Being Social: A Conversation with Roy Baumeister

This book is based on an in-depth conversation with Roy Baumeister, Professor of Psychology at the University of Queensland, exploring his unique combination of biological and psychological thinking in his research: from recognizing essential energetic factors involved with willpower and decision-making, to framing free will in evolutionary biological terms to measuring the numbness associated with social rejection as a form of analgesic response, and more.
This carefully-edited book includes an introduction, The Human Animal, and questions for discussion at the end of each chapter:
I. Psychology, Eventually - Third time lucky
II. A Discipline Evolves - The changing fashions of social psychology
III. The Energetic Agent - Yet another reason to eat more ice cream
IV. A Philosophical Digression - Miind, brain, and the difference between them
V. Free Will - Incorporating cultural factors into our decision-making
VI. Cultural Distinctiveness - And its relevance
VII. Numbed By Rejection - More than just a metaphor
This book is also part of the Ideas Roadshow Collection, CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, which features Carol Dweck, Philip Zimbardo, Barbara Fredrickson and Janko Tipsarevic as well. Available in hardcover, paperback and electronic format.
About Ideas Roadshow Conversations: Presented in an accessible, conversational format, Ideas Roadshow books not only explore frontline academic research but also reveal the inspirations and personal journeys behind the research.