested in the material. One point of critique of the book is that it can be a little too technical and academic at times, which may turn off some readers.
The book is not an easy read for those without a background in psychology, but the author does make an honest effort to explain concepts in simple terms. Overall, Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You is an insightful and engaging read that provides a better understanding of ourselves and our relationship with our possessions.
I would recommend it to anyone looking to gain more insight into their personality, as well as readers interested in psychology, self-help, or anthropology. This book scores a solid 4/5 for its fascinating insights and engaging writing style.