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Books below and on the left are listed in order of pending or actual
publication date, starting with the most recent.
Click on any of the
links directly on the left to view any Smart Pop Books title.
Scroll down to
view Smart Pop "Psychology of Popular Culture" titles.
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The Psychology of
Superheroes:
An Unauthorized Exploration
March 2008Edited by Robin
Rosenberg, PhD
Suggested Retail Price:
$17.95 US | $22.95 CAN
Special Smart Pop Price:
$14.36 US | $18.36 CAN
People love
superheroes—they love to read about them, and they love to watch them.
Superheroes have survived in comics for more than 70 years, and the
recent slew of superhero films (Spiderman, Batman, Superman, the X-Men .
. . ) have almost all been box-office successes. But what is it that
makes superheroes tick?
In The Psychology of Superheroes, almost two dozen psychologists
get into the heads of today’s most popular and intriguing
superheroes. Why do superheroes choose to be superheroes? Where does
Spider-Man’s altruism come from, and what does it mean?Why is there so
much prejudice against the X-Men, and how could they have
responded to it, other than the way they did? Why are super-villains so
aggressive?
From psychoanalyzation of specific superheroes to shrewd interrogations
of why superheroes strike such a chord in us, The Psychology of
Superheroes exposes the inner workings our heroes usually only share
with their therapists.
Contributors Include:
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Christopher Peterson
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Wind Goodfriend
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Robin Rosenberg
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Michael Spivey
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Robert Biwas-Diener
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Mikhail Lyubansky
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Bryan Jay Dik
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Peter Hancock
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William J. Ickes
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Chuck Tate
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Andrew R Getzfeld
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Siamak Naficy
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Stephanie DeLusé
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Bradley Daniels
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Christopher Patrick
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Kerri Johnson
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Robert Kurzban
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Robin Rosenberg, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and coauthor of
Abnormal Psychology, Fundamentals of Psychology, and
Psychology in Context. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. |
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The Psychology of Joss Whedon: Unauthorized Exploration of Buffy, Angel,
and Firefly
December 2007
Edited by Joy Davidson,
PhD
Suggested Retail Price:
$17.95 US |
$22.95 CAN
Special Smart Pop
Price:
$14.36 US | $18.36 CAN
First there was
Buffy the Vampire Slayer; then its spin-off Angel; then the
cult hit Firefly and its follow-up film, Serenity. They
all had two things in common: their creator, Joss Whedon . . . and their
surprising psychological depth.
Revisit the worlds
of Joss Whedon . . . with trained psychologists at your side. What are
the psychological effects of constantly fighting for your life? Why is
neuroscience the Whedonverse’s most terrifying villain? How can watching
Joss’s shows help you take on your own psychological issues?
It’s all the best
parts of Psych 101—without Professor Walsh.
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Robert Kurzban
explains how Mal’s morals are a form of evolutionary pornography, and
why we like to watch
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Thomas Flamson
explores free will in the Whedonverse—with prophecies, sacred
duties, and the long arm of the Alliance, does anyone actually have
any?
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Carole Poole
demonstrates how Buffy and Spike’s season six relationship could be
considered metaphor for narcissistic personality disorder—and
concludes that Buffy may have been better off continuing it
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Bradley J.
Daniels
looks at River’s
Alliance-altered brain, and the real effects of “stripping” the
amygdala
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Mikhail
Lyubansky
shows why,
psychologically, death really is Buffy’s gift
- And editor
Joy Davidson takes on Angel’s mommy issues—how the course of his
whole extraordinary existence can be traced back to the woman who
made him a vampire
Other contributors
include:
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Robert Kurzban
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Nicholas R. Eaton and Robert F. Krueger
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Tracy R. Gleason and Nancy S. Weinfeld
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Brian Rabian and Michael Wolff
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Wind Goodfriend
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C. Albert Bardi and Sherry Hamby
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Misty K. Hook
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Siamak Tundra Naficy and Karthik Panchanathan
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Stephanie R.
deLusé
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Ed Connor
Joy Davidson, PhD, is a psychologist, sex therapist, advice
columnist, speaker, and author who has written for Cosmopolitan,
New Woman, Family Circle, Men’s Fitness, Seasons,
and First for Women, to name a few. Dr. Davidson holds a
doctorate in clinical psychology and a masters degree in counseling
psychology. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and an
AASECT certified sex therapist, as well a member of AASECT’s Board of
Directors. |
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The Psychology of Survivor
August 2007
Leading Psychologists Take an Unauthorized Look
at the Most Elaborate Psychological Experiment Ever Conducted… Survivor!
Edited by Richard J.
Gerrig, PhD
Suggested Retail Price:
$17.95 US |
$22.95 CAN
Special Smart Pop
Price:
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Survivor has proven to be one of
the most popular shows to ever hit television screens. What has this pop
culture phenomenon shown us – by placing a few hundred people on islands
around the world – about the psychological make-up of the average
American?
In Psychology of Survivor, the
third installment of BenBella Books’s Psychology of Popular Culture
series, leading psychologists – and fans of Survivor – unite to
offer up their expertise on the show that started the reality show
craze.
From why macho alpha males rarely win to
stress and body image, from situational ethics to the dreaded Rob
Cestaries factor, Psychology of Survivor is a broad look at
cutting-edge psychological issues through the lens of Survivor.
The tribe has spoken – Psychology of
Survivor is the best book for Survivor fans and psychology
enthusiasts alike!
Inside:
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How important are first impressions to
becoming the Sole Survivor? Benjamin Le, PhD, and
Gary Lewandowski, PhD, weigh in!
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Loneliness, hunger, lying – Anne
Moyer, PhD, examines the stresses of life as a Survivor
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How, after hundreds of reality show
variations, does Survivor manage to still hold our attention?
Amanda Dykema-Engblade, PhD, says arousal is the
reason
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Survivor may be full of deceit,
shaky alliances, and back stabbing, but Renee Engeln-Maddox,
PhD, thinks it’s an ideal environment for positive body image
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Did Richard Hatch’s personality
help him outwit and outlast the rest of his tribemates? Vivian
Zayas, PhD, gives an answer
Editor
Richard J. Gerrig, PhD, is a professor of psychology at Stony Brook
University. He received his BA from Yale in 1980 and his PhD from
Stanford in 1984. Gerrig’s
primary research focuses on readers’
experiences of narrative worlds. He considers both the basic cognitive
psychological processes that enable readers to understand discourse and
the broader consequences of readers’ experiences of being transported to
narrative worlds. With Philip Zimbardo, he is the author of the
introductory textbook, Psychology and Life.
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The Psychology of Harry Potter
May 2007
An Unauthorized Examination of the
Boy Who Lived
Edited by Neil
Mulholland, PhD
Suggested Retail Price:
$17.95 US |
$22.95 CAN
Special Smart Pop
Price:
$14.36 US | $18.36 CAN
Harry Potter on the Couch . . .
Harry Potter has
provided a portal to the wizarding world for millions of readers, but an
examination of Harry, his friends, and his enemies will take us on yet
another journey: through the psyche of the Muggle (and wizard!) mind.
The twists and turns
of the series, as well as the psychological depth and complexity of J.
K. Rowling’s characters, have kept fans enthralled with and puzzling
over the many mysteries that permeate Hogwarts and beyond.
Now, in The
Psychology of Harry Potter, leading psychologists delve into
the ultimate Chamber of Secrets, analyzing human mind and motivation by
examining the themes and characters that make the Harry Potter books the
bestselling fantasy series of all time.
Grab a spot on the
nearest couch, and settle in for some fresh revelations about our
favorite young wizard!
Explored Inside:
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Do the Harry Potter books encourage
disobedience? Melanie Green looks at resisting social
influence—the Hogwarts way
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Why is everyone so fascinated by
Professor Lupin? Siamak Tundra Naficy traces the evolution
and psychological impact of the werewolf myth, from ancient times to
today
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What exactly will Harry and his
friends do when they finally pass those N.E.W.T.s? Shoshana D.
Kerewsky, Psy.D., and Lissa Joy Geiken, M.Ed.,
take Hogwarts to task for not providing adequate career counseling
to ease students’ anxiety about the future
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Is Harry destined to end up alone? And
why did it take Ron and Hermione so long to get together? Wind
Goodfriend, Ph.D., explores attachment styles and how they
affect romantic relationships
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Do even wizards live by the ticking of
the clock? Peter A. Hancock and Michelle K. Gardner
examine the nature of time
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Jessica Murakami looks at the
role of madness and other mental illnesses in Harry’s world and our
own
Neil Mulholland,
Ph.D.,
was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland. He is presently a senior
psychologist in child and family psychiatry at the Glenrose
Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton, Canada, and consults for several
health teams in the region. He also runs a small private practice for
kids and adults, where he often uses Harry Potter as a therapeutic tool.
Dr. Mulholland graduated from Arizona State University in 1979 after
spending 10 years in the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico. He then
returned to Vancouver, Canada, and spent 20 years there before moving to
the prairies of Alberta. According to the online quizzes, he’s a bit of
a Mr. Weasley. |
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The Psychology of the Simpsons: D’oh!
March 2006
Edited
by Alan Brown, Ph.D., with Chris Logan
Suggested Retail Price:
$17.95 US |
$24.95 CAN
Special Smart Pop
Price:
$14.36 US | $19.96 CAN
Read
this review on Pop+Politics by Mark Radulich
Psychologists turn
their attention to The Simpsons, one of America’s most popular
and beloved shows, in these essays that explore the function and
dysfunctions of the show’s characters. Designed to appeal to both fans
of the show and students of psychology, this unique blend of science and
pop culture consists of essays by professional psychologists drawn from
schools and clinical practices across the country.
Each essay is
designed to be accessible, thoughtful and entertaining, while providing
the reader with insights into both The Simpsons and the latest in
psychological thought. Every major area of psychology is covered, from
clinical psychology and cognition to abnormal and evolutionary
psychology, while fresh views on eclectic show topics such as gambling
addiction, Pavlovian conditioning, family therapy and lobotomies are
explored.
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