I've come into contact with Richard Wiseman in a variety of skeptical forums - magazines, blogs, podcasts - which is how I first heard of this book. It's a fairly thorough debunking of a wide range of self-help theories, from baby Mozart to "The Secret". Instead, Wiseman offers advice distilled from concrete scientific studies. While the advice is obviously appreciated, I would also have appreciated a more in-depth look at the studies (why one study is better than another, how the results were replicated, etc.) before taking the advice. In reading this book, I think I was looking for a little less self-help and a little more criticism; as a self-help guide, I believe the book acquits itself admirably.

The book includes a lot of easy "life hacks." It was a fast and easy read that I truly enjoyed.

The most interesting part of the book, and perhaps the only interesting parts are the stories and anecdotes of various researches and studies conducted by various social scientists; other than that the book was pretty much lame and did not, in my view, live up to its title - 59 seconds.

The suggestions given by Wiseman take over a minute to read and much more to implement - 5 random acts of kindness, one for each day of the week - is not a 59 seconds endeavor. Moreover, none of the other suggestions and advice are really great either.

Finally, I have to admit, that I am usually a little biased against self-help books and hence, my review here can be skewed.

An entertaining jaunt into the often-daft world of self help books, rubbishing many of the more popular myths whilst providing quick, scientifically-sound replacements. Delivered with Wiseman's usual wit and charm.

I've read a lot of pop psychology books, but this one is quite different from the rest. Each chapter of this book takes a topic and describes various scientific psychology experiments that have direct bearing on the topic. Many of the experiments came to non-intuitive conclusions about human behavior. Then, the book shows how you, the reader, can take advantage of these conclusions in your everyday life. Scattered throughout the book are short psychological questionnaires that help focus the approach on your individual personality.

So many myths about human behavior are turned upside down in this book! The myth that brainstorming with a group of people will come up with better ideas is exploded. If you want a "first date" to be successful, take your date to some activity that will get your excitement levels up, that will elevate your heart rates. Praise a child for the effort that he/she showed in some endeavor, rather than praising the child for being "smart" or "fast". If you want a big favor from someone, first ask them for a small, insignificant favor. It is difficult--if not impossible--to detect a liar by his facial expressions, eye contact, fidgety behavior or tone of voice. The best giveaway is actually his choice of words.

This is a truly entertaining book. It successfully melds scientific research with advice on handling situations. Highly recommended!

Interesting, if not a litter heterosexist.

This was a great book, an easy read with some fascinating stats & a very dry sense of humour.

Really fun and engaging read, with lots of applicable advices.

A quick reference for provoking change.