So what happens if a psychologist is challenged to see if there really are small changes you can make in your approach to life, which will achieve the sort of gains which are claimed by the bilge-spouting self-help gurus?

Well, as it happens, with the benefit of meticulous research (his, and making use of many others) Wiseman is able to identify 10 thinks which can be done in under a minute, and which are able to positively influence your life and the lives of others around you.

It will probably come as no surprise to find that precious little of this accords with the common advice from the gurus, and a lot of popular myths are deconstructed or debunked along the way, including some quite surprising ones: the power of visualisation, the efficacy of brainstorming, and active listening - while other unlikely ones are shown to have real benefit: doublethink and methods of enhancing creativity, for example, though there are many others.

Against which - while it's full of great information, it's a bit dry and at times it was a chore to keep reading.