Pg. 99: Sam Gosling's "Snoop"

The current feature at the Page 99 Test: Sam Gosling's Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You.

About the book, from the publisher:

Does what’s on your desk reveal what’s on your mind? Do those pictures on your walls tell true tales about you? And is your favorite outfit about to give you away? For the last ten years psychologist Sam Gosling has been studying how people project (and protect) their inner selves. By exploring our private worlds (desks, bedrooms, even our clothes and our cars), he shows not only how we showcase our personalities in unexpected-and unplanned-ways, but also how we create personality in the first place, communicate it others, and interpret the world around us. Gosling, one of the field’s most innovative researchers, dispatches teams of scientific snoops to poke around dorm rooms and offices, to see what can be learned about people simply from looking at their stuff. What he has discovered is astonishing: when it comes to the most essential components of our personalities-from friendliness to flexibility-the things we own and the way we arrange them often say more about us than even our most intimate conversations. If you know what to look for, you can figure out how reliable a new boyfriend is by peeking into his medicine cabinet or whether an employee is committed to her job by analyzing her cubicle. Bottom line: The insights we gain can boost our understanding of ourselves and sharpen our perceptions of others. Packed with original research and fascinating stories, Snoop is a captivating guidebook to our not-so-secret lives.

Among the early praise for Snoop:

“Sam Gosling is an engaging writer, a brilliant psychologist, and a charming individual—and he must never, ever be allowed inside my office!”
–Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Bonk

“If you are looking for a lover, a job, a new house, or a serial killer, Snoop is for you. It’s great science and a fun read by a world-renowned personality researcher.”
–James W. Pennebaker, author of Opening Up and Writing to Heal

“I love this book. The content is fascinating, and Gosling presents it with great style and clarity. He teaches you to find clues about people in the most unlikely places—from the clutter in their closets to the smiles on their faces. If you want to know what your stuff really says about you, read Snoop.”
–Jonathan Haidt, author of The Happiness Hypothesis

“Hugely enjoyable and insightful... Gosling has produced the perfect combination of rigorous research and lightness of prose to create a book that will transform every reader into a super snooper.”
–Richard Wiseman, author of Quirkology

“Gosling is the rarest of authors—a superb behavioral scientist who is as funny as he is smart. One of his great contributions is giving us fresh insight into what makes each of us who we are.”
–Dan P. McAdams, author of The Redemptive Self

“Snoop is a tour de force! It’s one of the smartest and most original books I’ve come across in a long time. I devoured it and then rushed over to clean up my desk and change my iPod playlist.”
–Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class and Who’s Your City?

Read an excerpt from Snoop, and learn more about the book and author at Sam Gosling's website.

Gosling is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.

The Page 99 Test: Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You.

--Marshal Zeringue