Sensation: The New Science of Physical Intelligence - Softcover

'Thalma Lobel ... has written an intriguing, sometimes funny, sometimes rather alarming overview of just how much we are influenced by what our senses tell us.' * Sunday Times * 'An intriguing look at how our sensory perceptions affect our language and ability to understand abstract concepts but can also sway judgment. Shelve alongside Malcolm Gladwell, Dan Ariely and others in the pop-psych realm.' * Kirkus * 'Thalma's research is among the most innovative in psychology. Her lively, thoughtful book will reframe our view of how our minds work and how we become who we are.' -- Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational 'Sensation is a delightful collection of the most interesting ideas, experiments, and anecdotes from the world of psychology today. A terrific read if you're interested in why some people fall in love, some fall afoul of the law, and others fall prey to clever marketing ploys.' -- Adam Alter, New York Times bestselling author of Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces That Shape How We Think, Feel, and Behave and Assistant Professor of Marketing and Psychology, New York University's Stern School of Business 'Professor Lobel draws on rigorous science and makes it accessible, interesting, and actionable. By raising our awareness of the influence the external environment has on us, this wonderful book can help us live more fully, more sensually.' -- Tal Ben-Shahar, author of Happier and Choose the Life You Want

In Sensation, leading psychologist Thalma Lobel takes us on a trip around the senses, revealing the amazing extent to which our external environment profoundly shapes our thoughts, emotions and decisions about everything from the people we like to the way we work. She reveals how holding something warm can make us friendlier; how we perceive people as nicer if we know they like sweet foods; how we unconsciously equate height with power, weight with importance, cleanliness with morality. Drawing on evidence from her own studies and those of other leading researchers, Lobel reveals the psychology behind these remarkable findings for the first time to a general readership. She looks in particular at how abstract and physical concepts are linked in the brain, and asks: how can we use this information to our advantage? The answer: we can change people's perceptions of us, disarm aggressive negotiators, boost our creativity and much more, all by harnessing the untapped power of our physical intelligence.