Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us: Recent Episodes

Amy Alkon

Nationally syndicated advice columnist Amy Alkon's podcast with the luminaries of behavioral science and psychotherapy.

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Why low-carb, high-fat eating is the healthiest kind and how to go about it
Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Dietary researcher Dr. Jeff Volek lays out the science behind why you should declare your independence from dietary carbohydrates -- sugar, flour, starchy vegetables like potatoes, apple juice -- that cause the insulin secretion that puts on fat. Not only that, he explains why eating enough fat -- the right kind of fat -- is essential to getting and staying healthy.

Dr. Michael Eades calls Dr. Volek's book (co-authored with Dr. Stephen Phinney) "the best low-carb book in print."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Please buy my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Psychologist Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, who researchest happiness, explains that we are actually very poor predictors of what makes us happy or unhappy. Of course, it doesn’t help that we’ve been stuck with a lot of cultural myths about what things and situations should and shouldn’t.

On this show, which focuses mainly on relationships, Dr. Lyubomirsky lays out the realities shown in the research and also give us simple, practical ways to be happier -- as well as practical thinking on how to assess when that’s just not possible and it’s time to get out.

Dr. Lyubomirsky's book: The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn't; What Shouldn't Make You Happy, but Does.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On this show, Dr. Jonathan Gottschall talks about his foray from bummed out adjunct English professor to the Mixed Marshall Arts world and his big cage fight -- along with the psychology driving violence and the fight rituals that actually contain it. His fascinating book we'll be discussing on the show: The Professor in the Cage: Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my "science-help" book on the PROCESS of living with confidence, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science...and this week, a top investigative science journalist.

Saturated fat is your friend. Really.

It turns out everything we've been told about eating fat is wrong. On tonight's show, meticulous journalist Nina Teichholz will lay out the scientific errors, bias, and dangerous misrepresentations that have underpinned the dietary dogma of the past 60 years.

She'll also lay out the findings of solid science -- why eating more dietary fat will lead us to better health and fitness.

Join us as she discusses all of this and more from her terrific book, "The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show and change your life by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, featuring the luminaries of behavioral science.

It turns out some of the ways parents think they’ll get their kids to behave -- by berating, threatening, and punishing them -- are actually the least effective.

My guest tonight, Yale University psychology professor, Dr. Alan E. Kazdin, who is also director of the Yale Parenting Center, has a parenting template that is not only effective at changing behavior in children, it does it by cutting out the screaming, yelling, and threatening.

Dr. Kazdin has written a fantastic and highly practical book, “The Everyday Parenting Toolkit: The Kazdin Method for easy, step-by-step, lasting change for you and your child.” Join us for an incredibly effective, science-based rethink on how to parent kids into behaving the way you want -- with a minimum of stress and unhappiness for both you and your kids.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please support this show by buying my science-based and darkly funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Joshua Wolf Shenk uses science, fascinating true stories of creative partnerships, and historical evidence to dispel the myth of the lone genius and show that creativity is not the work of an individual mind. It is, in fact, a social activity, and two people, working together, are truly "greater than the sum of their parts." Join us tonight to find out what it takes to be a creative partner -- and in turn, how to be far more than you can be alone.

Shenk's book we'll be discussing is Powers Of Two: Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Buy my highly practical "science-help" book on the practices of transforming to live with confidence, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence (St. Martin's Griffin, 2018).

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

There have been two major schools on negotiating -- Ury, Fisher and Patton's "win-win"/"relationships are everything" approach and Roger Cohen's "nail 'em to the wall" hardball approach. 

Harvard Business School professor Michael Wheeler finds that these rigid, one-size-fits-all strategies often clash with the real-world realities of negotiating. Drawing on his and his colleagues' research, he finds that the most successful negotiating techniques are born of an ability to adapt while negotiating, and use agility, creativity, and wise preparation. 

He'll advise us all on how to adapt (and do all the rest) in order to win in negotiation, the subject of his book we'll be discussing on the show, "The Art of Negotiation: How to Improvise Agreement in a Chaotic World."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

What do men want? In bed and out? What do women want? How does this all tie together? (And who’s getting tied up?)

These are just a few of the questions I’ll be asking and sex therapist Dr. Brandy Engler will be answering on tonight’s show.

Dr. Engler is unique in that she opened a sex therapy practice for women -- expecting to slowly get some clients -- and quickly amassed a full list of clients: all men.

Engler and New York Times best-selling biographer David Rensin have published a fascinating book about her sessions and her insights, The Men On My Couch: True Stories of Sex, Love, and Psychotherapy.

This is your chance to go inside her sessions -- to see into the erotic minds of men. And not pervos or deviants, but regular guys. Men we all know.

Beyond the men, we will also see into the minds of the women having sex with these men -- or refusing to -- and find out why, and what it takes to balance love and eroticism in a relationship.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show -- and get some highly practical science-based advice -- by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On tonight's show, noted sociologist Dr. Eric Klinenberg discusses why remaining unmarried and living alone have increasing appeal and what the problems of living solo tend to be -- and how we might solve them.

We'll touch both on living solo as a younger person (whether romantically single or "living apart together" with a partner), and how we can live alone as we age.

Dr. Klineberg's book is Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday from 7-8 pm Pacific and 10-11 pm Eastern, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence. (St. Martin's Griffin, 2018.)

"Unf*ckology" was serialized in the Feb. 2018 Psychology Today. It's one of Quillette's 10 book picks for 2018 along with Steven Pinker's. And it's an ELLE 2018 book pick: "Practical and hilarious."

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HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Unlike the guests on almost all of my shows, my guest tonight is actually not a scientist -- he's business consultant, public speaker, and best-selling author Mark Sanborn.

But this is the second time I've made an exception and had him on the show, because his thinking is so extraordinary, inspiring, and helpful.

To bring up that word again -- "extraordinary" -- being extraordinary means being a stand-out person in your work, friendships, and relationships. We tend to think being that is either something you're born with or you're not. But Sanborn will show you tonight that this isn't the case.

He'll explain why "extraordinary" is something you can choose to be, and explain how to recalibrate your thinking so you can achieve and maintain that. As for why to do this, his book we'll be discussing — "Fred 2.0: New ideas on how to keep delivering extraordinary results" — and this show should make very clear that living "extraordinary" is living and working fulfilled in a way that living ordinary just can't meet.

Join me and my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence." It lays out the PROCESS of how you can transform to live with confidence, plus countless tips for habit change, productivity, and more.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On this show, anthropologist Dr. Kermyt Anderson will lay out what the research says about fathers, stepfathers, grandparents, and how children are transformed by and transform the men who care for them. 

Dr. Anderson’s book we’ll be discussing tonight is Fatherhood: Evolution and Human Paternal Behavior. It was co-authored with fellow anthropologist Peter B. Gray. Also check out Anderson and Gray’s blog at Psychology Today, “The Evolving Father.” 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Decisions that we make that seem stupid can actually make a lot of evolutionary sense, meaning that they would have made sense in the ancestral world; they just don’t make sense in the world in which we now live.

Unfortunately, we can’t just tell our genes, “Hey, it’s 2013! There are no hungry tigers roaming the streets of Baltimore and, by the way, my girlfriend’s on The Pill.” 

But, my guest tonight, evolutionary psychologist, psychologist and marketing professor Dr. Vladas Griskevicius, is going to give us the background to make wiser choices by helping us understand the ways we can be primed to act against our modern interests. 

His fascinating book, co-authored with Dr. Douglas Kenrick, is “The Rational Animal: How Evolution Made Us Smarter Than We Think.” 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Order my science-based book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence. (Jan 23, 2018, St. Martin's Griffin.)

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HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin lay out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show on flirting. It turns out that flirting is anything but frivolous. In fact, understanding the science of flirting and mastering the most powerful techniques is the way to both get love in your life and have it stick around. Tune in to find out all the moves you'll need.  

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new science-based (and darkly funny) book on the process of living with confidence is "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence," and Jennifer’s science-based safari through the world of animal sex and "dating" is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Low-carb pioneers Dr. Michael Eades and Dr. Mary Dan Eades are my guests this week. Since the 1980s, they have been behind evidence-based ways to eat, and have helped thousands and thousands of people drop pounds without starving themselves. 

They have long understood that it is carbohydrates -- sugar, flour, starchy vegetables like potatoes, apple juice -- that cause the insulin secretion that puts on fat.  

On the show, we'll talk about how to maintain a way of eating, and debunk a lot of widely held myths about diet -- myths many doctors still cling to. 

Buy their books at Amazon at this link.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. 

Please support the show by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, featuring the luminaries of behavioral science.

It turns out some of the ways parents think they’ll get their kids to behave -- by berating, threatening, and punishing them -- are actually the least effective.

My guest tonight, Yale University psychology professor, Dr. Alan E. Kazdin, who is also director of the Yale Parenting Center, has a parenting template that is not only effective at changing behavior in children, it does it by cutting out the screaming, yelling, and threatening.

Dr. Kazdin has written a fantastic and highly practical book, “The Everyday Parenting Toolkit: The Kazdin Method for easy, step-by-step, lasting change for you and your child.” Join us for an incredibly effective, science-based rethink on how to parent kids into behaving the way you want -- with a minimum of stress and unhappiness for both you and your kids.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and darkly funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Many people seem to think that the most effective motivation comes from outside of us, that motivating is something one person does to or for another. The studies done by my guest tonight, psychologist Dr. Edward L. Deci, find that self-motivation, not external motivation, is at the heart of creativity, responsibility, healthy behavior, and lasting change.

This is essential to understand whether we are trying to motivate ourselves or looking to encourage others to successfully motivate themselves.

On tonight's show, Dr. Deci will tell us what research shows about we go wrong in our thinking on motivation and how we can become more self-motivated -- and thus happier and more successful in every aspect of our lives.

Dr. Deci's book we'll be discussing tonight is "Why We Do What We Do: Understanding Self-Motivation." 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday (at our new half-hour time), 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support my show (and increase your confidence and become more productive) by buying my new "science-help" book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On this show, neuroscientist David Linden takes us on a journey from our fingertips to our funparts and explains how huge an influence touch is in every aspect of our lives. He'll lay out, for example, how touch can improve your success in business and how vital touch is to a child's development and well being and about how much touch a child needs.

We'll be discussing his book, Touch: The Science of Heart, Hand, and Mind.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday (at our new half-hour time), 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support my show (and increase your confidence and become more productive) by buying my new "science-help" book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

This is a show on how the negative can be positive -- on how we actually need the emotions that make us uncomfortable. They make us whole, balancing the "positive" emotions. Dr. Todd Kashdan will lay out the science on how anger, anxiety, and other "negative" feelings can actually be motivating, illuminating, and helpful -- giving us our best shot at success and fulfillment.

Dr. Kashdan's myth-busting book he'll be discussing, co-authored with Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener, is “The Upside of Your Dark Side: Why Being Your Whole Self--Not Just Your ‘Good’ Self--Drives Success and Fullfillment.”

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-7:30 p.m. PT, 10-10:30 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support my show (and increase your confidence and become more productive) by buying my new "science-help" book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science and psychotherapy.

Dossie Easton is co-author of a terrific book, "The Ethical Slut," that I've been recommending for years to people who ask me about sexually open relationships -- whether they can handle one, how to handle them, all the questions they have.

This promises to be a fascinating and eye-opening show, and one not to be missed even if you aren't personally interested in having more than one sex partner. Dossie will get into myths about ways we view love and sex, and smarter, healthier ways of thinking that are illuminating for all.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show and change your life by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science...and this week, a top investigative science journalist.

Saturated fat is your friend. Really. 

It turns out everything we've been told about eating fat is wrong. On tonight's show, meticulous journalist Nina Teichholz will lay out the scientific errors, bias, and dangerous misrepresentations that have underpinned the dietary dogma of the past 60 years.

She'll also lay out the findings of solid science -- why eating more dietary fat will lead us to better health and fitness. 

Join us as she discusses all of this and more from her terrific book, "The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet." 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show and change your life by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science and therapy.

Whether you're an anger venter or an anger withholder (or something in between), this is a show for you. 

My guest tonight, therapist Dr. Andrea Brandt, writes that “our culture has a built-in phobia of negative emotions,” which isolates us from each other and has myriad unhealthy and counterproductive effects on us personally.

Her goal -- in her book, Mindful Anger: a pathway to emotional freedom, and on this show -- is not to help you get rid of your anger but to help you understand and handle it in healthy and constructive ways. You should, in turn, find that this leads to cascading positive effects in every arena of your life. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show and improve yourself with a copy of my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Context is everything, Tufts psychology professor Dr. Sam Sommers explains. What we believe, how we behave, and even how we see ourselves shifts more than we understand, depending on the situation we find ourselves in at a particular moment.

For example, contrary to popular belief, context (like whether we're standing in a crowd), and not moral character, will often determine whether people will reach out and help someone in need.

On tonight's show, Dr. Sommers will lay out how understsanding the surprisingly powerful impact of context can help us combat our biases in seeing and decision-making -- in turn helping us be more effective at work, with our families, in our friendships and relationships, and out in the world.

Sam's book: Situations Matter: Understanding How Context Transforms Your World

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my new "science-help" book on the PROCESS of living with confidence, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Wharton organizational psychologist Dr. Adam Grant talks about his terrific book, "Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success," (now in paperback) which draws from research to explain what makes giving both powerful and dangerous to people's achieving their goals.

Paradoxically, it's often those who give without looking for anything in return -- who just want to do good, open the playing field to good people -- who ultimately get the most in return. But, Grant warns, there are caveats to this -- and he lays them out in the book and we'll discuss them as well as giving's many nuances and benefits on the show. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my new "science-help" book on the PROCESS of living with confidence, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Psychologist Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, who researchest happiness, explains that we are actually very poor predictors of what makes us happy or unhappy. Of course, it doesn’t help that we’ve been stuck with a lot of cultural myths about what things and situations should and shouldn’t.

On this show, which focuses mainly on relationships, Dr. Lyubomirsky lays out the realities shown in the research and also give us simple, practical ways to be happier -- as well as practical thinking on how to assess when that’s just not possible and it’s time to get out. 

Dr. Lyubomirsky's book: The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn't; What Shouldn't Make You Happy, but Does.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Tonight’s show is about women and sexual power -- why some women feel like passive participants in their sex lives and why and how other women are able to feel comfortable in their sexual skin.

My guest is Penn State researcher Dr. Beth Montemurro, and her book we’re discussing is Deserving Desire: Women’s Stories of Sexual Evolution.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and darkly funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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HumanLab -- The Science Between Us: Amy Alkon interviews the luminaries of behavioral science on how their research can help us have the lives we want.

On this show is evolutionary psychologist Dr. Geoffrey Miller, who lays out the realities from science of what women really want and how even a regular guy can measure up (as opposed to trying to scam a woman into bed). His new book he'll be discussing on the show, co-authored with Tucker Max, is "Mate: Become the Man Women Want."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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It's Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us.

On this show, exercise trainer and rehab expert Fred Hahn explains why slow-speed strength training, for just a few minutes a week, will make you healthier than that fitness fanatic who spends hours and hours in the gym. (He lays out fascinating and solid evidence throughout the show.)

Fred is co-author, with Dr. Michael Eades and Dr. Mary Dan Eades, whom I greatly respect, of The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution: The Slow-Motion Exercise That Will Change Your Body In 30 Minutes A Week.

He will debunk all the myths most of us hold about exercise and fitness, and leave you with a plan for exercise that will make you fitter and healthier, and will only eat 12-15 minutes of your week. 

This is a not-to-be-missed show. This method of exercise has improved my health and my life and I'm hoping you'll follow my lead.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, from 7-8 pm Pacific and 10-11 pm Eastern, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and darkly funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science and the therapy world. 

You can actually improve your mating intelligence -- and your ability to meet, date, and have sex and relationships with partners you want. 

My guests tonight are evolutionary psychologists Dr. Glenn Geher and Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, discussing their book Mating Intelligence Unleashed: The Role of the Mind in Sex, Dating, and Love. It’s based on a vast body of research, and the book, like tonight’s show, will tell you, for example:

•What the research shows men and women really want (which is sometimes different from what they think they want). 

•How a "nice guy" can make himself more appealing to women.

•The physical traits of a guy who probably shouldn't waste his time trying to get casual sex. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my science-based and darkly funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science and the therapy world. 

Competition can be seen as ugly and divisive but it’s actually an essential element in driving us to do and be our best. 

My guest tonight, New York Times best-selling science writer Ashley Merryman, will lay out the science of winning and losing, including how we can figure out the kind of competitor we are (to help ourselves avoid choking), the differences between how men and women compete, and ways to rejigger our thinking so we use competition in ways that serve us instead of defeating us.

Her excellent book, co-authored with Po Bronson, that we’ll be discussing tonight, is “Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing.” 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and darkly funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Unlike the guests on almost all of my shows, my guest tonight is actually not a scientist -- he's business consultant, public speaker, and best-selling author Mark Sanborn.

But this is the second time I've made an exception and had him on the show, because his thinking is so extraordinary, inspiring, and helpful.

To bring up that word again -- "extraordinary" -- being extraordinary means being a stand-out person in your work, friendships, and relationships. We tend to think being that is either something you're born with or you're not. But Sanborn will show you tonight that this isn't the case.

He'll explain why "extraordinary" is something you can choose to be, and explain how to recalibrate your thinking so you can achieve and maintain that. As for why to do this, his book we'll be discussing — "Fred 2.0: New ideas on how to keep delivering extraordinary results" — and this show should make very clear that living "extraordinary" is living and working fulfilled in a way that living ordinary just can't meet.

Join me and my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence." It lays out the PROCESS of how you can transform to live with confidence, plus countless tips for habit change, productivity, and more.

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HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

This show will help you use the new field of adult attachment science to find love -- or to keep and even vastly improve the relationship you have.

My guest is neuroscientist Dr. Amir Levine, co-author with psychologist Rachel S.F. Heller, of Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find -- and Keep -- Love.

If you’re seeking a partner, by recognizing which of the three attachment styles you fit into, you can help yourself avoid all the usual troubles you get into while dating.

If you're in a relationship, by recognizing which form of attachment you exhibit and which your partner does, you can stop battling each other, behave more lovingly to each other, and better meet each other’s needs.

The partner who longs for more closeness can recognize their need and stop always acting so demanding of a partner who needs a little more distance to feel comfortable. At the same time, they can come to understand that their partner loves them, and that it's largely their style of attachment that makes them harangue the other person for closeness, which can help them pull back a little.

In turn, the person who's more distant can recognize their style but come around in small and regular ways that reassure their more intimacy-seeking partner.

Join me and my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

We have a depression epidemic in this country, now affecting more than 15% of the population, and it’s striking people at younger and younger ages. It seems clear that our current modes of understanding and treating depression just aren’t working.

My guest tonight, psychologist Dr. Jonathan Rottenberg, draws on research to show why we are failing to help depression sufferers and turns to our evolutionary roots to offer a nuanced understanding of why we get depressed, explaining why our modern environment’s mismatch with our evolved psychology can drag us depression. All of this leads to insights on how we might help depression sufferers get better, or, at the very least, not lead them to feel defective and broken because they are depressed. 

His inspiring and scientifically rigorous book we’ll be discussing tonight is The Depths: The Evolutionary Origins of the Depression Epidemic. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence." It lays out the PROCESS of how you can transform to live with confidence, plus countless tips for habit change, productivity, and more.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On this show, neuroscientist David Linden takes us on a journey from our fingertips to our funparts and explains how huge an influence touch is in every aspect of our lives. He'll lay out, for example, how touch can improve your success in business and how vital touch is to a child's development and well being and about how much touch a child needs.

We'll be discussing his book, Touch: The Science of Heart, Hand, and Mind.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday (at our new half-hour time), 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence." It lays out the PROCESS of how you can transform to live with confidence, plus countless tips for habit change, productivity, and more.

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab --The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

We aren’t the independent thinkers we like to believe ourselves to be.

Psychologist and researcher Dr. Adam Alter shows in his fascinating book, Drunk Tank Pink, that a host of forces -- internal, social, and environmental -- drive our thinking and beliefs, and in turn, our actions.

On tonight’s show, he’ll lay out the ways we are influenced, sometimes causing substantial changes in our behavior that make the difference between success and failure in our endeavors. Knowing these influences is the best way to avoid being swept away by them, so don’t miss this show.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence." It lays out the PROCESS of how you can transform to live with confidence, plus countless tips for habit change, productivity, and more.

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HumanLab -- The Science Between Us: Amy Alkon interviews the luminaries of behavioral science.

Dr. Jesse Bering’s book, “Perv,” is subtitled “The Sexual Deviant in All of Us.” This is a book about weird sex but it’s also a book about all of the ways that even “normal” people fall along the spectrum of “perversions.”  

Tonight’s show, like Bering’s book, will be a fascinating inside look into how our specific sexual desires seem to be shaped in childhood, how sexually not “normal” some of the most seemingly normal people are, and how human psychology leads us to find others’ sex practices upsetting and creepy instead of just different from our own.

As Bering writes, “Humans aren’t the only sex deviants in the animal kingdom. But we are the only ones to stigmatize each other as disgusting perverts.”

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence." It lays out the PROCESS of how you can transform to live with confidence, plus countless tips for habit change, productivity, and more.

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Cognitive psychologist Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman lays out why intelligence tests currently used are far too limiting in determining a student’s true potential. 

Kaufman is a rigorous researcher whose work I know and respect, but his new book, UNGIFTED: Intelligence Redefined, offers much more than science. It offers inspiration in Kaufman’s own story as a “late listener” (due to a spate of ear infections) who was put into learning disabled classes. And then, in 9th grade, through sheer determination, pushed his way into a gifted kids’ class -- ultimately going on to Yale, getting a Ph.D., then going on to become a young professor at NYU.

On this show, we’ll discuss the limitations of current testing and a host of other things that matter in whether a child succeeds and how Scott thinks we would better assess talent, creativity, and “the many paths to greatness.”

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun, 7-8 p.m. Pacific, 10-11 p.m. Eastern, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and darkly funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

My guest is social psychologist Dr. Carol Tavris, on how to admit mistakes instead of continuing to make them. She talks about common ways we make errors in reasoning and judgment that mess up our lives, and how to avoid them.

Her terrific book, co-authored with Dr. Elliot Aronson, is one of my favorites: Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts.

Join me and my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and darkly funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

We like to believe our decisions are rationally driven and make sense. But constantly, our perception and decision-making are clouded by illusions we aren't even aware we have. Some of these include illusions of accuracy in our attention, memory, confidence, and knowledge. These illusions can lead us to make costly - and even deadly - errors.

The good news is, by understanding what these illusions are and how we fall prey to them, we can avoid doing it (or do it far less), make more rationally-based decisions, and live smarter overall.

To help us do that, my guest tonight, psychologist and researcher Dr. Christopher Chabris is half of the team (with psychologist and researcher Dan Simons) who did the famous and hilarious "invisible gorilla experiment." It's also the title of their fascinating book, "The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us."

Tonight, we'll be discussing this experiment and others, why we're so convinced we're perceiving situations correctly when we're doing anything but, and how we can stop and live like the rational animals we believe we are.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday (at our new half-hour time), 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my "science-help" book on the PROCESS of transforming to live with confidence, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of therapy and behavioral science.

This is not just a show for and about men but a show for anyone who cares about equal rights and fairness for all.

Tonight's guest is psychologist Dr. Helen Smith talking about how, in America, it's become permissible -- and even fashionable -- to be anti-male and what men can (and must) do to start changing this.

What men have been doing is going on strike -- dropping out of college, leaving the workforce, and avoiding marriage and fatherhood in droves.

There are countless articles sneering at the man who is more man-child than grownup, but Smith, in her book, Men on Strike: Why Men Are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood, and the American Dream - and Why It Matters, contends that men aren't dropping out because they're stuck in arrested development; they are responding rationally to the lack of incentive they see in becoming fathers, husbands, and providers.

On this show, Smith will lay out the problems -- including shocking discrimination against men such as rampant paternity fraud, condoned and even encouraged by the government -- and what she sees as steps toward solutions, for men in general and for the individual man.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun, 7-8 p.m. Pacific, 10-11 p.m. Eastern, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence. (St. Martin's Griffin, 2018.)

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On tonight's show, noted sociologist Dr. Eric Klinenberg discusses why remaining unmarried and living alone have increasing appeal and what the problems of living solo tend to be -- and how we might solve them.

We'll touch both on living solo as a younger person (whether romantically single or "living apart together" with a partner), and how we can live alone as we age.

Dr. Klineberg's book is Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday from 7-8 pm Pacific and 10-11 pm Eastern, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence. (St. Martin's Griffin, 2018.)

"Unf*ckology" was serialized in the Feb. 2018 Psychology Today. It's one of Quillette's 10 book picks for 2018 along with Steven Pinker's. And it's an ELLE 2018 book pick: "Practical and hilarious."

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Dr. Dylan Evans will be talking about risk intelligence and how you can increase your ability to make wise decisions. 

Wise decisions are fact-based decisions instead of the superstition- and ignorance-based ones that are often the defaults ones our brain pushes us toward. 

It’s especially important to be factual about your own level of ignorance surrounding an area you need to make a decision about and factor that in. 

Evans' very smart book we'll be discussing is RISK INTELLIGENCE: How to live with uncertainty. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence. (St. Martin's Griffin, 2018.)

"Unf*ckology" was serialized in the Feb. 2018 Psychology Today. It's one of Quillette's 10 book picks for 2018 along with Steven Pinker's. And it's an ELLE 2018 book pick: "Practical and hilarious."

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Dr. Stanton Peele points out that most people recover from addictions on their own -- without AA or rehab, and what makes the difference is values, not biology.

On tonight’s show, he’ll debunk many of the myths in addiction treatment -- especially the notion that addiction is a “disease” people are powerless to overcome. That defeatest message is especially counterproductive to overcoming addiction, and it’s been supported with bad science and hearsay. Join us tonight to hear what solid science says about how addiction or bad habits can be overcome -- to the point where people are not just going cold-turkey off some substance or behavior till their next relapse, but where they develop meaningful ways of coping that no longer have them turning to their old crutch.

Peele’s book we’ll be discussing is Recover! Stop Thinking Like an Addict and Reclaim Your Life with The PERFECT Program. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Buy my highly practical "science-help" book on the practices of transforming to live with confidence, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence (St. Martin's Griffin, 2018).

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Joshua Wolf Shenk uses science, fascinating true stories of creative partnerships, and historical evidence to dispel the myth of the lone genius and show that creativity is not the work of an individual mind. It is, in fact, a social activity, and two people, working together, are truly "greater than the sum of their parts." Join us tonight to find out what it takes to be a creative partner -- and in turn, how to be far more than you can be alone.

Shenk's book we'll be discussing is Powers Of Two: Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Buy my highly practical "science-help" book on the practices of transforming to live with confidence, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence (St. Martin's Griffin, 2018).

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

My guest is Fortune 500 executive coach and charisma expert Olivia Fox Cabane.

Cabane lays out, per research on leadership, why the personal magnetism we call charisma isn’t something people are just born with but something we can all acquire and perfect with knowledge and practice. Even people who aren’t extraverts.

Her book we're discussing is The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Order my "science-help" book on the practice of living with confidence, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence (St. Martin's Griffin, 2018).

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Decisions that we make that seem stupid can actually make a lot of evolutionary sense, meaning that they would have made sense in the ancestral world; they just don’t make sense in the world in which we now live.

Unfortunately, we can’t just tell our genes, “Hey, it’s 2013! There are no hungry tigers roaming the streets of Baltimore and, by the way, my girlfriend’s on The Pill.” 

But, my guest tonight, evolutionary psychologist, psychologist and marketing professor Dr. Vladas Griskevicius, is going to give us the background to make wiser choices by helping us understand the ways we can be primed to act against our modern interests. 

His fascinating book, co-authored with Dr. Douglas Kenrick, is “The Rational Animal: How Evolution Made Us Smarter Than We Think.” 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Order my science-based book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence. (Jan 23, 2018, St. Martin's Griffin.)

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Low-carb pioneers Dr. Michael Eades and Dr. Mary Dan Eades are my guests this week. Since the 1980s, they have been behind evidence-based ways to eat, and have helped thousands and thousands of people drop pounds without starving themselves. 

They have long understood that it is carbohydrates -- sugar, flour, starchy vegetables like potatoes, apple juice -- that cause the insulin secretion that puts on fat.  

On the show, we'll talk about how to maintain a way of eating, and debunk a lot of widely held myths about diet -- myths many doctors still cling to. 

Buy their books at Amazon at this link.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. 

Please support the show by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Evolutionary psychologist Dr. David P. Barash has taken on the fascinating subject of revenge: why we seem to need it, the different kinds, and how we might avoid leaping to clobber those who do bad things to us.

His book, Payback: Why We Retaliate, Redirect Aggression, And Take Revenge, is co-authored with psychiatrist Dr. Judith Eve Lipton.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. 

Please support the show by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

My guest is the inspiring Dr. Temple Grandin, bestselling author, autism activist, and consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior, discussing her fascinating new book, The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across The Spectrum.

This isn't just a show for people who have friends or children with autism or autism spectrum disorders but a show that offers compelling thinking on how to see intelligence, creativity, and differences between brains, and how to help people use their brains in optimal ways. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. 

Please support the show by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

Relationships with family -- and the pets that are part of our families -- are important to our emotional health and can play a significant role in our social success.

Tonight, evolutionary psychologist Dr. Catherine Salmon will lay out some fascinating information about our evolved psychology within our families, including -- among other things -- how rivalry isn’t just a sibling thing but a parent-child thing and how and why we create family relationships with people we aren’t related to -- as well as with our pets. 

The book we'll be discussing is one Salmon co-edited with fellow evolutionary psychologist Todd Shackelford, "The Oxford Handbook of Evolutionary Family Psychology." (Salmon and Shackelford also wrote a number of chapters, along with others they commissioned from some of the other top researchers in evolutionary psychology and anthropology.)

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday (at our new half-hour time), 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by ordering my new book, the science-based and funny Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Adorably, we humans see ourselves as rational animals. Research shows us to be anything but.

We are swayed in ways we wouldn’t expect in both our decision-making and how well we stick to our plans. 

The good news is, the research also shows that our going off track happens in predictable ways. My guest tonight, Harvard Business School professor, Dr. Francesca Gino, will both lay out the forces that sidetrack us as we’re trying to accomplish our goals and offer guidelines that we can use to keep ourselves on track. 

Dr. Gino will be discussing her recently-published book, Sidetracked: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We Can Stick to the Plan. Join us tonight and have your eyes opened about the psychological, social, and environmental stumbling blocks that keep us from getting where we want to go.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Assertiveness isn't about "building a good disguise," Dr. Randy Paterson explains. "It's about the courage to take the disguise off." It's "about being THERE."

Paterson, a clinical psychologist, is the author of the excellent book I've recommended in my column, "The Assertiveness Workbook: How To Express Your Ideas and Stand Up for Yourself at Work and in Relationships," and that's exactly what he and I will be laying out on tonight's show.

Paterson takes a very rational, behavioral approach and gives extremely practical tips for how to change, and this show should help even already-assertive people notice and shore up areas where they could do better.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

This week's very exciting show is on a subject that has a great deal of influence over us -- our environment -- that we tend to give very little thought.

Luckily, cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Colin Ellard has done the work and thinking for us, and, on this show, will lay out the science of how the places we inhabit change our minds and bodies, and how we can use this knowledge to our benefit.

His book we'll be discussing tonight, Places of the Heart: The Psychogeography of Everyday Life, was a Library of Science Book Club selection.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science and the therapy world. 

It turns out that our assumptions about the mindblowing sex we think we are "supposed" to be having is the thing that stops us from the pretty great sex we could be having. Or from having sex at all.

This week's guest is therapist and sex therapist Dr. Marty Klein, ripping away widely held myths about sex to help everybody listening improve their sex lives.

We discussing his book, Sexual Intelligence: What We Really Want from Sex--and How to Get It. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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It's Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us.

On this show, exercise trainer and rehab expert Fred Hahn explains why slow-speed strength training, for just a few minutes a week, will make you healthier than that fitness fanatic who spends hours and hours in the gym. (He lays out fascinating and solid evidence throughout the show.)

Fred is co-author, with Dr. Michael Eades and Dr. Mary Dan Eades, whom I greatly respect, of The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution: The Slow-Motion Exercise That Will Change Your Body In 30 Minutes A Week.

He will debunk all the myths most of us hold about exercise and fitness, and leave you with a plan for exercise that will make you fitter and healthier, and will only eat 12-15 minutes of your week. 

This is a not-to-be-missed show. This method of exercise has improved my health and my life and I'm hoping you'll follow my lead.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, from 7-8 pm Pacific and 10-11 pm Eastern, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and darkly funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, featuring the luminaries of behavioral science.

It turns out some of the ways parents think they’ll get their kids to behave -- by berating, threatening, and punishing them -- are actually the least effective.

My guest tonight, Yale University psychology professor, Dr. Alan E. Kazdin, who is also director of the Yale Parenting Center, has a parenting template that is not only effective at changing behavior in children, it does it by cutting out the screaming, yelling, and threatening.

Dr. Kazdin has written a fantastic and highly practical book, “The Everyday Parenting Toolkit: The Kazdin Method for easy, step-by-step, lasting change for you and your child.” Join us for an incredibly effective, science-based rethink on how to parent kids into behaving the way you want -- with a minimum of stress and unhappiness for both you and your kids.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and darkly funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, featuring the luminaries of behavioral science.

On tonight’s show, science gets together with ancient Chinese philosophy, and it likes what it finds. 

Dr. Edward Slingerland, an internationally renowned Chinese philosophy expert, draws on both cutting-edge science and ancient Chinese strategies to show how our modern Western approach of striving our guts out doesn’t seem to lead to success or happiness.

In fact, he observes, it seems that getting practiced enough in something that it comes naturally is the way to avoid forcing things in the moment (which is actually counterproductive to succeeding).

Dr. Slingerland will talk about this, how achieving that sort of effortlessness is the way to personal charisma, and much more on tonight’s show. His book he’ll be discussing is “Trying Not To Try: The Art And Science of Spontaneity.” Join us and see how we can better our work, relationships, and lives -- if we can just get out of our own way.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based, funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On this show, noted creativity and intelligence researcher Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman explains how creative brains work and, using findings from psychology and neuroscience, explains practices we can all use to function at our creative best.

His book, co-authored with Carolyn Gregoire, that we're discussing on the show: Wired To Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please buy my my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence," on how you can learn the process of being confident and transform your life and the level of opportunity open to you.

Every new copy you buy supports the work I do on this show.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

What do men want? In bed and out? What do women want? How does this all tie together? (And who’s getting tied up?)

These are just a few of the questions I’ll be asking and sex therapist Dr. Brandy Engler will be answering on tonight’s show.

Dr. Engler is unique in that she opened a sex therapy practice for women -- expecting to slowly get some clients -- and quickly amassed a full list of clients: all men.

Engler and New York Times best-selling biographer David Rensin have published a fascinating book about her sessions and her insights, The Men On My Couch: True Stories of Sex, Love, and Psychotherapy.

This is your chance to go inside her sessions -- to see into the erotic minds of men. And not pervos or deviants, but regular guys. Men we all know.

Beyond the men, we will also see into the minds of the women having sex with these men -- or refusing to -- and find out why, and what it takes to balance love and eroticism in a relationship.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show -- and get some highly practical science-based advice -- by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

On this show, social psychologist Dr. Barry Schwartz lays out why our emotions, trained and modulated, are the key to developing wisdom and behaving wisely.

And, contrary to conventional "wisdom" that emotions should be kept out of business or professional decisions, Schwartz lays out why that's not the case and why "practical wisdom" is key to both personal and relationship happiness.

His compelling book (complete with some moving stories) is "Practical Wisdom: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing." His co-author is poly-sci prof Dr. Kenneth Sharpe. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show -- and get some highly practical science-based advice -- by buying my "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

There have been two major schools on negotiating -- Ury, Fisher and Patton's "win-win"/"relationships are everything" approach and Roger Cohen's "nail 'em to the wall" hardball approach. 

Harvard Business School professor Michael Wheeler finds that these rigid, one-size-fits-all strategies often clash with the real-world realities of negotiating. Drawing on his and his colleagues' research, he finds that the most successful negotiating techniques are born of an ability to adapt while negotiating, and use agility, creativity, and wise preparation. 

He'll advise us all on how to adapt (and do all the rest) in order to win in negotiation, the subject of his book we'll be discussing on the show, "The Art of Negotiation: How to Improvise Agreement in a Chaotic World."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new "science-help" book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Wharton organizational psychologist Dr. Adam Grant talks about his terrific book, "Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success," (now in paperback) which draws from research to explain what makes giving both powerful and dangerous to people's achieving their goals.

Paradoxically, it's often those who give without looking for anything in return -- who just want to do good, open the playing field to good people -- who ultimately get the most in return. But, Grant warns, there are caveats to this -- and he lays them out in the book and we'll discuss them as well as giving's many nuances and benefits on the show. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my new "science-help" book on the PROCESS of living with confidence, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

We like to believe our decisions are rationally driven and make sense. But constantly, our perception and decision-making are clouded by illusions we aren't even aware we have. Some of these include illusions of accuracy in our attention, memory, confidence, and knowledge. These illusions can lead us to make costly - and even deadly - errors.

The good news is, by understanding what these illusions are and how we fall prey to them, we can avoid doing it (or do it far less), make more rationally-based decisions, and live smarter overall.

To help us do that, my guest tonight, psychologist and researcher Dr. Christopher Chabris is half of the team (with psychologist and researcher Dan Simons) who did the famous and hilarious "invisible gorilla experiment." It's also the title of their fascinating book, "The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us."

Tonight, we'll be discussing this experiment and others, why we're so convinced we're perceiving situations correctly when we're doing anything but, and how we can stop and live like the rational animals we believe we are.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday (at our new half-hour time), 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my "science-help" book on the PROCESS of living with confidence, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

On this show, Dr. Jonathan Gottschall talks about his foray from bummed out adjunct English professor to the Mixed Marshall Arts world and his big cage fight -- along with the psychology driving violence and the fight rituals that actually contain it. His fascinating book we'll be discussing on the show: The Professor in the Cage: Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my "science-help" book on the PROCESS of living with confidence, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Psychologist Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, who researchest happiness, explains that we are actually very poor predictors of what makes us happy or unhappy. Of course, it doesn’t help that we’ve been stuck with a lot of cultural myths about what things and situations should and shouldn’t.

On this show, which focuses mainly on relationships, Dr. Lyubomirsky lays out the realities shown in the research and also give us simple, practical ways to be happier -- as well as practical thinking on how to assess when that’s just not possible and it’s time to get out. 

Dr. Lyubomirsky's book: The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn't; What Shouldn't Make You Happy, but Does.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Noted social scientist Dr. Adam Galinsky takes on the long-running debate about whether it's best to be self-interested or other-interested--a question Galinsky says misses the mark. 

Delving into recent research, Galinsky explains why maximizing our potential for success takes doing both -- sometimes cooperating, sometimes competing (and sometimes doing a little of each). He'll also offer some extremely valuable tips on how you can win at work and in many competitive situations through understanding and managing the nuances on cooperating and competing.

Galinsky's book, co-authored with Dr. Maurice Schweizer, is Friend & Foe.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

This is a show on how the negative can be positive -- on how we actually need the emotions that make us uncomfortable. They make us whole, balancing the "positive" emotions. Dr. Todd Kashdan will lay out the science on how anger, anxiety, and other "negative" feelings can actually be motivating, illuminating, and helpful -- giving us our best shot at success and fulfillment.

Dr. Kashdan's myth-busting book he'll be discussing, co-authored with Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener, is “The Upside of Your Dark Side: Why Being Your Whole Self--Not Just Your ‘Good’ Self--Drives Success and Fullfillment.”

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-7:30 p.m. PT, 10-10:30 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support my show (and increase your confidence and become more productive) by buying my new "science-help" book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin lay out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show on flirting. It turns out that flirting is anything but frivolous. In fact, understanding the science of flirting and mastering the most powerful techniques is the way to both get love in your life and have it stick around. Tune in to find out all the moves you'll need.  

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new science-based (and darkly funny) book on the process of living with confidence is "Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence," and Jennifer’s science-based safari through the world of animal sex and "dating" is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science and psychotherapy. 

My guest tonight is psychotherapist Carl Alasko, Ph.D., talking about a topic we can all use some help and insight on -- blame: How ineffective it is, how damaging it is, and how to stop blaming and be constructive in getting ourselves and others to change.

Alasko has written a very comprehensive book on blame -- Beyond Blame: Freeing Yourself from the Most Toxic Form of Emotional Bullsh*t

Listen to tonight's show live at this link at 7pm Pacific, 10pm Eastern, or download the podcast afterward.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday from 7-8 pm Pacific and 10-11 pm Eastern, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. 

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and darkly funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

My guest is social psychologist Dr. Carol Tavris, on how to admit mistakes instead of continuing to make them. She talks about common ways we make errors in reasoning and judgment that mess up our lives, and how to avoid them.

Her terrific book, co-authored with Dr. Elliot Aronson, is one of my favorites: Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts.

Join me and my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and darkly funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Tonight’s show is about women and sexual power -- why some women feel like passive participants in their sex lives and why and how other women are able to feel comfortable in their sexual skin.

My guest is Penn State researcher Dr. Beth Montemurro, and her book we’re discussing is Deserving Desire: Women’s Stories of Sexual Evolution.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and darkly funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science and the therapy world. 

Competition can be seen as ugly and divisive but it’s actually an essential element in driving us to do and be our best. 

My guest tonight, New York Times best-selling science writer Ashley Merryman, will lay out the science of winning and losing, including how we can figure out the kind of competitor we are (to help ourselves avoid choking), the differences between how men and women compete, and ways to rejigger our thinking so we use competition in ways that serve us instead of defeating us.

Her excellent book, co-authored with Po Bronson, that we’ll be discussing tonight, is “Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing.” 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and darkly funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science and the therapy world. 

It turns out that our assumptions about the mindblowing sex we think we are "supposed" to be having is the thing that stops us from the pretty great sex we could be having. Or from having sex at all.

This week's guest is therapist and sex therapist Dr. Marty Klein, ripping away widely held myths about sex to help everybody listening improve their sex lives.

We discussing his book, Sexual Intelligence: What We Really Want from Sex--and How to Get It. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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HumanLab -- The Science Between Us: Amy Alkon interviews the luminaries of behavioral science on how their research can help us have the lives we want.

On this show is evolutionary psychologist Dr. Geoffrey Miller, who lays out the realities from science of what women really want and how even a regular guy can measure up (as opposed to trying to scam a woman into bed). His new book he'll be discussing on the show, co-authored with Tucker Max, is "Mate: Become the Man Women Want."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Dr. Matthew Lieberman's new book is "Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect," and it's filled with fascinating findings on how surprisingly driven we are by our nature as social beings. 

For example, there's a finding by his wife and research partner, Naomi Eisenberger and her colleagues that taking acetaminophen (think Tylenol) actually diminished the pain of being socially excluded. Lieberman explains, "Our sensitivity to social rejection is so central to our well-being that our brains" react to social wounds (and ways to heal from them) much like they do physical ones. 

We'll be discussing many such interesting and unexpected findings on tonight's show, and discussing ways we can each capitalize on what Lieberman has learned from the research.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, featuring the luminaries of behavioral science.

On tonight’s show, science gets together with ancient Chinese philosophy, and it likes what it finds. 

Dr. Edward Slingerland, an internationally renowned Chinese philosophy expert, draws on both cutting-edge science and ancient Chinese strategies to show how our modern Western approach of striving our guts out doesn’t seem to lead to success or happiness.

In fact, he observes, it seems that getting practiced enough in something that it comes naturally is the way to avoid forcing things in the moment (which is actually counterproductive to succeeding).

Dr. Slingerland will talk about this, how achieving that sort of effortlessness is the way to personal charisma, and much more on tonight’s show. His book he’ll be discussing is “Trying Not To Try: The Art And Science of Spontaneity.” Join us and see how we can better our work, relationships, and lives -- if we can just get out of our own way.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Adorably, we humans see ourselves as rational animals. Research shows us to be anything but.

We are swayed in ways we wouldn’t expect in both our decision-making and how well we stick to our plans. 

The good news is, the research also shows that our going off track happens in predictable ways. My guest tonight, Harvard Business School professor, Dr. Francesca Gino, will both lay out the forces that sidetrack us as we’re trying to accomplish our goals and offer guidelines that we can use to keep ourselves on track. 

Dr. Gino will be discussing her recently-published book, Sidetracked: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We Can Stick to the Plan. Join us tonight and have your eyes opened about the psychological, social, and environmental stumbling blocks that keep us from getting where we want to go.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Assertiveness isn't about "building a good disguise," Dr. Randy Paterson explains. "It's about the courage to take the disguise off." It's "about being THERE."

Paterson, a clinical psychologist, is the author of the excellent book I've recommended in my column, "The Assertiveness Workbook: How To Express Your Ideas and Stand Up for Yourself at Work and in Relationships," and that's exactly what he and I will be laying out on tonight's show.

Paterson takes a very rational, behavioral approach and gives extremely practical tips for how to change, and this show should help even already-assertive people notice and shore up areas where they could do better.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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HumanLab -- The Science Between Us: Amy Alkon interviews the luminaries of behavioral science.

Tonight's show will help you improve your sex life and diminish sexual anxiety with the latest research on sex.

We'll talk about orgasms, fantasies, hooking up, what's changed about oral sex, how people can make Internet dating work better for them, how the proliferation of p0rn really affects the average person's sex life, and whether you can be better in bed -- and how -- among other topics.

My guest tonight is Kinsey Institute researcher and evolutionary biologist Dr. Justin Garcia, co-author with Dr. Peter B. Gray of the encyclopedic new book, Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior.

Garcia has done fascinating studies on sex and will debunk some widely held myths with straight talk about who's doing what to whom, how things have changed, and how we can do better with a few shifts in our thinking in various areas.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Developmental psychologist Dr. Peter Gray explainswhy our current educational system is actually counterproductive to educating kids. Our way of schooling kids ignores our evolved psychology and how children actually learn, and removes children’s natural joy of learning from them in the process. 

It turns out that schooling based on the principles of a democracy -- applied to children -- is highly effective schooling for keeping kids engaged, helping them develop self-control, and helping them develop to their fullest and become highly productive adults living meaningful lives.

Peter’s fascinating book: Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

There have been two major schools on negotiating -- Ury, Fisher and Patton's "win-win"/"relationships are everything" approach and Roger Cohen's "nail 'em to the wall" hardball approach. 

Harvard Business School professor Michael Wheeler finds that these rigid, one-size-fits-all strategies often clash with the real-world realities of negotiating. Drawing on his and his colleagues' research, he finds that the most successful negotiating techniques are born of an ability to adapt while negotiating, and use agility, creativity, and wise preparation. 

He'll advise us all on how to adapt (and do all the rest) in order to win in negotiation, the subject of his book we'll be discussing on the show, "The Art of Negotiation: How to Improvise Agreement in a Chaotic World."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my new science-based and funny book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Dr. Dylan Evans will be talking about risk intelligence and how you can increase your ability to make wise decisions. 

Wise decisions are fact-based decisions instead of the superstition- and ignorance-based ones that are often the defaults ones our brain pushes us toward. 

It’s especially important to be factual about your own level of ignorance surrounding an area you need to make a decision about and factor that in. 

Evans' very smart book we'll be discussing is RISK INTELLIGENCE: How to live with uncertainty. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence. (St. Martin's Griffin, Jan. 23 2018.)

"Unf*ckology" is serialized in the Feb. 2018 Psychology Today. It's one of Quillette's 10 book picks for 2018 along with Steven Pinker's. And it's an ELLE January 2018 book pick: "Practical and hilarious."

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On "HumanLab: The Science Between Us," Amy Alkon interviews the luminaries of behavioral science on how their research can help us have the lives we want.

My guest tonight is clinical psychologist and grief researcher Dr. George A. Bonanno, with an actually uplifting show on which he'll smash all the widely held myths about grieving and bereavement, like the notion that there are specific "stages of grief" that each person must go through, and the notion that one must do "grief work," or the grief will come back to bite them. 

Bonanno's book: The Other Side of Sadness: What the New Science of Bereavement Tells Us About Life After Loss.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence. (St. Martin's Griffin, Jan. 23 2018.)

"Unf*ckology" is serialized in the Feb. 2018 Psychology Today. It's one of Quillette's 10 book picks for 2018 along with Steven Pinker's. And it's an ELLE January 2018 book pick: "Practical and hilarious."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

Relationships with family -- and the pets that are part of our families -- are important to our emotional health and can play a significant role in our social success.

Tonight, evolutionary psychologist Dr. Catherine Salmon will lay out some fascinating information about our evolved psychology within our families, including -- among other things -- how rivalry isn’t just a sibling thing but a parent-child thing and how and why we create family relationships with people we aren’t related to -- as well as with our pets. 

The book we'll be discussing is one Salmon co-edited with fellow evolutionary psychologist Todd Shackelford, "The Oxford Handbook of Evolutionary Family Psychology." (Salmon and Shackelford also wrote a number of chapters, along with others they commissioned from some of the other top researchers in evolutionary psychology and anthropology.)

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday (at our new half-hour time), 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by pre-ordering my new book, the science-based and funny Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence. Jan 2018 ELLE magazine: "Practical and hilarious."

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Decisions that we make that seem stupid can actually make a lot of evolutionary sense, meaning that they would have made sense in the ancestral world; they just don’t make sense in the world in which we now live.

Unfortunately, we can’t just tell our genes, “Hey, it’s 2013! There are no hungry tigers roaming the streets of Baltimore and, by the way, my girlfriend’s on The Pill.” 

But, my guest tonight, evolutionary psychologist, psychologist and marketing professor Dr. Vladas Griskevicius, is going to give us the background to make wiser choices by helping us understand the ways we can be primed to act against our modern interests. 

His fascinating book, co-authored with Dr. Douglas Kenrick, is “The Rational Animal: How Evolution Made Us Smarter Than We Think.” 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please consider pre-ordering my upcoming science-based book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence. (Jan 23, 2018, St. Martin's Griffin.) It's an ELLE January 2018 books pick: "Practical and hilarious."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

Tonight's show is on the science on how we might possibly spend our way to happiness.

My guest tonight is psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Dunn, co-author with Dr. Michael Norton, of a terrific, highly readable little book filled with research-driven wisdom: "Happy Money: The Science Of Smarter Spending." 

On tonight’s show, she lays out the myths we hold about how spending in certain ways will improve our lives and will explain all the ways we can rejigger our spending and thinking, often in small ways, to spend smarter and happier.

Dunn, at age 26, was featured as one of the "rising stars" in academia by the Chronicle of Higher Education, and this should be a very interesting and practical show, so don’t miss it! 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7 p.m. Pacific Time, 10 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say Fck." Preorder my upcoming book, the science based and funny, Unfckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence, to be published Jan. 23, 2018.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Joshua Wolf Shenk uses science, fascinating true stories of creative partnerships, and historical evidence to dispel the myth of the lone genius and show that creativity is not the work of an individual mind. It is, in fact, a social activity, and two people, working together, are truly "greater than the sum of their parts." Join us tonight to find out what it takes to be a creative partner -- and in turn, how to be far more than you can be alone.

Shenk's book we'll be discussing is Powers Of Two: Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the well-reviewed, evolutionary psychology-based, and funny "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"

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HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

This show will help you use the new field of adult attachment science to find love -- or to keep and even vastly improve the relationship you have.

My guest is neuroscientist Dr. Amir Levine, co-author with psychologist Rachel S.F. Heller, of Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find -- and Keep -- Love.

If you’re seeking a partner, by recognizing which of the three attachment styles you fit into, you can help yourself avoid all the usual troubles you get into while dating.

If you're in a relationship, by recognizing which form of attachment you exhibit and which your partner does, you can stop battling each other, behave more lovingly to each other, and better meet each other’s needs.

The partner who longs for more closeness can recognize their need and stop always acting so demanding of a partner who needs a little more distance to feel comfortable. At the same time, they can come to understand that their partner loves them, and that it's largely their style of attachment that makes them harangue the other person for closeness, which can help them pull back a little.

In turn, the person who's more distant can recognize their style but come around in small and regular ways that reassure their more intimacy-seeking partner.

Join me and my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by ordering my science-based and funny book on how we can behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of therapy and behavioral science.

This is not just a show for and about men but a show for anyone who cares about equal rights and fairness for all.

Tonight's guest is psychologist Dr. Helen Smith talking about how, in America, it's become permissible -- and even fashionable -- to be anti-male and what men can (and must) do to start changing this.

What men have been doing is going on strike -- dropping out of college, leaving the workforce, and avoiding marriage and fatherhood in droves.

There are countless articles sneering at the man who is more man-child than grownup, but Smith, in her book, Men on Strike: Why Men Are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood, and the American Dream - and Why It Matters, contends that men aren't dropping out because they're stuck in arrested development; they are responding rationally to the lack of incentive they see in becoming fathers, husbands, and providers.

On this show, Smith will lay out the problems -- including shocking discrimination against men such as rampant paternity fraud, condoned and even encouraged by the government -- and what she sees as steps toward solutions, for men in general and for the individual man.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun, 7-8 p.m. Pacific, 10-11 p.m. Eastern, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by ordering my science-based and funny book on how we can behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

My guest is social psychologist Dr. Carol Tavris, on how to admit mistakes instead of continuing to make them. She talks about common ways we make errors in reasoning and judgment that mess up our lives, and how to avoid them.

Her terrific book, co-authored with Dr. Elliot Aronson, is one of my favorites: Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts.

Join me and my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by ordering my science-based and funny book on how we can behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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HumanLab -- The Science Between Us: Amy Alkon interviews the luminaries of behavioral science.

Tonight's show will help you improve your sex life and diminish sexual anxiety with the latest research on sex.

We'll talk about orgasms, fantasies, hooking up, what's changed about oral sex, how people can make Internet dating work better for them, how the proliferation of p0rn really affects the average person's sex life, and whether you can be better in bed -- and how -- among other topics.

My guest tonight is Kinsey Institute researcher and evolutionary biologist Dr. Justin Garcia, co-author with Dr. Peter B. Gray of the encyclopedic new book, Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior.

Garcia has done fascinating studies on sex and will debunk some widely held myths with straight talk about who's doing what to whom, how things have changed, and how we can do better with a few shifts in our thinking in various areas.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by buying my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here.

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HumanLab -- The Science Between Us: Amy Alkon interviews the luminaries of behavioral science.

Dr. Jesse Bering’s book, “Perv,” is subtitled “The Sexual Deviant in All of Us.” This is a book about weird sex but it’s also a book about all of the ways that even “normal” people fall along the spectrum of “perversions.”  

Tonight’s show, like Bering’s book, will be a fascinating inside look into how our specific sexual desires seem to be shaped in childhood, how sexually not “normal” some of the most seemingly normal people are, and how human psychology leads us to find others’ sex practices upsetting and creepy instead of just different from our own.

As Bering writes, “Humans aren’t the only sex deviants in the animal kingdom. But we are the only ones to stigmatize each other as disgusting perverts.”

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by buying my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here.

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science and therapy.

Whether you're an anger venter or an anger withholder (or something in between), this is a show for you. 

My guest tonight, therapist Dr. Andrea Brandt, writes that “our culture has a built-in phobia of negative emotions,” which isolates us from each other and has myriad unhealthy and counterproductive effects on us personally.

Her goal -- in her book, Mindful Anger: a pathway to emotional freedom, and on this show -- is not to help you get rid of your anger but to help you understand and handle it in healthy and constructive ways. You should, in turn, find that this leads to cascading positive effects in every arena of your life. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science (and, occasionally, dietary science). 

How did so many of us get so fat and unhealthy? Well, it started when our government advised us to eat a high-carb, low-fat diet -- a diet that actually makes us fat and unhealthy. News reports distorting scientific findings and reporters unable to tell solid science from the shoddy kind are another problem — leaving most of us pretty confused about what we should be eating.

Tonight, Denise Minger (of “The China Study” debunking fame) changes that. She will lay out the disturbing history of the ruining of America’s health. She’ll explain simple ways the ordinary person can identify scientific distortions in the media. And she’ll detail the nuances of science-based healthy eating (whether you’re a vegetarian or a carnivore or something in between).

Minger’s meticulous (and very readable) book we’ll be discussing is Death By Food Pyramid: How Shoddy Science, Sketchy Politics and Shady Special Interests Have Ruined Our Health.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. (St. Martin's Griffin, 2014.)

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science and the therapy world. 

It turns out that our assumptions about the mindblowing sex we think we are "supposed" to be having is the thing that stops us from the pretty great sex we could be having. Or from having sex at all.

This week's guest is therapist and sex therapist Dr. Marty Klein, ripping away widely held myths about sex to help everybody listening improve their sex lives.

We discussing his book, Sexual Intelligence: What We Really Want from Sex--and How to Get It. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my science-based and funny book about why people are rude and how we can all act less counterproductively, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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HumanLab -- The Science Between Us: Amy Alkon interviews the luminaries of behavioral science on how their research can help us have the lives we want.

On this show is evolutionary psychologist Dr. Geoffrey Miller, who lays out the realities from science of what women really want and how even a regular guy can measure up (as opposed to trying to scam a woman into bed). His new book he'll be discussing on the show, co-authored with Tucker Max, is "Mate: Become the Man Women Want."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Dr. Stanton Peele points out that most people recover from addictions on their own -- without AA or rehab, and what makes the difference is values, not biology.

On tonight’s show, he’ll debunk many of the myths in addiction treatment -- especially the notion that addiction is a “disease” people are powerless to overcome. That defeatest message is especially counterproductive to overcoming addiction, and it’s been supported with bad science and hearsay. Join us tonight to hear what solid science says about how addiction or bad habits can be overcome -- to the point where people are not just going cold-turkey off some substance or behavior till their next relapse, but where they develop meaningful ways of coping that no longer have them turning to their old crutch.

Peele’s book we’ll be discussing is Recover! Stop Thinking Like an Addict and Reclaim Your Life with The PERFECT Program. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," and learn science-based tips on how to act less counterproductively.

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Tonight’s show draws on scientific research to reveal some surprising ways we use tiny bits of behavior and mannerisms to correctly predict others' intentions and actions.

It will also lay out areas that the research finds we are not so good in making predictions, like in discerning whether others are lying. You'll learn the few signs that actually do suggest that somebody is lying as well as finding out other ways we are prone to err in our assessments of people's skills and intentions. 

My guest tonight, psychologist Dr. Matthew Hertenstein has taken a research-driven look at all of this in “The Tell: The Little Clues That Reveal Big Truths About Who We Are.”

Join us to become a more sophisticated reader of others’ nonverbal skills -- and maybe even learn how to rejigger your own to send a more desirable message the next time you have a date or a job interview. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

We have a depression epidemic in this country, now affecting more than 15% of the population, and it’s striking people at younger and younger ages. It seems clear that our current modes of understanding and treating depression just aren’t working.

My guest tonight, psychologist Dr. Jonathan Rottenberg, draws on research to show why we are failing to help depression sufferers and turns to our evolutionary roots to offer a nuanced understanding of why we get depressed, explaining why our modern environment’s mismatch with our evolved psychology can drag us depression. All of this leads to insights on how we might help depression sufferers get better, or, at the very least, not lead them to feel defective and broken because they are depressed. 

His inspiring and scientifically rigorous book we’ll be discussing tonight is The Depths: The Evolutionary Origins of the Depression Epidemic. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

This is a show on how the negative can be positive -- on how we actually need the emotions that make us uncomfortable. They make us whole, balancing the "positive" emotions. Dr. Todd Kashdan will lay out the science on how anger, anxiety, and other "negative" feelings can actually be motivating, illuminating, and helpful -- giving us our best shot at success and fulfillment.

Dr. Kashdan's myth-busting book he'll be discussing, co-authored with Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener, is “The Upside of Your Dark Side: Why Being Your Whole Self--Not Just Your ‘Good’ Self--Drives Success and Fullfillment.”

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-7:30 p.m. PT, 10-10:30 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." Orders of new copies help support my writing and all the work I do to put out this show and are much-appreciated!

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Wheat is murder. Or, if not murder, a form of slow suicide. 

My guest, cardiologist Dr. William Davis, busts the widely believed myths about "healthy whole grains," the notion that bread "is the staff of life" (it's actually the staff of diabetes and many other ailments), and more.

Dr. Davis' New York Times best-selling book: Wheat Belly.

Listen to tonight's show live at this link at 7pm Pacific, 10pm Eastern, or download the podcast afterward.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday from 7-8 pm Pacific and 10-11 pm Eastern, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. 

Please support the show by buying my book, the well-reviewed, evolutionary psychology-based, and funny "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

*This show won Third Place for best documentary radio in the June 26, 2015, Southern California Journalism awards, beating finalists from NPR powerhouse KCRW.

Saturated fat is your friend. Really. 

It turns out everything we've been told about eating fat is wrong. On tonight's show, meticulous journalist Nina Teichholz will lay out the scientific errors, bias, and dangerous misrepresentations that have underpinned the dietary dogma of the past 60 years.

She'll also lay out the findings of solid science -- why eating more dietary fat will lead us to better health and fitness. 

Join us as she discusses all of this and more from her terrific book, "The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet." 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," about why we're experiencing so much rudeness and -- turning to behavioral science -- how we can behave less counterproductively.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

My guest is the inspiring Dr. Temple Grandin, bestselling author, autism activist, and consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior, discussing her fascinating new book, The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across The Spectrum.

This isn't just a show for people who have friends or children with autism or autism spectrum disorders but a show that offers compelling thinking on how to see intelligence, creativity, and differences between brains, and how to help people use their brains in optimal ways. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

We like to believe our decisions are rationally driven and make sense. But constantly, our perception and decision-making are clouded by illusions we aren't even aware we have. Some of these include illusions of accuracy in our attention, memory, confidence, and knowledge. These illusions can lead us to make costly - and even deadly - errors.

The good news is, by understanding what these illusions are and how we fall prey to them, we can avoid doing it (or do it far less), make more rationally-based decisions, and live smarter overall.

To help us do that, my guest tonight, psychologist and researcher Dr. Christopher Chabris is half of the team (with psychologist and researcher Dan Simons) who did the famous and hilarious "invisible gorilla experiment." It's also the title of their fascinating book, "The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us."

Tonight, we'll be discussing this experiment and others, why we're so convinced we're perceiving situations correctly when we're doing anything but, and how we can stop and live like the rational animals we believe we are.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday (at our new half-hour time), 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by ordering my book, the well-reviewed, science-based, and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On this show, neuroscientist David Linden takes us on a journey from our fingertips to our funparts and explains how huge an influence touch is in every aspect of our lives. He'll lay out, for example, how touch can improve your success in business and how vital touch is to a child's development and well being and about how much touch a child needs.

We'll be discussing his book, Touch: The Science of Heart, Hand, and Mind.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday (at our new half-hour time), 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by ordering my book, the well-reviewed, science-based, and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Wharton organizational psychologist Dr. Adam Grant talks about his terrific book, "Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success," (now in paperback) which draws from research to explain what makes giving both powerful and dangerous to people's achieving their goals.

Paradoxically, it's often those who give without looking for anything in return -- who just want to do good, open the playing field to good people -- who ultimately get the most in return. But, Grant warns, there are caveats to this -- and he lays them out in the book and we'll discuss them as well as giving's many nuances and benefits on the show. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by ordering my science-based and funny book on how we can behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

What do men want? In bed and out? What do women want? How does this all tie together? (And who’s getting tied up?)

These are just a few of the questions I’ll be asking and sex therapist Dr. Brandy Engler will be answering on tonight’s show.

Dr. Engler is unique in that she opened a sex therapy practice for women -- expecting to slowly get some clients -- and quickly amassed a full list of clients: all men.

Engler and New York Times best-selling biographer David Rensin have just published a fascinating book about her sessions and her insights, The Men On My Couch: True Stories of Sex, Love, and Psychotherapy.

This is your chance to go inside her sessions -- to see into the erotic minds of men. And not pervos or deviants, but regular guys. Men we all know.

Beyond the men, we will also see into the minds of the women having sex with these men -- or refusing to -- and find out why, and what it takes to balance love and eroticism in a relationship.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." Every new copy sold helps support the work I put into this show.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On this show, noted creativity and intelligence researcher Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman explains how creative brains work and, using findings from psychology and neuroscience, explains practices we can all use to function at our creative best.

His book, co-authored with Carolyn Gregoire, that we're discussing on the show: Wired To Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please buy my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." Every new copy you buy supports the work I do on this show.

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Dr. Matthew Lieberman's new book is "Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect," and it's filled with fascinating findings on how surprisingly driven we are by our nature as social beings. 

For example, there's a finding by his wife and research partner, Naomi Eisenberger and her colleagues that taking acetaminophen (think Tylenol) actually diminished the pain of being socially excluded. Lieberman explains, "Our sensitivity to social rejection is so central to our well-being that our brains" react to social wounds (and ways to heal from them) much like they do physical ones. 

We'll be discussing many such interesting and unexpected findings on tonight's show, and discussing ways we can each capitalize on what Lieberman has learned from the research.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based and funny book on how we can all behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Tonight’s show is on why friendships matter more now than ever, the ways friends can make us better people, and how to have more satisfying friendships and ditch the dark ones.

My guest is Carlin Flora, the fantastic editor I worked with at Psychology Today, and her book is Friendfluence: The Surprising Ways Friends Make Us Who We Are.

Flora is one of the few non-scientists to appear on my show, but her book is research-driven and I found her to be very solid on science, and this should be a compelling show. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

My guest is psychiatrist and business coach Dr. Mark Goulston, author of "Just Listen," which is not only about listening but about how to get through to absolutely anyone.

On this show, he explains why listening is the key to persuading and where we fail as listeners, and he lays out concrete advice on the things we need to do to be better listeners and persuaders.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

We have a depression epidemic in this country, now affecting more than 15% of the population, and it’s striking people at younger and younger ages. It seems clear that our current modes of understanding and treating depression just aren’t working.

My guest tonight, psychologist Dr. Jonathan Rottenberg, draws on research to show why we are failing to help depression sufferers and turns to our evolutionary roots to offer a nuanced understanding of why we get depressed, explaining why our modern environment’s mismatch with our evolved psychology can drag us depression. All of this leads to insights on how we might help depression sufferers get better, or, at the very least, not lead them to feel defective and broken because they are depressed. 

His inspiring and scientifically rigorous book we’ll be discussing tonight is The Depths: The Evolutionary Origins of the Depression Epidemic. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

My guest is social psychologist Dr. Carol Tavris, on how to admit mistakes instead of continuing to make them. She talks about common ways we make errors in reasoning and judgment that mess up our lives, and how to avoid them.

Her terrific book, co-authored with Dr. Elliot Aronson, is one of my favorites: Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts.

Join me and my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by ordering my science-based and funny book on how we can behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Amy Alkon HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Noted social scientist Dr. Adam Galinsky takes on the long-running debate about whether it's best to be self-interested or other-interested--a question Galinsky says misses the mark. 

Delving into recent research, Galinsky explains why maximizing our potential for success takes doing both -- sometimes cooperating, sometimes competing (and sometimes doing a little of each). He'll also offer some extremely valuable tips on how you can win at work and in many competitive situations through understanding and managing the nuances on cooperating and competing.

Galinsky's book, co-authored with Dr. Maurice Schweizer, is Friend & Foe.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"

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Amy Alkon HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, featuring the luminaries of behavioral science.

On tonight’s show, science gets together with ancient Chinese philosophy, and it likes what it finds. 

Dr. Edward Slingerland, an internationally renowned Chinese philosophy expert, draws on both cutting-edge science and ancient Chinese strategies to show how our modern Western approach of striving our guts out doesn’t seem to lead to success or happiness.

In fact, he observes, it seems that getting practiced enough in something that it comes naturally is the way to avoid forcing things in the moment (which is actually counterproductive to succeeding).

Dr. Slingerland will talk about this, how achieving that sort of effortlessness is the way to personal charisma, and much more on tonight’s show. His book he’ll be discussing is “Trying Not To Try: The Art And Science of Spontaneity.” Join us and see how we can better our work, relationships, and lives -- if we can just get out of our own way.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." Orders help support my writing and the work I do to put out this show and are much appreciated!

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. =

Join us tonight as twins researcher Dr. Nancy Segal tells fascinating stories about twins and explains what her research on twins has to tell us about how we come to be the people we are. Some of the questions she'll answer: 

•How much do our genes determine who we are? 

•Can we shift our environment to make the best of the genes we have? 

•Where do our personalities come from? 

•Why are some sisters so different from one another? 

•How much does having rotten parents affect your chances for success? 

•Why do some abused children grow up to be criminals and why do some become productive individuals? 

Dr. Segal has a brand new book, just out, Twin Mythconceptions: False Beliefs, Fables, and Facts About Twins. It's fascinating and entertaining and busts every myth out there about twins.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based and funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." It supports my work on this show and it makes a crackling-great gift.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

Dietary researcher Dr. Jeff Volek lays out the science behind why you should declare your independence from dietary carbohydrates -- sugar, flour, starchy vegetables like potatoes, apple juice -- that cause the insulin secretion that puts on fat. Not only that, he explains why eating enough fat -- the right kind of fat -- is essential to getting and staying healthy.

Dr. Michael Eades calls Dr. Volek's book (co-authored with Dr. Stephen Phinney)  "the best low-carb book in print."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based and funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." Buying a new (not used!) copy supports my work on this show and it makes a crackling-great gift. 

Watch my brand new TED talk here -- "The surprising self-interest in being kind to strangers."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

*This show won Third Place for best documentary radio in the June 26, 2015, Southern California Journalism awards, beating finalists from NPR powerhouse KCRW.

Saturated fat is your friend. Really. 

It turns out everything we've been told about eating fat is wrong. On tonight's show, meticulous journalist Nina Teichholz will lay out the scientific errors, bias, and dangerous misrepresentations that have underpinned the dietary dogma of the past 60 years.

She'll also lay out the findings of solid science -- why eating more dietary fat will lead us to better health and fitness. 

Join us as she discusses all of this and more from her terrific book, "The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet." 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," about why we're experiencing so much rudeness and -- turning to behavioral science -- how we can behave less counterproductively.

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HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin lay out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show laying out the science on why Mean Girls are so mean, why "Lean In" is advice that can backfire on a woman, and how women can succeed in love, friendships, and careers.

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-7:30 pm PT, 10-10:30 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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On "HumanLab: The Science Between Us," Amy Alkon interviews the luminaries of behavioral science on how their research can help us have the lives we want.

This is a fascinating show on the difference between seeing and actually observing, and many of the other habits and practices of Sherlock Holmes. 

Science writer and psychologist Dr. Maria Konnikova draws on 21st century neuroscience and psychology to show how we can employ Holmes’ thought processes to unlock our own capacities for ever-present mindfulness, astute observation, and logical deduction in order to see more, live more rationally, and, in turn live smarter. Her book we discuss: Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by buying my book, the science-based and funny book on how we can all behave less counterproductively,  "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin lay out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show on flirting. It turns out that flirting is anything but frivolous. In fact, understanding the science of flirting and mastering the most powerful techniques is the way to both get love in your life and have it stick around. Tune in to find out all the moves you'll need.  

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s science-based and bitingly-funny book on how we can all behave less counterproductively is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s science-based safari through the world of animal sex and "dating" is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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On "HumanLab: The Science Between Us," Amy Alkon interviews the luminaries of behavioral science on how their research can help us have the lives we want.

On this show is evolutionary psychologist Dr. Geoffrey Miller, who lays out the realities from science of what women really want and how even a regular guy can measure up (as opposed to trying to scam a woman into bed). His new book he'll be discussing on the show, co-authored with Tucker Max, is "Mate: Become the Man Women Want."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

This week's very exciting show is on a subject that has a great deal of influence over us -- our environment -- that we tend to give very little thought.

Luckily, cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Colin Ellard has done the work and thinking for us, and, on this show, will lay out the science of how the places we inhabit change our minds and bodies, and how we can use this knowledge to our benefit.

His book we'll be discussing tonight, Places of the Heart: The Psychogeography of Everyday Life, was a Library of Science Book Club selection.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Joshua Wolf Shenk uses science, fascinating true stories of creative partnerships, and historical evidence to dispel the myth of the lone genius and show that creativity is not the work of an individual mind. It is, in fact, a social activity, and two people, working together, are truly "greater than the sum of their parts." Join us tonight to find out what it takes to be a creative partner -- and in turn, how to be far more than you can be alone.

Shenk's book we'll be discussing is Powers Of Two: Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the well-reviewed, evolutionary psychology-based, and funny "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" (which happens to include some of the research and thinking of tonight's guest).

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, my guest on this week's show argues for a less confident world and a more realistically confident one.

Confidence is not all it's cracked up to be, especially because what we laud as confidence is too often actually overconfidence, lack of self-knowledge, and unreasonable expectations about ourselves, others, and the way the world works. This kind of "confidence" also doesn't play as well as we often think it does in impressing and persuading others.

Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic wants to help you achieve realistic confidence -- confidence based on competence. He is a professor of business psychology at University College of London, the author of seven books and numerous studies, and an authority in personality assessment, consumer analytics, and talent management. His book we'll be discussing on the show is "Conf!dence: Overcoming Low Self-Esteem, Insecurity, and Self-Doubt."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the well-reviewed, evolutionary psychology-based, unprissy, and funny "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" (which happens to include some of the research and thinking of tonight's guest).

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

This week’s show will offer you numerous substantive, practical tips for keeping anxiety from taking over your thoughts and your life, emphasizing the use of reason.

My guest is psychologist Tamar Chansky, Ph.D, a leading expert on anxiety disorders, who has written a very helpful and down-to-earth book on understanding and conquering anxiety, Freeing Yourself from Anxiety: 4 Simple Steps to Overcome Worry and Create the Life You Want. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the well-reviewed, evolutionary psychology-based, unprissy, and funny "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" (which happens to include some of the research and thinking of tonight's guest).

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Dr. Dylan Evans, will be talking about risk intelligence and how you can increase your ability to make wise decisions. 

Wise decisions are fact-based decisions instead of the superstition- and ignorance-based ones that are often the defaults ones our brain pushes us toward. 

It’s especially important to be factual about your own level of ignorance surrounding an area you need to make a decision about and factor that in. 

Evans' very smart book we'll be discussing is RISK INTELLIGENCE: How to live with uncertainty. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." Orders help support my writing and the work I do to put out this show and are much appreciated!

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

On this show, social psychologist Dr. Barry Schwartz lays out why our emotions, trained and modulated, are the key to developing wisdom and behaving wisely.

And, contrary to conventional "wisdom" that emotions should be kept out of business or professional decisions, Schwartz lays out why that's not the case and why "practical wisdom" is key to both personal and relationship happiness.

His compelling book (complete with some moving stories) is "Practical Wisdom: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing." His co-author is poly-sci prof Dr. Kenneth Sharpe. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the well-reviewed, evolutionary psychology-based, unprissy, and funny "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" (which happens to include some of the research and thinking of tonight's guest).

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Amy Alkon HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On tonight’s show, science gets together with ancient Chinese philosophy, and it likes what it finds. 

Dr. Edward Slingerland, an internationally renowned Chinese philosophy expert, draws on both cutting-edge science and ancient Chinese strategies to show how our modern Western approach of striving our guts out doesn’t seem to lead to success or happiness.

In fact, he observes, it seems that getting practiced enough in something that it comes naturally is the way to avoid forcing things in the moment (which is actually counterproductive to succeeding).

Dr. Slingerland will talk about this, how achieving that sort of effortlessness is the way to personal charisma, and much more on tonight’s show. His book he’ll be discussing is “Trying Not To Try: The Art And Science of Spontaneity.” Join us and see how we can better our work, relationships, and lives -- if we can just get out of our own way.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." Orders help support my writing and the work I do to put out this show and are much appreciated!

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On this show, noted creativity and intelligence researcher Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman explains how creative brains work and, using findings from psychology and neuroscience, explains practices we can all use to function at our creative best.

His book, co-authored with Carolyn Gregoire, that we're discussing on the show: Wired To Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please buy my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." (Only $11ish for a new copy -- which supports the work I do on this show.)

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Amy Alkon HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science and therapy.

Tonight’s show will help you stop pushing potential partners away by exploring why you do that and explaining how you can stop. 

Psychologist Dr. Michelle Skeen explores how our “core beliefs” can set the stage for our developing unhealthy, fear-based patterns of behavior that keep us from having happy and healthy connections with others. 

Join us on tonight’s show as she explains the underlying causes and how to yank yourself out of the unhealthy thinking and patterns and develop the skills you need to have loving and happy relationships. 

Her new book we’ll be discussing tonight: Love Me, Don't Leave Me: Overcoming Fear of Abandonment and Building Lasting, Loving Relationships. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by ordering my new science-based and funny modern manners book, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," only $9.48 at Amazon. For a preview, see fun Pin quotes from the book here.

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HumanLab: The Science Between Us -- a weekly science-based podcast.

Join us tonight for a fun look at the science of attraction, and learn how to look hot to the people you want -- without becoming the indentured servant of some plastic surgeon until you’re 90.

About the show: This is a very special every-other-Sunday-night show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

View Details

Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

*This show won Third Place for best documentary radio in the June 26, 2015, Southern California Journalism awards, beating finalists from NPR powerhouse KCRW.

Saturated fat is your friend. Really. 

It turns out everything we've been told about eating fat is wrong. On tonight's show, meticulous journalist Nina Teichholz will lay out the scientific errors, bias, and dangerous misrepresentations that have underpinned the dietary dogma of the past 60 years.

She'll also lay out the findings of solid science -- why eating more dietary fat will lead us to better health and fitness. 

Join us as she discusses all of this and more from her terrific book, "The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet." 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," about why we're experiencing so much rudeness and -- turning to behavioral science -- how we can behave less counterproductively.

View Details

Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

This week's show explains why advice to "lean in" is totally unrealistic and other ways evolved male/female sex differences shape who we are.

My guest this week is psychology professor Dr. Joyce Benenson, discussing her fantastic new book, "Warriors and Worriers: The Survival of the Sexes." 

This is really solid science that will open your eyes to so much about male and female behavior, including male-male and female-female friendships and competition, and will give you some much-needed realism you can use to inform how you relate socially and at work.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." It helps support the work I put into this show.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Tonight’s show is about women and sexual power -- why some women feel like passive participants in their sex lives and why and how other women are able to feel comfortable in their sexual skin.

My guest is Penn State researcher Dr. Beth Montemurro, and her book we’re discussing is Deserving Desire: Women’s Stories of Sexual Evolution.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. (St. Martin's Griffin, 2014.)

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science and the therapy world. 

It turns out that our assumptions about the mindblowing sex we think we are "supposed" to be having is the thing that stops us from the pretty great sex we could be having. Or from having sex at all.

This week's guest is therapist and sex therapist Dr. Marty Klein, ripping away widely held myths about sex to help everybody listening improve their sex lives.

We discussing his book, Sexual Intelligence: What We Really Want from Sex--and How to Get It. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my science-based and funny book about why people are rude and how we can all act less counterproductively, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to "HumanLab: The Science Between Us," with Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Welcome to a very special show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show on heartbreak -- why it's actually adaptive and how to recover from it -- with science from both the human and animal world.

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-7:30 pm PT, 10-10:30 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

View Details

Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

Dietary researcher Dr. Jeff Volek lays out the science behind why you should declare your independence from dietary carbohydrates -- sugar, flour, starchy vegetables like potatoes, apple juice -- that cause the insulin secretion that puts on fat. Not only that, he explains why eating enough fat -- the right kind of fat -- is essential to getting and staying healthy.

Dr. Michael Eades calls Dr. Volek's book (co-authored with Dr. Stephen Phinney)  "the best low-carb book in print."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based and funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." Buying a new (not used!) copy supports my work on this show and it makes a crackling-great gift. 

Watch my brand new TED talk here -- "The surprising self-interest in being kind to strangers."

View Details

Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Twins research unlocks the answers to numerous questions we all have about human nature:

•How much do our genes determine who we are?

•Can we shift our environment to make the best of the genes we have?

•Where do our personalities come from?

•Why are some sisters so different from one another?

•How much does having rotten parents affect your chances for success?

•Why do some abused children grow up to be criminals and why do some become productive individuals?

Tonight, a very special guest, twins researcher Dr. Nancy Segal, who uses her studies of twins to figure out the rest of us -- such as how much we, on average, are shaped by our environment and how much by our genes.

She’s the author of four books on twins, which can be found on her website, drnancysegaltwins.org. Join us tonight as she tells fascinating stories about twins and what her research on twins has to tell us about how we come to be the people we are.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based and funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." It supports my work on this show and it makes a crackling-great gift.

View Details

Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

This is a show on how the negative can be positive -- on how we actually need the emotions that make us uncomfortable. They make us whole, balancing the "positive" emotions. Dr. Todd Kashdan will lay out the science on how anger, anxiety, and other "negative" feelings can actually be motivating, illuminating, and helpful -- giving us our best shot at success and fulfillment.

Dr. Kashdan's myth-busting book he'll be discussing, co-authored with Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener, is “The Upside of Your Dark Side: Why Being Your Whole Self--Not Just Your ‘Good’ Self--Drives Success and Fullfillment.”

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-7:30 p.m. PT, 10-10:30 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" -- only $11ish at Amazon. Orders of new copies help support my writing and all the work I do to put out this show and are much-appreciated!

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

On this show, Dr. Jonathan Gottschall talks about his foray from bummed out adjunct English professor to the Mixed Marshall Arts world and his big cage fight -- along with the psychology driving violence and the fight rituals that actually contain it. His fascinating book we'll be discussing on the show: The Professor in the Cage: Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based and funny book on how we call all behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

My guest is the inspiring Dr. Temple Grandin, bestselling author, autism activist, and consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior, discussing her fascinating new book, The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across The Spectrum.

This isn't just a show for people who have friends or children with autism or autism spectrum disorders but a show that offers compelling thinking on how to see intelligence, creativity, and differences between brains, and how to help people use their brains in optimal ways. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book on how we call all behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

My guest on this week's show, Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, wants to help you achieve realistic confidence -- confidence based on competence. He is a professor of business psychology at University College of London and an authority in personality assessment, consumer analytics, and talent management. His book we'll be discussing on the show is "Conf!dence: Overcoming Low Self-Esteem, Insecurity, and Self-Doubt."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based and funny book on how we call all behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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On "HumanLab: The Science Between Us," Amy Alkon interviews the luminaries of behavioral science on how their research can help us have the lives we want.

My guest tonight on Advice Goddess Radio is clinical psychologist and emotions expert Dr. George A. Bonanno, with an actually uplifting show on which he'll smash all the widely held myths about grieving and bereavement, like the notion that there are specific "stages of grief" that each person must go through, and the notion that one must do "grief work," or the grief will come back to bite them. 

Bonanno's book: The Other Side of Sadness: What the New Science of Bereavement Tells Us About Life After Loss.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"

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HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin lay out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show on flirting. It turns out that flirting is anything but frivolous. In fact, understanding the science of flirting and mastering the most powerful techniques is the way to both get love in your life and have it stick around. Tune in to find out all the moves you'll need.  

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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On "HumanLab: The Science Between Us," Amy Alkon interviews the luminaries of behavioral science on how their research can help us have the lives we want.

This is a fascinating show on the difference between seeing and actually observing, and many of the other habits and practices of Sherlock Holmes. 

Science writer and psychologist Dr. Maria Konnikova draws on 21st century neuroscience and psychology to show how we can employ Holmes’ thought processes to unlock our own capacities for ever-present mindfulness, astute observation, and logical deduction in order to see more, live more rationally, and, in turn live smarter. Her book we discuss: Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by buying my book, the science-based and funny book on how we can all behave less counterproductively,  "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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On "HumanLab: The Science Between Us," Amy Alkon interviews the luminaries of behavioral science on how their research can help us have the lives we want.

On this show is evolutionary psychologist Dr. Geoffrey Miller, who lays out the realities from science of what women really want and how even a regular guy can measure up (as opposed to trying to scam a woman into bed). His new book he'll be discussing on the show, co-authored with Tucker Max, is "Mate: Become the Man Women Want."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

What do men want? In bed and out? What do women want? How does this all tie together? (And who’s getting tied up?)

These are just a few of the questions I’ll be asking and sex therapist Dr. Brandy Engler will be answering on tonight’s show.

Dr. Engler is unique in that she opened a sex therapy practice for women -- expecting to slowly get some clients -- and quickly amassed a full list of clients: all men.

Engler and New York Times best-selling biographer David Rensin have just published a fascinating book about her sessions and her insights, The Men On My Couch: True Stories of Sex, Love, and Psychotherapy.

This is your chance to go inside her sessions -- to see into the erotic minds of men. And not pervos or deviants, but regular guys. Men we all know.

Beyond the men, we will also see into the minds of the women having sex with these men -- or refusing to -- and find out why, and what it takes to balance love and eroticism in a relationship.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." It's only about $10ish, new, at Amazon, and every new copy sold helps support the work I put into this show. Also it's funny and Library Journal gave it a starred review and called it "highly recommended."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

Whether you're an anger venter or an anger withholder (or something in between), this is a show for you. 

My guest tonight, therapist Dr. Andrea Brandt, writes that “our culture has a built-in phobia of negative emotions,” which isolates us from each other and has myriad unhealthy and counterproductive effects on us personally.

Her goal -- in her book, Mindful Anger: a pathway to emotional freedom, and on this show -- is not to help you get rid of your anger but to help you understand and handle it in healthy and constructive ways. You should, in turn, find that this leads to cascading positive effects in every arena of your life. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please support my show by ordering my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $10.70 at Amazon, brand new.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

We aren’t the independent thinkers we like to believe ourselves to be.

Psychologist and researcher Dr. Adam Alter shows in his fascinating book, Drunk Tank Pink, that a host of forces -- internal, social, and environmental -- drive our thinking and beliefs, and in turn, our actions.

On tonight’s show, he’ll lay out the ways we are influenced, sometimes causing substantial changes in our behavior that make the difference between success and failure in our endeavors. Knowing these influences is the best way to avoid being swept away by them, so don’t miss this show.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. (St. Martin's Press, June 3, 2014.)

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

A very helpful "Best Of" replay tonight. Dr. Barbara Oakley has written an incredibly helpful book on learning how to learn math and science. But, yoohoo, math-loathers, this book -- and this show -- are about much more than that. 

Both the book and tonight’s show are about techniques you can start employing immediately that will show you how to do your work and your creative work more efficiently and ultimately more successfully and satisfyingly. 

The proof that these techniques work? Dr. Oakley herself used these techniques to transform from a girl who flunked every math and science course in high school into a tenured professor of engineering. And she currently uses them to curb procrastination, to learn and retain difficult material better and faster, and to increase her creativity in problem-solving and writing. 

Dr. Oakley’s excellent book we’ll be discussing is A Mind For Numbers: How to excel at math and science (even if you flunked algebra). 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only about $11 at Amazon.

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

This show will help you use the new field of adult attachment science to find love -- or to keep and even vastly improve the relationship you have.

My guest is neuroscientist Dr. Amir Levine, co-author with psychologist Rachel S.F. Heller, of Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find -- and Keep -- Love.

If you’re seeking a partner, by recognizing which of the three attachment styles you fit into, you can help yourself avoid all the usual troubles you get into while dating.

If you're in a relationship, by recognizing which form of attachment you exhibit and which your partner does, you can stop battling each other, behave more lovingly to each other, and better meet each other’s needs.

The partner who longs for more closeness can recognize their need and stop always acting so demanding of a partner who needs a little more distance to feel comfortable. At the same time, they can come to understand that their partner loves them, and that it's largely their style of attachment that makes them harangue the other person for closeness, which can help them pull back a little.

In turn, the person who's more distant can recognize their style but come around in small and regular ways that reassure their more intimacy-seeking partner.

Join me and my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by ordering my science-based and funny book on how we can behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

My guest is social psychologist Dr. Carol Tavris, on how to admit mistakes instead of continuing to make them. She talks about common ways we make errors in reasoning and judgment that mess up our lives, and how to avoid them.

Her terrific book, co-authored with Dr. Elliot Aronson, is one of my favorites: Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts.

Join me and my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by ordering my science-based and funny book on how we can behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Wharton organizational psychologist Dr. Adam Grant talks about his terrific book, "Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success," (now in paperback) which draws from research to explain what makes giving both powerful and dangerous to people's achieving their goals.

Paradoxically, it's often those who give without looking for anything in return -- who just want to do good, open the playing field to good people -- who ultimately get the most in return. But, Grant warns, there are caveats to this -- and he lays them out in the book and we'll discuss them as well as giving's many nuances and benefits on the show. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by ordering my science-based and funny book on how we can behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Amy Alkon HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science and therapy.

Tonight’s show will help you stop pushing potential partners away by exploring why you do that and explaining how you can stop. 

Psychologist Dr. Michelle Skeen explores how our “core beliefs” can set the stage for our developing unhealthy, fear-based patterns of behavior that keep us from having happy and healthy connections with others. 

Join us on tonight’s show as she explains the underlying causes and how to yank yourself out of the unhealthy thinking and patterns and develop the skills you need to have loving and happy relationships. 

Her new book we’ll be discussing tonight: Love Me, Don't Leave Me: Overcoming Fear of Abandonment and Building Lasting, Loving Relationships. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by ordering my new science-based and funny modern manners book, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," only $9.48 at Amazon. For a preview, see fun Pin quotes from the book here.

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Amy Alkon's HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Whether you're an anger venter or an anger withholder (or something in between), this is a show for you. 

My guest tonight, therapist Dr. Andrea Brandt, writes that “our culture has a built-in phobia of negative emotions,” which isolates us from each other and has myriad unhealthy and counterproductive effects on us personally.

Her goal -- in her book, Mindful Anger: a pathway to emotional freedom, and on this show -- is not to help you get rid of your anger but to help you understand and handle it in healthy and constructive ways. You should, in turn, find that this leads to cascading positive effects in every arena of your life. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

We have a depression epidemic in this country, now affecting more than 15% of the population, and it’s striking people at younger and younger ages. It seems clear that our current modes of understanding and treating depression just aren’t working.

My guest tonight, psychologist Dr. Jonathan Rottenberg, draws on research to show why we are failing to help depression sufferers and turns to our evolutionary roots to offer a nuanced understanding of why we get depressed, explaining why our modern environment’s mismatch with our evolved psychology can drag us depression. All of this leads to insights on how we might help depression sufferers get better, or, at the very least, not lead them to feel defective and broken because they are depressed. 

His inspiring and scientifically rigorous book we’ll be discussing tonight is The Depths: The Evolutionary Origins of the Depression Epidemic. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"

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Amy Alkon HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On tonight's show, noted social scientist Dr. Adam Galinsky takes on the long-running debate about whether it's best to be self-interested or other-interested--a question Galinsky says actually misses the mark. 

Delving into recent research, Galinsky explains why maximizing our potential for success takes doing both -- sometimes cooperating, sometimes competing (and sometimes doing a little of each). He'll also offer some extremely valuable tips on how you can win at work and in many competitive situations through understanding and managing the nuances on cooperating and competing.

Galinsky's terrific new book, co-authored with Dr. Maurice Schweizer, is Friend & Foe.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"

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Amy Alkon HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Great aspirations…sucky follow-through.

This describes life for a lot of us -- sometimes, despite our best intentions. 

Best-selling author and psychologist Art Markman is going to help us out of this rut. His book we’ll be discussing on this show is Smart Change: Five Tools to Create Sustainable Habits in Yourself and Others.

As in the book, on tonight’s show, he’ll turn to behavioral science to help us understand our brain’s motivational systems so we can short-circuit negative behaviors and create positive ones with staying power.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support this show (and have some fun, science-based reading) by ordering my book, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," only $11ish at Amazon.

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Welcome to "Science News You Can Use" from Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin lay out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Starting from the evolutionary origins of friendship -- "Let's pair up so we won't get eaten!" -- we go on to explain some unexpected findings about friendship, along with how to be a friend, how to win friends, how to end friendships that are toxic or have run their course...and much more.

About the show: This is a very special every-other-Sunday-night show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- supporting our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Amy Alkon HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On tonight’s show, science gets together with ancient Chinese philosophy, and it likes what it finds. 

Dr. Edward Slingerland, an internationally renowned Chinese philosophy expert, draws on both cutting-edge science and ancient Chinese strategies to show how our modern Western approach of striving our guts out doesn’t seem to lead to success or happiness.

In fact, he observes, it seems that getting practiced enough in something that it comes naturally is the way to avoid forcing things in the moment (which is actually counterproductive to succeeding).

Dr. Slingerland will talk about this, how achieving that sort of effortlessness is the way to personal charisma, and much more on tonight’s show. His book he’ll be discussing is “Trying Not To Try: The Art And Science of Spontaneity.” Join us and see how we can better our work, relationships, and lives -- if we can just get out of our own way.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" -- only $11ish at Amazon. Orders help support my writing and the work I do to put out this show and are much appreciated!

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Welcome to "Science News You Can Use" from Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin lay out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show laying out the science on why Mean Girls are so mean, why "Lean In" is advice that can backfire on a woman, and how women can succeed in love, friendships, and careers.

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-7:30 pm PT, 10-10:30 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Low-carb pioneers Dr. Michael Eades and Dr. Mary Dan Eades are my guests this week. Since the 1980s, they have been behind evidence-based ways to eat, and have helped thousands and thousands of people drop pounds without starving themselves. 

They have long understood that it is carbohydrates -- sugar, flour, starchy vegetables like potatoes, apple juice -- that cause the insulin secretion that puts on fat.  

On the show, we'll talk about how to maintain a way of eating, and debunk a lot of widely held myths about diet -- myths many doctors still cling to. 

Buy their books at Amazon at this link.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my science-based and funny book about why people are rude and how we all can behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to HumanLab -- The Science Between Us -- with Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin lay out science you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show detailing th science on casual sex and multiple partners, and how to manage in this sexual Wild West.

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-7:30 pm PT, 10-10:30 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Adorably, we humans see ourselves as rational animals. Research shows us to be anything but.

We are swayed in ways we wouldn’t expect in both our decision-making and how well we stick to our plans. 

The good news is, the research also shows that our going off track happens in predictable ways. My guest tonight, Harvard Business School professor, Dr. Francesca Gino, will both lay out the forces that sidetrack us as we’re trying to accomplish our goals and offer guidelines that we can use to keep ourselves on track. 

Dr. Gino will be discussing her recently-published book, Sidetracked: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We Can Stick to the Plan. Join us tonight and have your eyes opened about the psychological, social, and environmental stumbling blocks that keep us from getting where we want to go.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my science-based and funny book about why people are rude and how we all can behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

There have been two major schools on negotiating -- Ury, Fisher and Patton's "win-win"/"relationships are everything" approach and Roger Cohen's "nail 'em to the wall" hardball approach. 

Harvard Business School professor Michael Wheeler finds that these rigid, one-size-fits-all strategies often clash with the real-world realities of negotiating. Drawing on his and his colleagues' research, he finds that the most successful negotiating techniques are born of an ability to adapt while negotiating, and use agility, creativity, and wise preparation. 

He'll advise us all on how to adapt (and do all the rest) in order to win in negotiation, the subject of his book we'll be discussing on the show, "The Art of Negotiation: How to Improvise Agreement in a Chaotic World."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my science-based and funny book about why people are rude and how we all can behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

Assertiveness isn't about "building a good disguise," Dr. Randy Paterson explains. "It's about the courage to take the disguise off." It's "about being THERE."

Paterson, a clinical psychologist, is the author of the excellent book I've recommended in my column, "The Assertiveness Workbook: How To Express Your Ideas and Stand Up for Yourself at Work and in Relationships," and that's exactly what he and I will be laying out on tonight's show.

Paterson takes a very rational, behavioral approach and gives extremely practical tips for how to change, and this show should help even already-assertive people notice and shore up areas where they could do better.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to "HumanLab: The Science Between Us," with Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Welcome to a very special show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show on heartbreak -- why it's actually adaptive and how to recover from it -- with science from both the human and animal world.

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-7:30 pm PT, 10-10:30 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

This week's very exciting show is on a subject that has a great deal of influence over us -- our environment -- that we tend to give very little thought.

Luckily, cognitive neuroscientist Colin Ellard has done the work and thinking for us, and, on this show, will lay out the science of how the places we inhabit change our minds and bodies, and how we can use this knowledge to our benefit.

His book we'll be discussing tonight, Places of the Heart: The Psychogeography of Everyday Life, was a Library of Science Book Club selection.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

My guest on this week's show, Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, wants to help you achieve realistic confidence -- confidence based on competence. He is a professor of business psychology at University College of London and an authority in personality assessment, consumer analytics, and talent management. His book we'll be discussing on the show is "Conf!dence: Overcoming Low Self-Esteem, Insecurity, and Self-Doubt."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based and funny book on how we call all behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

On this show, Dr. Jonathan Gottschall talks about his foray from bummed out adjunct English professor to the Mixed Marshall Arts world and his big cage fight -- along with the psychology driving violence and the fight rituals that actually contain it. His fascinating book we'll be discussing on the show: The Professor in the Cage: Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based and funny book on how we call all behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

A "Best Of" replay for you tonight. It's one of my favorite recent shows, filled with science news everyone can use -- the science of how to spend our way to happiness.

My guest tonight is psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Dunn, co-author with Dr. Michael Norton, of a terrific, highly readable little book filled with research-driven wisdom: "Happy Money: The Science Of Smarter Spending." 

On tonight’s show, she lays out the myths we hold about how spending in certain ways will improve our lives and will explain all the ways we can rejigger our spending and thinking, often in small ways, to spend smarter and happier.

Dunn, at age 26, was featured as one of the "rising stars" in academia by the Chronicle of Higher Education, and this should be a very interesting and practical show, so don’t miss it! 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7 p.m. Pacific Time, 10 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." It's only $10ish, brand new, at Amazon, and every new copy sold helps support the work I put into this show. Also it's funny and Library Journal gave it a starred review and called it "highly recommended."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

What do men want? In bed and out? What do women want? How does this all tie together? (And who’s getting tied up?)

These are just a few of the questions I’ll be asking and sex therapist Dr. Brandy Engler will be answering on tonight’s show.

Dr. Engler is unique in that she opened a sex therapy practice for women -- expecting to slowly get some clients -- and quickly amassed a full list of clients: all men.

Engler and New York Times best-selling biographer David Rensin have just published a fascinating book about her sessions and her insights, The Men On My Couch: True Stories of Sex, Love, and Psychotherapy.

This is your chance to go inside her sessions -- to see into the erotic minds of men. And not pervos or deviants, but regular guys. Men we all know.

Beyond the men, we will also see into the minds of the women having sex with these men -- or refusing to -- and find out why, and what it takes to balance love and eroticism in a relationship.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." It's only about $10ish, new, at Amazon, and every new copy sold helps support the work I put into this show. Also it's funny and Library Journal gave it a starred review and called it "highly recommended."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

A very helpful "Best Of" replay tonight. Dr. Barbara Oakley has written an incredibly helpful book on learning how to learn math and science. But, yoohoo, math-loathers, this book -- and this show -- are about much more than that. 

Both the book and tonight’s show are about techniques you can start employing immediately that will show you how to do your work and your creative work more efficiently and ultimately more successfully and satisfyingly. 

The proof that these techniques work? Dr. Oakley herself used these techniques to transform from a girl who flunked every math and science course in high school into a tenured professor of engineering. And she currently uses them to curb procrastination, to learn and retain difficult material better and faster, and to increase her creativity in problem-solving and writing. 

Dr. Oakley’s excellent book we’ll be discussing is A Mind For Numbers: How to excel at math and science (even if you flunked algebra). 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only about $11 at Amazon.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

On this show, University of Chicago psychologist and researcher Dr. Sian Beilock explains why we choke under pressure and how we can avoid doing it. 

Her book is Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To.

Join us tonight to find out how you can exhibit the sort of grace under pressure that makes for winning performances -- in  life, business, sports, public speaking, and the arts. 

And join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday at 7pm Pacific and 10pm Eastern, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes. 

Buy my science-based and funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," and look for my award-winning, nationally syndicated, science-based advice column in a paper near you -- or ask the editor to carry it!

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

*This show won Third Place for best documentary radio in the June 26, 2015, Southern California Journalism awards, beating finalists from NPR powerhouse KCRW.

Saturated fat is your friend. Really. 

It turns out everything we've been told about eating fat is wrong. On tonight's show, meticulous journalist Nina Teichholz will lay out the scientific errors, bias, and dangerous misrepresentations that have underpinned the dietary dogma of the past 60 years.

She'll also lay out the findings of solid science -- why eating more dietary fat will lead us to better health and fitness. 

Join us as she discusses all of this and more from her terrific book, "The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet." 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," about why we're experiencing so much rudeness and -- turning to behavioral science -- how we can behave less counterproductively.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

Joshua Wolf Shenk uses science, fascinating true stories of creative partnerships, and historical evidence to dispel the myth of the lone genius and show that creativity is not the work of an individual mind. It is, in fact, a social activity, and two people, working together, are truly "greater than the sum of their parts." Join us tonight to find out what it takes to be a creative partner -- and in turn, how to be far more than you can be alone.

Shenk's book we'll be discussing is Powers Of Two: Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"(St. Martin's Griffin, 2014.) 

Library Journal's starred review: "Verdict: Solid psychology and a wealth of helpful knowledge and rapier wit fill these pages. Highly recommended." Orders of the book (new only, not used!) help support this radio show!

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

Relationships with family -- and the pets that are part of our families -- are important to our emotional health and can play a significant role in our social success.

Tonight, evolutionary psychologist Dr. Catherine Salmon will lay out some fascinating information about our evolved psychology within our families, including -- among other things -- how rivalry isn’t just a sibling thing but a parent-child thing and how and why we create family relationships with people we aren’t related to -- as well as with our pets. 

The book we'll be discussing is one Salmon co-edited with fellow evolutionary psychologist Todd Shackelford, "The Oxford Handbook of Evolutionary Family Psychology." (Salmon and Shackelford also wrote a number of chapters, along with others they commissioned from some of the other top researchers in evolutionary psychology and anthropology.)

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday (at our new half-hour time), 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by ordering my book, the well-reviewed, science-based, and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to "Science News You Can Use" from Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

"Best Of" replay with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show laying out the science on casual sex and multiple partners, and how to manage in this sexual Wild West.

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-7:30 pm PT, 10-10:30 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On this show, neuroscientist David Linden takes us on a journey from our fingertips to our funparts and explains how huge an influence touch is in every aspect of our lives. He'll lay out, for example, how touch can improve your success in business and how vital touch is to a child's development and well being and about how much touch a child needs.

We'll be discussing his book, just out in paperback, Touch: The Science of Heart, Hand, and Mind.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday (at our new half-hour time), 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by ordering my book, the well-reviewed, science-based, and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

We like to believe our decisions are rationally driven and make sense. But constantly, our perception and decision-making are clouded by illusions we aren't even aware we have. Some of these include illusions of accuracy in our attention, memory, confidence, and knowledge. These illusions can lead us to make costly - and even deadly - errors.

The good news is, by understanding what these illusions are and how we fall prey to them, we can avoid doing it (or do it far less), make more rationally-based decisions, and live smarter overall.

To help us do that, my guest tonight, psychologist and researcher Dr. Christopher Chabris is half of the team (with psychologist and researcher Dan Simons) who did the famous and hilarious "invisible gorilla experiment." It's also the title of their fascinating book, "The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us."

Tonight, we'll be discussing this experiment and others, why we're so convinced we're perceiving situations correctly when we're doing anything but, and how we can stop and live like the rational animals we believe we are.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday (at our new half-hour time), 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by ordering my book, the well-reviewed, science-based, and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*"Best Of" replay for SuperBowl Sunday.

This is a show on how the negative can be positive -- on how we actually need the emotions that make us uncomfortable. They make us whole, balancing the "positive" emotions. Dr. Todd Kashdan will lay out the science on how anger, anxiety, and other "negative" feelings can actually be motivating, illuminating, and helpful -- giving us our best shot at success and fulfillment.

Dr. Kashdan's myth-busting book he'll be discussing, co-authored with Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener, is “The Upside of Your Dark Side: Why Being Your Whole Self--Not Just Your ‘Good’ Self--Drives Success and Fullfillment.”

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-7:30 p.m. PT, 10-10:30 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" -- only $11ish at Amazon. Orders of new copies help support my writing and all the work I do to put out this show and are much-appreciated!

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Amy Alkon HumanLab -- The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

*"Best Of" replay. On tonight’s show, science gets together with ancient Chinese philosophy, and it likes what it finds. 

Dr. Edward Slingerland, an internationally renowned Chinese philosophy expert, draws on both cutting-edge science and ancient Chinese strategies to show how our modern Western approach of striving our guts out doesn’t seem to lead to success or happiness.

In fact, he observes, it seems that getting practiced enough in something that it comes naturally is the way to avoid forcing things in the moment (which is actually counterproductive to succeeding).

Dr. Slingerland will talk about this, how achieving that sort of effortlessness is the way to personal charisma, and much more on tonight’s show. His book he’ll be discussing is “Trying Not To Try: The Art And Science of Spontaneity.” Join us and see how we can better our work, relationships, and lives -- if we can just get out of our own way.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" -- only $11ish at Amazon. Orders help support my writing and the work I do to put out this show and are much appreciated!

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It's "Science News You Can Use" from Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Join us tonight for a "Best of" replay -- an enlightening show on heartbreak and how to recover from it, with science from both the human and animal world, laid out for you by science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-7:30 pm PT, 10-10:30 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

My guest today, NYU psychology professor Dr. Gabriele Oettingen, draws on more than 20 years of research on human motivation to show why conventional wisdom on "thinking positively" falls short. On tonight's show, she'll lay out her science-based method for achieving goals and explain why seeing the obstacles and not just the rainbows and pots of gold gives you your best chance for success.

Her book we'll be discussing is Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7 to 7:30 p.m. PT, 10 to 10:30 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by ordering my book, the well-reviewed, science-based, and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On this show, noted creativity and intelligence researcher Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman explains how creative brains work and, using findings from psychology and neuroscience, explains practices we can all use to function at our creative best.

His book, co-authored with Carolyn Gregoire, that we're discussing on the show: Wired To Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please buy my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." (Only $11ish for a new copy -- which supports the work I do on this show.)

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Welcome to "Science News You Can Use" from Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

"Best Of" replay with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show laying out the science on why Mean Girls are so mean, why "Lean In" is advice that can backfire on a woman, and how women can succeed in love, friendships, and careers.

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-7:30 pm PT, 10-10:30 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

This is a "Best Of" replay for the holidays.

Wharton organizational psychologist Dr. Adam Grant talks about his terrific book, "Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success," (just out in paperback this week!) which draws from research to explain what makes giving both powerful and dangerous to people's achieving their goals.

Paradoxically, it's often those who give without looking for anything in return -- who just want to do good, open the playing field to good people -- who ultimately get the most in return. But, Grant warns, there are caveats to this -- and he lays them out in the book and we'll discuss them as well as giving's many nuances and benefits on the show. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Support my show by ordering my science-based and funny book on how we can behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

This is a "Best Of" replay for the holidays. On this show, social psychologist Dr. Barry Schwartz lays out why our emotions, trained and modulated, are the key to developing wisdom and behaving wisely.

And, contrary to conventional "wisdom" that emotions should be kept out of business or professional decisions, Schwartz lays out why that's not the case and why "practical wisdom" is key to both personal and relationship happiness.

His compelling book (complete with some moving stories) is "Practical Wisdom: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing." His co-author is poly-sci prof Dr. Kenneth Sharpe. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the well-reviewed, evolutionary psychology-based, unprissy, and funny "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" (which happens to include some of the research and thinking of tonight's guest).

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Welcome to HumanLab: The Science Between Us, with Amy Alkon interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

This is a "Best Of" replay for the holidays. My guest, from back in 2012, is one of the rock stars of anthropology, Dr. Robert Trivers, talking about his very interesting book, "The Folly of Fools," on deception and self-deception.

He lays out how we evolved to be liars, and how, in order to lie better to others, we often lie to ourselves first. (Even infants practice deception.) We'll discuss the myths people believe about how they can detect lies, how “cognitive load” (limitations of memory and mind) plays a big part in our detection of deception in others, and how minimizing it in ourselves helps lesson our chances in getting caught in a lie.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the well-reviewed, evolutionary psychology-based, unprissy, and funny "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" (which happens to include some of the research and thinking of tonight's guest).

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

This is a "Best Of" replay for the holidays. This is a fascinating show on the difference between seeing and actually observing, and many of the other habits and practices of Sherlock Holmes. 

Science writer and psychologist Dr. Maria Konnikova draws on 21st century neuroscience and psychology to show how we can employ Holmes’ thought processes to unlock our own capacities for ever-present mindfulness, astute observation, and logical deduction in order to see more, live more rationally, and, in turn live smarter. 

Her book we discuss: Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the well-reviewed, science-based, unprissy, and funny "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck".

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*"Best Of" replay for Thanksgiving weekend.

Stanton Peele points out that most people recover from addictions on their own -- without AA or rehab, and what makes the difference is values, not biology.

On tonight’s show, he’ll debunk many of the myths in addiction treatment -- especially the notion that addiction is a “disease” people are powerless to overcome. That defeatest message is especially counterproductive to overcoming addiction, and it’s been supported with bad science and hearsay. Join us tonight to hear what solid science says about how addiction or bad habits can be overcome -- to the point where people are not just going cold-turkey off some substance or behavior till their next relapse, but where they develop meaningful ways of coping that no longer have them turning to their old crutch.

Peele’s book we’ll be discussing is Recover! Stop Thinking Like an Addict and Reclaim Your Life with The PERFECT Program. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only about $11 at Amazon.

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science. 

On this show, Dr. Jonathan Gottschall talks about his foray from bummed out adjunct English professor to the Mixed Marshall Arts world and his big cage fight -- along with the psychology driving violence and the fight rituals that actually contain it. His fascinating book we'll be discussing on the show: The Professor in the Cage: Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based and funny book on how we call all behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." It's only about $11 at Amazon, brand new. And along with positive reviews in the WSJ and other publications, Library Journal gave the book a starred review: "Verdict: Solid psychology and a wealth of helpful knowledge and rapier wit fill these pages. Highly recommended."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On this show, psychiatrist, business coach, and hostage negotiation trainer Dr. Mark Goulston explains how you can deal with the truly difficult people in your life -- and how to cut your own "crazy" as well. His new book we'll be discussing: Talking to Crazy: How to Deal with the Irrational and Impossible People in Your Life.  

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support the show by buying my science-based and funny book on how we call all behave less counterproductively, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." It's only about $11 at Amazon, brand new. And along with positive reviews in the WSJ and other publications, Library Journal gave the book a starred review: "Verdict: Solid psychology and a wealth of helpful knowledge and rapier wit fill these pages. Highly recommended."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, a weekly show with the luminaries of behavioral science.

On this show, anthropologist Dr. Kermyt Anderson will lay out what the research says about fathers, stepfathers, grandparents, and how children are transformed by and transform the men who care for them. 

Dr. Anderson’s book we’ll be discussing tonight is Fatherhood: Evolution and Human Paternal Behavior. It was co-authored with fellow anthropologist Peter B. Gray. Also check out Anderson and Gray’s blog at Psychology Today, “The Evolving Father.” 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Welcome to Amy Alkon's HumanLab: The Science Between Us, interviewing the luminaries of behavioral science.

This week's very exciting show is on a subject that has a great deal of influence over us -- our environment -- that we tend to give very little thought.

Luckily, cognitive neuroscientist Colin Ellard has done the work and thinking for us, and, on this show, will lay out the science of how the places we inhabit change our minds and bodies, and how we can use this knowledge to our benefit.

His book we'll be discussing tonight, Places of the Heart: The Psychogeography of Everyday Life, was a Library of Science Book Club selection.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"

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On "HumanLab: The Science Between Us," Amy Alkon interviews the luminaries of behavioral science on how their research can help us have the lives we want.

On this show is evolutionary psychologist Dr. Geoffrey Miller, who lays out the realities from science of what women really want and how even a regular guy can measure up (as opposed to trying to scam a woman into bed). His new book he'll be discussing on the show, co-authored with Tucker Max, is "Mate: Become the Man Women Want."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"

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Yes, it's a name change! "Advice Goddess Radio" is now "HumanLab: The Science Between Us." 

On tonight's show, noted social scientist Dr. Adam Galinsky takes on the long-running debate about whether it's best to be self-interested or other-interested--a question Galinsky says actually misses the mark. 

Delving into recent research, Galinsky will explain why maximizing our potential for success takes doing both -- sometimes cooperating, sometimes competing (and sometimes doing a little of each). He'll also offer some extremely valuable tips on how you can win at work and in many competitive situations through understanding and managing the nuances on cooperating and competing.

Galinsky's terrific new book, co-authored with Dr. Maurice Schweizer, is Friend & Foe.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun from 7-7:30 pm PT and 10-10:30 pm ET, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

And please support the show by buying my science-based, funny book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science. 

I have a rerun for you this week -- of an extremely popular show.

On this show, exercise trainer and rehab expert Fred Hahn explains why slow-speed strength training, for just a few minutes a week, will make you healthier than that fitness fanatic who spends hours and hours in the gym. (He lays out fascinating and solid evidence throughout the show.)

Fred is co-author, with Dr. Michael Eades and Dr. Mary Dan Eades, whom I greatly respect, of The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution: The Slow-Motion Exercise That Will Change Your Body In 30 Minutes A Week.

He will debunk all the myths most of us hold about exercise and fitness, and leave you with a plan for exercise that will make you fitter and healthier, and will only eat 12-15 minutes of your week. 

This is a not-to-be-missed show. This method of exercise has improved my health and my life and I'm hoping you'll follow my lead.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, from 7-8 pm Pacific and 10-11 pm Eastern, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon

Please order my new book, the science-based, funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*"Best Of" replay. (New live shows in the next week or so!) Tonight’s show will help you stop pushing potential partners away by exploring why you do that and explaining how you can stop. 

Psychologist Dr. Michelle Skeen explores how our “core beliefs” can set the stage for our developing unhealthy, fear-based patterns of behavior that keep us from having happy and healthy connections with others. 

Join us on tonight’s show as she explains the underlying causes and how to yank yourself out of the unhealthy thinking and patterns and develop the skills you need to have loving and happy relationships. 

Her new book we’ll be discussing tonight: Love Me, Don't Leave Me: Overcoming Fear of Abandonment and Building Lasting, Loving Relationships. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by ordering my new science-based and funny modern manners book, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," only $9.48 at Amazon. For a preview, see fun Pin quotes from the book here.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science. 

*Best of replay - for just another week or so until we relaunch under a cool new name.

TONIGHT! Developmental psychologist Dr. Peter Gray will explain why our current educational system is actually counterproductive to educating kids. Our way of schooling kids ignores our evolved psychology and how children actually learn, and removes children’s natural joy of learning from them in the process. 

It turns out that schooling based on the principles of a democracy -- applied to children -- is highly effective schooling for keeping kids engaged, helping them develop self-control, and helping them develop to their fullest and become highly productive adults living meaningful lives.

Peter’s fascinating book: Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday from 7-8 pm Pacific and 10-11 pm Eastern, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Buy my book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" at Amazon, and look for my award-winning, nationally syndicated, science-based advice column in a paper near you, or ask the editor to carry it!

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science. 

Context is everything, Tufts psychology professor Dr. Sam Sommers explains. What we believe, how we behave, and even how we see ourselves shifts more than we understand, depending on the situation we find ourselves in at a particular moment.

For example, contrary to popular belief, context (like whether we're standing in a crowd), and not moral character, will often determine whether people will reach out and help someone in need.

On tonight's show, Dr. Sommers will lay out how understsanding the surprisingly powerful impact of context can help us combat our biases in seeing and decision-making -- in turn helping us be more effective at work, with our families, in our friendships and relationships, and out in the world.

Sam's book: Situations Matter: Understanding How Context Transforms Your World

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based and funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science. 

*This show is a "Best Of" replay. New live shows coming soon -- we've renamed the show and are just waiting for the new art and music.

It turns out that our assumptions about the mindblowing sex we think we are "supposed" to be having is the thing that stops us from the pretty great sex we could be having. Or from having sex at all.

This week's guest is therapist and sex therapist Dr. Marty Klein, ripping away widely held myths about sex to help everybody listening improve their sex lives.

We'll be discussing his book, Sexual Intelligence: What We Really Want from Sex--and How to Get It. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my science-based and funny book about why people are rude and how we can all act less counterproductively, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

This week's show explains why advice to "lean in" is totally unrealistic and other ways evolved male/female sex differences shape who we are.

My guest this week is psychology professor Dr. Joyce Benenson, discussing her fantastic new book, "Warriors and Worriers: The Survival of the Sexes." 

This is really solid science that will open your eyes to so much about male and female behavior, including male-male and female-female friendships and competition, and will give you some much-needed realism you can use to inform how you relate socially and at work.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. It helps support me and the work I put into this show.  And an even better reason: Library Journal just gave it a starred review and called it "highly recommended"!

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*NOTE: "Best Of" replay. New live shows in September -- under a brand new show name we'll announce soon.

Adorably, we humans see ourselves as rational animals. Research shows us to be anything but.

We are swayed in ways we wouldn’t expect in both our decision-making and how well we stick to our plans. 

The good news is, the research also shows that our going off track happens in predictable ways. My guest tonight, Harvard Business School professor, Dr. Francesca Gino, will both lay out the forces that sidetrack us as we’re trying to accomplish our goals and offer guidelines that we can use to keep ourselves on track. 

Dr. Gino will be discussing her recently-published book, Sidetracked: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We Can Stick to the Plan. Join us tonight and have your eyes opened about the psychological, social, and environmental stumbling blocks that keep us from getting where we want to go.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

A very helpful "Best Of" replay tonight. Dr. Barbara Oakley has written an incredibly helpful book on learning how to learn math and science. But, yoohoo, math-loathers, this book -- and this show -- are about much more than that. 

Both the book and tonight’s show are about techniques you can start employing immediately that will show you how to do your work and your creative work more efficiently and ultimately more successfully and satisfyingly. 

The proof that these techniques work? Dr. Oakley herself used these techniques to transform from a girl who flunked every math and science course in high school into a tenured professor of engineering. And she currently uses them to curb procrastination, to learn and retain difficult material better and faster, and to increase her creativity in problem-solving and writing. 

Dr. Oakley’s excellent book we’ll be discussing is A Mind For Numbers: How to excel at math and science (even if you flunked algebra). 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only about $11 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

NOTE: "Best Of" replay today -- new live shows starting in September!

We aren’t the independent thinkers we like to believe ourselves to be.

Psychologist and researcher Dr. Adam Alter shows in his fascinating book, Drunk Tank Pink, that a host of forces -- internal, social, and environmental -- drive our thinking and beliefs, and in turn, our actions.

On tonight’s show, he’ll lay out the ways we are influenced, sometimes causing substantial changes in our behavior that make the difference between success and failure in our endeavors. Knowing these influences is the best way to avoid being swept away by them, so don’t miss this show.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. (St. Martin's Press, June 3, 2014.)

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Welcome to "Science News You Can Use" from Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

*Best of Replay (in book crunch mode -- will have new live shows again in the next few weeks!)

Welcome to a very special every-other-week show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show on flirting. It turns out that flirting is anything but frivolous. In fact, understanding the science of flirting and mastering the most powerful techniques is the way to both get love in your life and have it stick around. Tune in to find out all the moves you'll need.  

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

"Best Of" replay. 

Assertiveness isn't about "building a good disguise," Dr. Randy Paterson explains. "It's about the courage to take the disguise off." It's "about being THERE."

Paterson, a clinical psychologist, is the author of the excellent book I've recommended in my column, "The Assertiveness Workbook: How To Express Your Ideas and Stand Up for Yourself at Work and in Relationships," and that's exactly what he and I will be laying out on tonight's show.

Paterson takes a very rational, behavioral approach and gives extremely practical tips for how to change, and this show should help even already-assertive people notice and shore up areas where they could do better.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

"Best Of" replay.

Great aspirations…sucky follow-through.

This describes life for a lot of us -- sometimes, despite our best intentions. 

Best-selling author and psychologist Art Markman is going to help us out of this rut. His book we’ll be discussing on this show is Smart Change: Five Tools to Create Sustainable Habits in Yourself and Others.

As in the book, on tonight’s show, he’ll turn to behavioral science to help us understand our brain’s motivational systems so we can short-circuit negative behaviors and create positive ones with staying power.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Order my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in therapy and research.

*"Best Of" replay

What do men want? In bed and out? What do women want? How does this all tie together? (And who’s getting tied up?)

These are just a few of the questions I’ll be asking and sex therapist Dr. Brandy Engler will be answering on tonight’s show.

Dr. Engler is unique in that she opened a sex therapy practice for women -- expecting to slowly get some clients -- and quickly amassed a full list of clients: all men.

Engler and New York Times best-selling biographer David Rensin have just published a fascinating book about her sessions and her insights, The Men On My Couch: True Stories of Sex, Love, and Psychotherapy.

This is your chance to go inside her sessions -- to see into the erotic minds of men. And not pervos or deviants, but regular guys. Men we all know.

Beyond the men, we will also see into the minds of the women having sex with these men -- or refusing to -- and find out why, and what it takes to balance love and eroticism in a relationship.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." It's only about $11 new, at Amazon, and every new copy sold helps support me and the work I put into this show. Also it's funny and Library Journal gave it a starred review and called it "highly recommended" (Sept. 15, 2014 issue).

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Welcome to "Science News You Can Use" from Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Welcome to a very special every-other-week show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show laying out the science on why Mean Girls are so mean, why "Lean In" is advice that can backfire on a woman, and how women can succeed in love, friendships, and careers.

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-7:30 pm PT, 10-10:30 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*This show won Third Place for best documentary radio in the June 26, 2015, Southern California Journalism awards, beating finalists from NPR powerhouse KCRW.

Saturated fat is your friend. Really.

It turns out everything we've been told about eating fat is wrong. On tonight's show, meticulous journalist Nina Teichholz will lay out the scientific errors, bias, and dangerous misrepresentations that have underpinned the dietary dogma of the past 60 years.

She'll also lay out the findings of solid science -- why eating more dietary fat will lead us to better health and fitness.

Join us as she discusses all of this and more from her brand new book, "The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please buy my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. It helps support me and the work I put into this show. Also, Library Journal just gave it a starred review and called it "highly recommended" (Sept. 15 issue).

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*NOTE: "Best Of" replay. Live shows again starting in July!

Competition can be seen as ugly and divisive but it’s actually an essential element in driving us to do and be our best. 

My guest tonight, New York Times best-selling science writer Ashley Merryman, will lay out the science of winning and losing, including how we can figure out the kind of competitor we are (to help ourselves avoid choking), the differences between how men and women compete, and ways to rejigger our thinking so we use competition in ways that serve us instead of defeating us.

Her excellent book, co-authored with Po Bronson, that we’ll be discussing tonight, is “Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing.” 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please support the show by ordering my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only about $10 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*"Best Of" replay. On tonight’s show, science gets together with ancient Chinese philosophy, and it likes what it finds. 

Dr. Edward Slingerland, an internationally renowned Chinese philosophy expert, draws on both cutting-edge science and ancient Chinese strategies to show how our modern Western approach of striving our guts out doesn’t seem to lead to success or happiness.

In fact, he observes, it seems that getting practiced enough in something that it comes naturally is the way to avoid forcing things in the moment (which is actually counterproductive to succeeding).

Dr. Slingerland will talk about this, how achieving that sort of effortlessness is the way to personal charisma, and much more on tonight’s show. His book he’ll be discussing is “Trying Not To Try: The Art And Science of Spontaneity.” Join us and see how we can better our work, relationships, and lives -- if we can just get out of our own way.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" -- only about $12 at Amazon. Orders help support my writing and the work I do to put out this show and are much appreciated!

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

"Best Of" replay this week (doing a few of these this summer while working on my next book). New live shows in the next few weeks! 

Tonight’s show is about women and sexual power -- why some women feel like passive participants in their sex lives and why and how other women are able to feel comfortable in their sexual skin.

My guest is Penn State researcher Dr. Beth Montemurro, and her book we’re discussing is Deserving Desire: Women’s Stories of Sexual Evolution.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. (St. Martin's Griffin, 2014.)

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It's "Science News You Can Use" radio, with Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

*"Best Of" replay (because Dr. Jenn is somewhere in the jungle for a few weeks).

Join us tonight for a fun look at the science of attraction, and learn how to look hot to the people you want -- without becoming the indentured servant of some plastic surgeon until you’re 90.

About the show: This is a very special every-other-Sunday-night show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

"Best Of" replay.

Whether you're an anger venter or an anger withholder (or something in between), this is a show for you. 

My guest tonight, therapist Dr. Andrea Brandt, writes that “our culture has a built-in phobia of negative emotions,” which isolates us from each other and has myriad unhealthy and counterproductive effects on us personally.

Her goal -- in her book, Mindful Anger: a pathway to emotional freedom, and on this show -- is not to help you get rid of your anger but to help you understand and handle it in healthy and constructive ways. You should, in turn, find that this leads to cascading positive effects in every arena of your life. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*"Best Of" replay for Memorial Day in the US.

This is a show on how the negative can be positive -- on how we actually need the emotions that make us uncomfortable. They make us whole, balancing the "positive" emotions. Dr. Todd Kashdan will lay out the science on how anger, anxiety, and other "negative" feelings can actually be motivating, illuminating, and helpful -- giving us our best shot at success and fulfillment.

Dr. Kashdan's myth-busting book he'll be discussing, co-authored with Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener, is “The Upside of Your Dark Side: Why Being Your Whole Self--Not Just Your ‘Good’ Self--Drives Success and Fullfillment.”

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" -- only $10.90 at Amazon. Orders help support my writing and all the work I do to put out this show and are much-appreciated! (Also, along with positive reviews in the WSJ and other publications, Library Journal gave the book a starred review: "Verdict: Solid psychology and a wealth of helpful knowledge and rapier wit fill these pages. Highly recommended.")

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Welcome to "Science News You Can Use" from Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Welcome to a very special every-other-week show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show laying out the science on casual sex and multiple partners, and how to manage in this sexual Wild West.

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-7:30 pm PT, 10-10:30 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Dr. Jennifer Jacquet turns to science to explain and rehabilitate shame -- an essential tool for stopping freeloaders and exploiters and cultivating better behavior, even in a society of strangers. 

Her book we'll be discussing is "Is Shame Necessary? New Uses for an Old Tool." 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-7:30 p.m. PT, 10-10:30 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please buy my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. It helps support me and the work I put into this show. Also, Library Journal just gave it a starred review and called it "highly recommended" (Sept. 15 issue).

View Details

Welcome to "Science News You Can Use" from Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Welcome to a very special every-other-week show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show on heartbreak and how to recover from it, with science from both the human and animal world.

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-7:30 pm PT, 10-10:30 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

View Details

Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

This week's show explains why advice to "lean in" is totally unrealistic and other ways evolved male/female sex differences shape who we are.

My guest this week is psychology professor Dr. Joyce Benenson, discussing her fantastic new book, "Warriors and Worriers: The Survival of the Sexes." 

This is really solid science that will open your eyes to so much about male and female behavior, including male-male and female-female friendships and competition, and will give you some much-needed realism you can use to inform how you relate socially and at work.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. It helps support me and the work I put into this show. Also, Library Journal just gave it a starred review and called it "highly recommended" (Sept. 15 issue).

View Details

Welcome to "Science News You Can Use" from Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Welcome to a very special every-other-week show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show on exactly what makes a great match. Is an opposite who ruffles your feathers better for you than someone with a more similar personality? Tune in to find out.  

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

View Details

Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

"Best Of" Replay (because I was at an ev psych conference all week).

Saturated fat is your friend. Really.

It turns out everything we've been told about eating fat is wrong. On tonight's show, meticulous journalist Nina Teichholz will lay out the scientific errors, bias, and dangerous misrepresentations that have underpinned the dietary dogma of the past 60 years.

She'll also lay out the findings of solid science -- why eating more dietary fat will lead us to better health and fitness.

Join us as she discusses all of this and more from her brand new book, "The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please buy my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. It helps support me and the work I put into this show. Also, Library Journal just gave it a starred review and called it "highly recommended" (Sept. 15 issue).

View Details

Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*"Best of" replay for Easter Sunday.

We tend to believe that we just have to reason others into doing what we want -- or even doing what we see is best for them. The reality is, we influence people by connecting with them and feeling where they're coming from, not trying to push them into doing things our way, notes psychiatrist, business coach, and hostage negotiator trainer Dr. Mark Goulston. Even if the shoving approach sometimes leads to short-term change, it breeds lasting resentment, not successful business and other relationships.

Goulston will lay out the fine points of the connected influence that moves people to go along with our goals and how to avoid the disconnected style that moves people away from us and leads to resentment and other bad feelings and outcomes. 

Goulston's book that we'll be discussing on this show is "Real Influence: Persuade Without Pushing and Gain Without Giving In." Goulston's terrific previous book, "Just Listen," is just out in paperback.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*"Best of" replay tonight.

Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams, obviously, is not a scientist. But he thinks and views his experiences like a scientist and his wisdom is well-supported.

For example, Adams found that it isn't goals that are the key to success, but what he calls "systems." 

And Adams advises, based on his own steady stream of failures in business, that "Everything you want in life is in that bubbling vat of failure. The trick is to get the good stuff out."

As a cartoonist, he thinks of himself as a "professional simplifier." That's what he does in his just-published book, How To Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, and simplifying for all of us what it takes to succeed in business and be happy in life is what he does on tonight's not-to-be-missed show.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please support this show by buying my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" (St. Martin's Griffin, 2014).

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*"Best of" replay tonight.

Joshua Wolf Shenk uses science, fascinating true stories of creative partnerships, and historical evidence to dispel the myth of the lone genius and show that creativity is not the work of an individual mind. It is, in fact, a social activity, and two people, working together, are truly "greater than the sum of their parts." Join us tonight to find out what it takes to be a creative partner -- and in turn, how to be far more than you can be alone.

Shenk's book we'll be discussing is Powers Of Two: Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs. 

Previously, he was the author of Lincoln's Melancholy, a New York Times Notable Book. Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"(St. Martin's Griffin, 2014.) 

Along with positive reviews in the WSJ and other publications, Library Journal gave my book a starred review: "Verdict: Solid psychology and a wealth of helpful knowledge and rapier wit fill these pages. Highly recommended." Orders of the book (new only, not used!) help support this radio show!

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It's "Science News You Can Use" radio, with Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

How you communicate can kill or save a relationship -- or help you get into a really great one. 

But it’s hard to know the nuances of communicating: When should you be honest? When should you be, um, less than honest? 

There’s a lot of advice out there on how to talk to people (and people you love) but on tonight’s show we’ll be turning to science to debunk myths and lay out tips on how you can communicate your way into a relationship or make the one you have more loving, fun, and successful. 

About this show: This is a very special every-other-Sunday-night show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- supporting our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

My guest today, NYU psychology professor Dr. Gabriele Oettingen, draws on more than 20 years of research on human motivation to show why conventional wisdom on "thinking positively" falls short. On tonight's show, she'll lay out her science-based method for achieving goals and explain why seeing the obstacles and not just the rainbows and pots of gold gives you your best chance for success.

Her book we'll be discussing is Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" -- only $9.48 at Amazon. Orders help support my writing and all the work I do to put out this show and are much-appreciated! (Also, along with positive reviews in the WSJ and other publications, Library Journal gave the book a starred review: "Verdict: Solid psychology and a wealth of helpful knowledge and rapier wit fill these pages. Highly recommended.")

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*NOTE: "Best Of" replay (because I was away at a psych conference). New live show next week.

Adorably, we humans see ourselves as rational animals. Research shows us to be anything but.

We are swayed in ways we wouldn’t expect in both our decision-making and how well we stick to our plans.

The good news is, the research also shows that our going off track happens in predictable ways. My guest tonight, Harvard Business School professor, Dr. Francesca Gino, will both lay out the forces that sidetrack us as we’re trying to accomplish our goals and offer guidelines that we can use to keep ourselves on track.

Dr. Gino will be discussing her recently-published book, Sidetracked: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We Can Stick to the Plan. Join us tonight and have your eyes opened about the psychological, social, and environmental stumbling blocks that keep us from getting where we want to go.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck."

And please ask a newspaper near you to carry my award-winning syndicated, science-based advice column...if they don't already.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*"Best Of" replay (Oscars night). On tonight’s show, science gets together with ancient Chinese philosophy and it likes what it finds.

Dr. Edward Slingerland, an internationally renowned expert in Chinese philosophy, draws on both cutting-edge science and ancient Chinese strategies to show how our modern Western approach of striving our guts out doesn’t seem to be the way to success or happiness.

In fact, to give one example from his book, it seems that getting practiced enough in something that it comes naturally is the way to avoid forcing things in the moment -- which is actually counterproductive to succeeding.

Dr. Slingerland will talk about this, how achieving that sort of effortlessness is the way to personal charisma, and much more on tonight’s show. His book he’ll be discussing is “Trying Not To Try: The Art And Science of Spontaneity.” Join us and see how we can better our work, relationships, and lives -- if we can just get out of our own way.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" -- only about $12 at Amazon. Orders help support my writing and the work I do to put out this show and are much appreciated!

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

This show isn't just a show -- it's a shovel to give you the substantive steps you need to dig out of your bad habits. And our discussion of the mechanics of a habit will also give you the tools you need to start -- and maintain -- positive habits.

My guest tonight is investigative journalist Charles Duhigg, and his very helpful best-selling book (recently mentioned in my science-based syndicated column) is The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" -- only $9.48 at Amazon. Orders help support my writing and all the work I do to put out this show and are much-appreciated! (Also, along with positive reviews in the WSJ and other publications, Library Journal gave the book a starred review: "Verdict: Solid psychology and a wealth of helpful knowledge and rapier wit fill these pages. Highly recommended.")

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It's "Science News You Can Use" radio, with Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

If you've been bumping around in the dark in trying to get dates, not mess up the ones you do get, and maybe get into a relationship, tonight's show will lay out what science says you need to do to succeed in all of those areas. 

About this show: This is a very special every-other-Sunday-night show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- supporting our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*NOTE: "Best Of" replay (for Superbowl Sunday). Live shows again starting next Sunday, Feb 8!

Competition can be seen as ugly and divisive but it’s actually an essential element in driving us to do and be our best.

My guest tonight, New York Times best-selling science writer Ashley Merryman, will lay out the science of winning and losing, including how we can figure out the kind of competitor we are (to help ourselves avoid choking), the differences between how men and women compete, and ways to rejigger our thinking so we use competition in ways that serve us instead of defeating us.

Her excellent book, co-authored with Po Bronson, that we’ll be discussing tonight, is “Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing.” (Barnes & Noble ships faster.)

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please support the show by ordering my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only about $10 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*"Best Of" replay. Tonight’s show will help you stop pushing potential partners away by exploring why you do that and explaining how you can stop.

Psychologist Dr. Michelle Skeen explores how our “core beliefs” can set the stage for our developing unhealthy, fear-based patterns of behavior that keep us from having happy and healthy connections with others.

Join us on tonight’s show as she explains the underlying causes and how to yank yourself out of the unhealthy thinking and patterns and develop the skills you need to have loving and happy relationships.

Her new book we’ll be discussing tonight: Love Me, Don't Leave Me: Overcoming Fear of Abandonment and Building Lasting, Loving Relationships.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please support this show by ordering my new science-based and funny modern manners book, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," only $9.48 at Amazon. For a preview, see fun Pin quotes from the book here.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

The smartest kids aren't necessarily the most successful. Instilling resilience and self-control is essential in helping kids succeed, explains Dr. Laurence Steinberg, a world-renowned expert on adolescent psychology. Steinberg makes a strong, science-based case for changing how we parent, teach, and understand young people.

On this show, he’ll take us through science on the brain and motivation -- including his own ground-breaking research -- to bust widely held myths and explain how to support and guide kids to develop traits they need to be at their in their work and other endeavors and to live to their fullest.

His book we'll be discussing: Age Of Opportunity -- Lessons From The New Science of Adolescence.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" -- only $9.48 at Amazon. Orders help support my writing and all the work I do to put out this show and are much-appreciated! (Also, along with positive reviews in the WSJ and other publications, Library Journal gave the book a starred review: "Verdict: Solid psychology and a wealth of helpful knowledge and rapier wit fill these pages. Highly recommended.")

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It's "Science News You Can Use" radio, with Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Starting from the evolutionary origins of friendship -- "Let's pair up so we won't get eaten!" -- we go on to explain some unexpected findings about friendship, along with how to be a friend, how to win friends, how to end friendships that are toxic or have run their course...and much more.

About the show: This is a very special every-other-Sunday-night show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- supporting our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

NOTE: ***"Best Of" holiday replay today -- new live shows starting next Sunday!

We aren’t the independent thinkers we like to believe ourselves to be.

Psychologist and researcher Dr. Adam Alter shows in his fascinating book, Drunk Tank Pink, that a host of forces -- internal, social, and environmental -- drive our thinking and beliefs, and in turn, our actions.

On tonight’s show, he’ll lay out the ways we are influenced, sometimes causing substantial changes in our behavior that make the difference between success and failure in our endeavors. Knowing these influences is the best way to avoid being swept away by them, so don’t miss this show.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please buy my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. (St. Martin's Press, June 3, 2014.)

And please ask a newspaper near you to carry my award-winning syndicated, science-based advice column...if they don't already.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science. (***"Best Of" replay due to the holiday -- live shows again starting in January, with some very exciting luminaries of behavioral science!)

Tonight’s show explores what drives word-of-mouth -- that sometimes free but always highly valuable person-to-person advertising and recommending of products, ideas, and behaviors.

My guest tonight, Wharton marketing professor Dr. Jonah Berger, will debunk the myths and lay out what the research says about how we can design products, ideas, and behaviors so people will talk about them. In other words, so they'll catch on.

Berger’s book we’ll be discussing is Contagious: Why Things Catch On.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

On this show, a "Best Of" replay, cognitive psychologist Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman lays out why intelligence tests currently used are far too limiting in determining a student’s true potential.

Kaufman is a rigorous researcher whose work I know and respect, but his new book, UNGIFTED: Intelligence Redefined, offers much more than science. It offers inspiration in Kaufman’s own story as a “late listener” (due to a spate of ear infections) who was put into learning disabled classes. And then, in 9th grade, through sheer determination, pushed his way into a gifted kids’ class -- ultimately going on to Yale, getting a Ph.D., then going on to become a young professor at NYU.

On this show, we’ll discuss the limitations of current testing and a host of other things that matter in whether a child succeeds and how Scott thinks we would better assess talent, creativity, and “the many paths to greatness.”

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun, 7-8 p.m. Pacific, 10-11 p.m. Eastern, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based and funny book on better human behavior, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." Along with positive reviews in the WSJ and other publications, Library Journal gave the book a starred review: "Verdict: Solid psychology and a wealth of helpful knowledge and rapier wit fill these pages. Highly recommended."

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

("Best Of" replay.) Decisions that we make that seem stupid can actually make a lot of evolutionary sense, meaning that they would have made sense in the ancestral world; they just don’t make sense in the world in which we now live.

Unfortunately, we can’t just tell our genes, “Hey, it’s 2013! There are no hungry tigers roaming the streets of Baltimore and, by the way, my girlfriend’s on The Pill.”

But, my guest tonight, evolutionary psychologist, psychologist and marketing professor Dr. Vladas Griskevicius, is going to give us the background to make wiser choices by helping us understand the ways we can be primed to act against our modern interests.

His fascinating book, co-authored with Dr. Douglas Kenrick, is “The Rational Animal: How Evolution Made Us Smarter Than We Think.”

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

View Details

Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

This is a show on how the negative can be positive -- on how we actually need the emotions that make us uncomfortable. They make us whole, balancing the "positive" emotions. Dr. Todd Kashdan will lay out the science on how anger, anxiety, and other "negative" feelings can actually be motivating, illuminating, and helpful -- giving us our best shot at success and fulfillment.

Dr. Kashdan's myth-busting book he'll be discussing, co-authored with Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener, is “The Upside of Your Dark Side: Why Being Your Whole Self--Not Just Your ‘Good’ Self--Drives Success and Fullfillment.”

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" -- only $9.48 at Amazon. Orders help support my writing and all the work I do to put out this show and are much-appreciated! (Also, along with positive reviews in the WSJ and other publications, Library Journal gave the book a starred review: "Verdict: Solid psychology and a wealth of helpful knowledge and rapier wit fill these pages. Highly recommended.")

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

"Best Of" Replay tonight (for the Thanksgiving holiday). 

Whether you're an anger venter or an anger withholder (or something in between), this is a show for you. 

My guest tonight, therapist Dr. Andrea Brandt, writes that “our culture has a built-in phobia of negative emotions,” which isolates us from each other and has myriad unhealthy and counterproductive effects on us personally.

Her goal -- in her book, Mindful Anger: a pathway to emotional freedom, and on this show -- is not to help you get rid of your anger but to help you understand and handle it in healthy and constructive ways. You should, in turn, find that this leads to cascading positive effects in every arena of your life. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" -- only $11 at Amazon.

View Details

Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Joshua Wolf Shenk uses science, fascinating true stories of creative partnerships, and historical evidence to dispel the myth of the lone genius and show that creativity is not the work of an individual mind. It is, in fact, a social activity, and two people, working together, are truly "greater than the sum of their parts." Join us tonight to find out what it takes to be a creative partner -- and in turn, how to be far more than you can be alone.

Shenk's book we'll be discussing is Powers Of Two: Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs.

Previously, he was the author of Lincoln's Melancholy, a New York Times Notable Book. Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please buy my book, the science-based and bitingly funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck"(St. Martin's Griffin, 2014.)

Along with positive reviews in the WSJ and other publications, Library Journal gave my book a starred review: "Verdict: Solid psychology and a wealth of helpful knowledge and rapier wit fill these pages. Highly recommended." Orders of the book (new only, not used!) help support this radio show!

View Details

It's "Science News You Can Use" radio, with Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Join us tonight for a fun look at the science of attraction, and learn how to look hot to the people you want -- without becoming the indentured servant of some plastic surgeon until you’re 90.

About the show: This is a very special every-other-Sunday-night show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Tonight’s show is about women and sexual power -- why some women feel like passive participants in their sex lives and why and how other women are able to feel comfortable in their sexual skin.

My guest is Penn State researcher Dr. Beth Montemurro, and her book we’re discussing is Deserving Desire: Women’s Stories of Sexual Evolution.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. (St. Martin's Griffin, 2014.)

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*"Best Of" replay: How did so many of us get so fat and unhealthy? Well, it started when our government advised us to eat a high-carb, low-fat diet -- a diet that actually makes us fat and unhealthy. News reports distorting scientific findings and reporters unable to tell solid science from the shoddy kind are another problem — leaving most of us pretty confused about what we should be eating.

Tonight, Denise Minger (of “The China Study” debunking fame) changes that. She will lay out the disturbing history of the ruining of America’s health. She’ll explain simple ways the ordinary person can identify scientific distortions in the media. And she’ll detail the nuances of science-based healthy eating (whether you’re a vegetarian or a carnivore or something in between).

Minger’s meticulous (and very readable) book we’ll be discussing is Death By Food Pyramid: How Shoddy Science, Sketchy Politics and Shady Special Interests Have Ruined Our Health.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please buy my book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. (St. Martin's Griffin, 2014.)

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Welcome to "Science News You Can Use" from Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Welcome to a very special every-other-week show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show on flirting. It turns out that flirting is anything but frivolous. In fact, understanding the science of flirting and mastering the most powerful techniques is the way to both get love in your life and have it stick around. Tune in to find out all the moves you'll need.  

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

A very helpful "Best Of" replay tonight. Dr. Barbara Oakley has written an incredibly helpful book on learning how to learn math and science. But, yoohoo, math-loathers, this book -- and this show -- are about much more than that.

Both the book and tonight’s show are about techniques you can start employing immediately that will show you how to do your work and your creative work more efficiently and ultimately more successfully and satisfyingly.

The proof that these techniques work? Dr. Oakley herself used these techniques to transform from a girl who flunked every math and science course in high school into a tenured professor of engineering. And she currently uses them to curb procrastination, to learn and retain difficult material better and faster, and to increase her creativity in problem-solving and writing.

Dr. Oakley’s excellent book we’ll be discussing is A Mind For Numbers: How to excel at math and science (even if you flunked algebra).

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

View Details

Welcome to "Science News You Can Use" from Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Welcome to a very special every-other-week show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist and author Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an enlightening show on exactly what makes a great match. Is an opposite who ruffles your feathers better for you than someone with a more similar personality? Tune in to find out.  

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

"Best Of" replay this week. Live show next Sun!

Great aspirations…sucky follow-through.

This describes life for a lot of us -- sometimes, despite our best intentions. 

Best-selling author and psychologist Art Markman is going to help us out of this rut. His book we’ll be discussing on this show is Smart Change: Five Tools to Create Sustainable Habits in Yourself and Others.

As in the book, on tonight’s show, he’ll turn to behavioral science to help us understand our brain’s motivational systems so we can short-circuit negative behaviors and create positive ones with staying power.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

"Best Of" Replay. Saturated fat is your friend. Really. 

It turns out everything we've been told about eating fat is wrong. On tonight's show, meticulous journalist Nina Teichholz will lay out the scientific errors, bias, and dangerous misrepresentations that have underpinned the dietary dogma of the past 60 years.

She'll also lay out the findings of solid science -- why eating more dietary fat will lead us to better health and fitness. 

Join us as she discusses all of this and more from her brand new book, "The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet." 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please buy my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. It helps support me and the work I put into this show. Also, Library Journal just gave it a starred review and called it "highly recommended" (Sept. 15 issue).

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

I have a rerun for you this week -- of an extremely popular show.

On this show, exercise trainer and rehab expert Fred Hahn explains why slow-speed strength training, for just a few minutes a week, will make you healthier than that fitness fanatic who spends hours and hours in the gym. (He lays out fascinating and solid evidence throughout the show.)

Fred is co-author, with Dr. Michael Eades and Dr. Mary Dan Eades, whom I greatly respect, of The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution: The Slow-Motion Exercise That Will Change Your Body In 30 Minutes A Week.

He will debunk all the myths most of us hold about exercise and fitness, and leave you with a plan for exercise that will make you fitter and healthier, and will only eat 12-15 minutes of your week.

This is a not-to-be-missed show. This method of exercise has improved my health and my life and I'm hoping you'll follow my lead.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, from 7-8 pm Pacific and 10-11 pm Eastern, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon

My show's sponsor is now Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please order my new book, the science-based, funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

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Welcome to "Science News You Can Use" from Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Welcome to a very special every-other-week show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for an illuminating show on how, when, and why you should set boundaries. 

And don’t forget to buy our science-based and amusing books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Tonight’s show will help you stop pushing potential partners away by exploring why you do that and explaining how you can stop.

Psychologist Dr. Michelle Skeen explores how our “core beliefs” can set the stage for our developing unhealthy, fear-based patterns of behavior that keep us from having happy and healthy connections with others.

Join us on tonight’s show as she explains the underlying causes and how to yank yourself out of the unhealthy thinking and patterns and develop the skills you need to have loving and happy relationships.

Her new book we’ll be discussing tonight: Love Me, Don't Leave Me: Overcoming Fear of Abandonment and Building Lasting, Loving Relationships.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please support this show by ordering my new book, the science-based and funny modern manners book, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon. For a preview, see fun Pin quotes from the book here.

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Welcome to "Science News You Can Use" from Amy Alkon and Dr. Jennifer Verdolin.

Tonight is the start of a very special every-other-week show with science-based advice columnist and author Amy Alkon and animal behaviorist Dr. Jennifer Verdolin laying out science news you can use to solve your relationship problems or just improve your relationships and have a better life. 

Join us tonight for our show on understanding jealousy and overcoming the damaging kind. 

And don’t forget to buy our science-based, fun, funny, and illuminating books -- support our show while entertaining yourself and learning a thing or two to improve your life. Amy’s new book is "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" and Jennifer’s is "Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships."

Listen to this show every Sun, 7-8 pm PT, 10-11 pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

This show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

**Best Of Replay tonight. Live next week! 

Quitting isn’t just for losers. Sure, there are those people who quit because they’re lazy or lack the courage to take on their goal. 

But my guest tonight, Peg Streep, is the co-author of an excellent book about judicious quitting -- quitting to get ahead in your job, your social world, and your relationships. The book is the science-based “Mastering the Art of Quitting: Why It Matters in Life, Love, and Work.” 

Join us as she explains how to know when it’s over in love, work, and beyond, and how to engage in mindful and intelligent “disengagement” from goals that have outlived their usefulness so you can live to the fullest in every sphere of your life. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is now Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please order my new book, the science-based, funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Competition can be seen as ugly and divisive but it’s actually an essential element in driving us to do and be our best. 

My guest tonight, New York Times best-selling science writer Ashley Merryman, will lay out the science of winning and losing, including how we can figure out the kind of competitor we are (to help ourselves avoid choking), the differences between how men and women compete, and ways to rejigger our thinking so we use competition in ways that serve us instead of defeating us.

Her excellent book, co-authored with Po Bronson, that we’ll be discussing tonight, is “Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing.” (Barnes & Noble ships faster.)

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

An animal behaviorist/lemur personality expert and a science-based modern manners and sexual politics expert -- what could make for a more fun and interesting hour of Advice Goddess Radio?

Dr. Jennifer L. Verdolin is the woman who runs with the lemurs, and she has a few things to say about human relationships as seen through the lens of animal ones. (Sometimes, sadly, the animals seem more mature than we do.) Her new book: Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us About Human Relationships.

And your usual host -- that’s me, Amy Alkon -- happens to be the science-based modern manners and sexual politics expert. My new book we'll be discussing is Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck.

On this show, as Jennifer and I interview each other about each of our books, we'll lay out the nitty gritty of human behavior in love, sex, dating, friendships, explaining how you can avoid letting the rude and sociopathic get one over on you. We’ll also give you valuable advice on how you can be your most successful self in human interactions -- and any you happen to have with lemurs, spiders, and bears…oh my.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Dr. Barbara Oakley has written an incredibly helpful book on learning how to learn math and science. But, yoohoo, math-loathers, this book -- and this show -- are about much more than that.

Both the book and tonight’s show are about techniques you can start employing immediately that will show you how to do your work and your creative work more efficiently and ultimately more successfully and satisfyingly.

The proof that these techniques work? Dr. Oakley herself used these techniques to transform from a girl who flunked every math and science course in high school into a tenured professor of engineering. And she currently uses them to curb procrastination, to learn and retain difficult material better and faster, and to increase her creativity in problem-solving and writing.

Dr. Oakley’s excellent book we’ll be discussing is A Mind For Numbers: How to excel at math and science (even if you flunked algebra).

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Tonight’s show explores what drives word-of-mouth -- that sometimes free but always highly valuable person-to-person advertising and recommending of products, ideas, and behaviors.

My guest tonight, Wharton marketing professor Dr. Jonah Berger, will debunk the myths and lay out what the research says about how we can design products, ideas, and behaviors so people will talk about them. In other words, so they'll catch on.

Berger’s book we’ll be discussing is Contagious: Why Things Catch On.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

(*"Best Of" Replay.) It turns out some of the ways parents think they’ll get their kids to behave -- by berating, threatening, and punishing them -- are actually the least effective.

My guest tonight, Yale University psychology professor, Dr. Alan E. Kazdin, who is also director of the Yale Parenting Center, has a parenting template that is not only effective at changing behavior in children, it does it by cutting out the screaming, yelling, and threatening.

Dr. Kazdin has written a fantastic and highly practical book, “The Everyday Parenting Toolkit: The Kazdin Method for easy, step-by-step, lasting change for you and your child.” Join us for an incredibly effective, science-based rethink on how to parent kids into behaving the way you want -- with a minimum of stress and unhappiness for both you and your kids.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Stanton Peele points out that most people recover from addictions on their own -- without AA or rehab, and what makes the difference is values, not biology.

On tonight’s show, he’ll debunk many of the myths in addiction treatment -- especially the notion that addiction is a “disease” people are powerless to overcome. That defeatest message is especially counterproductive to overcoming addiction, and it’s been supported with bad science and hearsay. Join us tonight to hear what solid science says about how addiction or bad habits can be overcome -- to the point where people are not just going cold-turkey off some substance or behavior till their next relapse, but where they develop meaningful ways of coping that no longer have them turning to their old crutch.

Peele’s book we’ll be discussing is Recover! Stop Thinking Like an Addict and Reclaim Your Life with The PERFECT Program.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Whether you're an anger venter or an anger withholder (or something in between), this is a show for you. 

My guest tonight, therapist Dr. Andrea Brandt, writes that “our culture has a built-in phobia of negative emotions,” which isolates us from each other and has myriad unhealthy and counterproductive effects on us personally.

Her goal -- in her book, Mindful Anger: a pathway to emotional freedom, and on this show -- is not to help you get rid of your anger but to help you understand and handle it in healthy and constructive ways. You should, in turn, find that this leads to cascading positive effects in every arena of your life. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

("Best Of" replay.) Decisions that we make that seem stupid can actually make a lot of evolutionary sense, meaning that they would have made sense in the ancestral world; they just don’t make sense in the world in which we now live.

Unfortunately, we can’t just tell our genes, “Hey, it’s 2013! There are no hungry tigers roaming the streets of Baltimore and, by the way, my girlfriend’s on The Pill.”

But, my guest tonight, evolutionary psychologist, psychologist and marketing professor Dr. Vladas Griskevicius, is going to give us the background to make wiser choices by helping us understand the ways we can be primed to act against our modern interests.

His fascinating book, co-authored with Dr. Douglas Kenrick, is “The Rational Animal: How Evolution Made Us Smarter Than We Think.”

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

We tend to believe that we just have to reason others into doing what we want -- or even doing what we see is best for them. The reality is, we influence people by connecting with them and feeling where they're coming from, not trying to push them into doing things our way, notes psychiatrist, business coach, and hostage negotiator trainer Dr. Mark Goulston. Even if the shoving approach might sometimes lead to short-term change, it tends to breeds lasting resentment, not successful business and other relationships.

On tonight's show, Goulston will lay out the fine points of the connected influence that moves people to go along with our goals and how to avoid the disconnected style that moves people away from us and leads to resentment and other bad feelings and outcomes.

Goulston's book, co-authored with executive coach John Ullmen, that we'll be discussing on this show is "Real Influence: Persuade Without Pushing and Gain Without Giving In."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*"Best Of" replay tonight (because my new book just came out). Live show again next week!

We have a depression epidemic in this country, now affecting more than 15% of the population, and it’s striking people at younger and younger ages. It seems clear that our current modes of understanding and treating depression just aren’t working.

My guest tonight, psychologist Dr. Jonathan Rottenberg, draws on research to show why we are failing to help depression sufferers and turns to our evolutionary roots to offer a nuanced understanding of why we get depressed, explaining why our modern environment’s mismatch with our evolved psychology can drag us depression. All of this leads to insights on how we might help depression sufferers get better, or, at the very least, not lead them to feel defective and broken because they are depressed.

His inspiring and scientifically rigorous book we’ll be discussing tonight is The Depths: The Evolutionary Origins of the Depression Epidemic.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is now Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please buy my brand new book, "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" -- only $9.48 at Amazon.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

This is a "Best Of" replay because my new book just came out. This is a fascinating show on the difference between seeing and actually observing, and many of the other habits and practices of Sherlock Holmes. 

Science writer and psychologist Dr. Maria Konnikova draws on 21st century neuroscience and psychology to show how we can employ Holmes’ thought processes to unlock our own capacities for ever-present mindfulness, astute observation, and logical deduction in order to see more, live more rationally, and, in turn live smarter. 

Her book we discuss: Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is now Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please buy my brand new book, the science-based, unprissy, very funny "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" -- only $9.48 with Amazon's discount.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Great aspirations…sucky follow-through.

This describes life for a lot of us -- sometimes, despite our best intentions. 

Best-selling author and psychologist Art Markman is going to help us out of this rut. His book we’ll be discussing on this show is Smart Change: Five Tools to Create Sustainable Habits in Yourself and Others.

As in the book, on tonight’s show, he’ll turn to behavioral science to help us understand our brain’s motivational systems so we can short-circuit negative behaviors and create positive ones with staying power.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Order my new book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. (St. Martin's Press, June 3, 2014.) Read Erin Anderssen's feature in Canada's Globe And Mail, interviewing me about the book. (Book named one of 11 Smart Books To Read For Summer.)

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Join me for a "Best Of" replay -- a thought-provoking, mind-opening show on the underpinnings of our sexuality.

Dr. Jesse Bering’s book, “Perv,” is subtitled “The Sexual Deviant in All of Us.” This is a book about weird sex but it’s also a book about all of the ways that even “normal” people fall along the spectrum of “perversions.”

Tonight’s show, like Bering’s book, will be a fascinating inside look into how our specific sexual desires seem to be shaped in childhood, how sexually not “normal” some of the most seemingly normal people are, and how human psychology leads us to find others’ sex practices upsetting and creepy instead of just different from our own.

As Bering writes, “Humans aren’t the only sex deviants in the animal kingdom. But we are the only ones to stigmatize each other as disgusting perverts.”

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Preorder my upcoming book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. (St. Martin's Press, June 3, 2014.)

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Saturated fat is your friend. Really. 

It turns out everything we've been told about eating fat is wrong. On tonight's show, meticulous journalist Nina Teichholz will lay out the scientific errors, bias, and dangerous misrepresentations that have underpinned the dietary dogma of the past 60 years.

She'll also lay out the findings of solid science -- why eating more dietary fat will lead us to better health and fitness. 

Join us as she discusses all of this and more from her brand new book, "The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet." 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Preorder my upcoming book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. (St. Martin's Press, June 3, 2014.) Preorders give the book "heat," and are much-appreciated.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

I’ve written that family are people who treat you like family. Sometimes, sadly, one's mother -- the closest familial relation a person can have -- isn’t included in that group.

Mother’s Day is a tough holiday for some people -- for those whose mothers have died and for those whose mothers were far from the loving, nurturing protectors that others’ mothers seem to be.

Peg Streep, herself the daughter of mean mother, is my guest tonight -- here to talk about her book, Mean Mothers: Overcoming the Legacy of Hurt.

She'll explain why it’s been taboo to even let on that you have a cold, unloving mother as well as how such a mother shapes children, and especially daughters, in negative ways.

However, she’ll also show us the ways out: How she and other daughters of mean mothers have managed to find, believe it or not, the positives in their experience; and how they can go forward, both as more psychologically healthy human beings and as good mothers to their own children.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Preorder my upcoming book, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck." (St. Martin's Press, June 3, 2014.)

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

How did so many of us get so fat and unhealthy? Well, it started when our government advised us to eat a high-carb, low-fat diet -- a diet that actually makes us fat and unhealthy. News reports distorting scientific findings and reporters unable to tell solid science from the shoddy kind are another problem — leaving most of us pretty confused about what we should be eating.

Tonight, Denise Minger (of “The China Study” debunking fame) changes that. She will lay out the disturbing history of the ruining of America’s health. She’ll explain simple ways the ordinary person can identify scientific distortions in the media. And she’ll detail the nuances of science-based healthy eating (whether you’re a vegetarian or a carnivore or something in between).

Minger’s meticulous (and very readable) book we’ll be discussing is Death By Food Pyramid: How Shoddy Science, Sketchy Politics and Shady Special Interests Have Ruined Our Health.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. PT, 10-11 p.m. ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Preorder my upcoming book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. (St. Martin's Press, June 3, 2014.) Preorders give the book "heat," and are much-appreciated.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*Easter Sunday “Best Of” Replay.

Many people seem to think that the most effective motivation comes from outside of us, that motivating is something one person does to or for another. The studies done by my guest tonight, psychologist Dr. Edward L. Deci, find that self-motivation, not external motivation, is at the heart of creativity, responsibility, healthy behavior, and lasting change.

This is essential to understand whether we are trying to motivate ourselves or looking to encourage others to successfully motivate themselves.

On tonight's show, Dr. Deci will tell us what research shows about we go wrong in our thinking on motivation and how we can become more self-motivated -- and thus happier and more successful in every aspect of our lives.

Dr. Deci's book we'll be discussing tonight is "Why We Do What We Do: Understanding Self-Motivation."

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Preorder my upcoming book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. (St. Martin's Press, June 3, 2014.) Preorders help give the book "heat," and are much-appreciated.

And please ask a newspaper near you to carry my award-winning syndicated, science-based advice column...if they don't already.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science. 
Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams, obviously, is not a scientist. But he thinks and views his experiences like a scientist and his wisdom is well-supported.
For example, Adams found that it isn't goals that are the key to success, but what he calls "systems." 
And Adams advises, based on his own steady stream of failures in business, that "Everything you want in life is in that bubbling vat of failure. The trick is to get the good stuff out."
As a cartoonist, he thinks of himself as a "professional simplifier." That's what he does in his just-published book, How To Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, and simplifying for all of us what it takes to succeed in business and be happy in life is what he does on tonight's not-to-be-missed show.
My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but cancel earlier and it'll cost you nothing.)
Preorder my upcoming book, the science-based, funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

We aren’t the independent thinkers we like to believe ourselves to be.

Psychologist and researcher Dr. Adam Alter shows in his fascinating book, Drunk Tank Pink, that a host of forces -- internal, social, and environmental -- drive our thinking and beliefs, and in turn, our actions.

On tonight’s show, he’ll lay out the ways we are influenced, sometimes causing substantial changes in our behavior that make the difference between success and failure in our endeavors. Knowing these influences is the best way to avoid being swept away by them, so don’t miss this show.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Preorder my upcoming book, the science-based and funny "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here. (St. Martin's Press, June 3, 2014.) Preorders help give the book "heat," and are much-appreciated.

And please ask a newspaper near you to carry my award-winning syndicated, science-based advice column...if they don't already.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science. 

"Best Of" Replay today: Wharton organizational psychologist Dr. Adam Grant talks about his terrific book, "Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success," (just out in paperback this week!) which draws from research to explain what makes giving both powerful and dangerous to people's achieving their goals.

Paradoxically, it's often those who give without looking for anything in return -- who just want to do good, open the playing field to good people -- who ultimately get the most in return. But, Grant warns, there are caveats to this -- and he lays them out in the book and we'll discuss them as well as giving's many nuances and benefits on the show. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Preorder my upcoming book, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

My guest, Fortune 500 executive coach Olivia Fox Cabane, has written the single most helpful how-to book I have every read. 

Cabane shows, based in solid science, why charisma isn’t something people are just born with but something we can all acquire and perfect with knowledge and practice. Even people who aren’t extraverts.

I was so impressed by her book that I stopped reading it to go order a friend a copy.

On tonight’s show, Cabane will lay out how anyone can master the art and science of personal magnetism and attain success in their career, love life, and friendships, and lead a more socially fulfilling life. 

Her book we’ll be discussing is The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism. This promises to be a life-changing show -- don’t miss it! 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sun, 7-8pm PT, 10-11pm ET, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Preorder my upcoming book, "Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck," here.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

On tonight’s show, science gets together with ancient Chinese philosophy and it likes what it finds.

Dr. Edward Slingerland, an internationally renowned expert in Chinese philosophy, draws on both cutting-edge science and ancient Chinese strategies to show how our modern Western approach of striving our guts out doesn’t seem to be the way to success or happiness.

In fact, to give one example from his book, it seems that getting practiced enough in something that it comes naturally is the way to avoid forcing things in the moment -- which is actually counterproductive to succeeding.

Dr. Slingerland will talk about this, how achieving that sort of effortlessness is the way to personal charisma, and much more on tonight’s show. His book he’ll be discussing is “Trying Not To Try: The Art And Science of Spontaneity.” Join us and see how we can better our work, relationships, and lives – – if we can just get out of our own way.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is now Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

We have a depression epidemic in this country, now affecting more than 15% of the population, and it’s striking people at younger and younger ages. It seems clear that our current modes of understanding and treating depression just aren’t working.

My guest tonight, psychologist Dr. Jonathan Rottenberg, draws on research to show why we are failing to help depression sufferers and turns to our evolutionary roots to offer a nuanced understanding of why we get depressed, explaining why our modern environment’s mismatch with our evolved psychology can drag us depression. All of this leads to insights on how we might help depression sufferers get better, or, at the very least, not lead them to feel defective and broken because they are depressed.

His inspiring and scientifically rigorous book we’ll be discussing tonight is The Depths: The Evolutionary Origins of the Depression Epidemic.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is now Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*Oscar night "Best Of" Replay. 

There have been two major schools on negotiating -- Ury, Fisher and Patton's "win-win"/"relationships are everything" approach and Roger Cohen's "nail 'em to the wall" hardball approach. 

Harvard Business School professor Michael Wheeler finds that these rigid, one-size-fits-all strategies often clash with the real-world realities of negotiating. Drawing on his and his colleagues' research, he finds that the most successful negotiating techniques are born of an ability to adapt while negotiating, and use agility, creativity, and wise preparation. 

He'll advise us all on how to adapt (and do all the rest) in order to win in negotiation, the subject of his book we'll be discussing on the show, "The Art of Negotiation: How to Improvise Agreement in a Chaotic World."

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is now Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

This should be a fascinating show on the difference between seeing and actually observing, and many of the other habits and practices of Sherlock Holmes. 

Science writer and psychologist Dr. Maria Konnikova draws on 21st century neuroscience and psychology to show how we can employ Holmes’ thought processes to unlock our own capacities for ever-present mindfulness, astute observation, and logical deduction in order to see more, live more rationally, and, in turn live smarter. 

Her book we’ll be discussing tonight: Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is now Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Quitting isn’t just for losers. Sure, there are those people who quit because they’re lazy or lack the courage to take on their goal. 

But my guest tonight, Peg Streep, is the co-author of an excellent book about judicious quitting -- quitting to get ahead in your job, your social world, and your relationships. The book is the science-based “Mastering the Art of Quitting: Why It Matters in Life, Love, and Work,” co-authored with therapist Alan Bernstein. 

Join us tonight as she explains how to know when it’s over in love, work, and beyond, and how to engage in mindful and intelligent “disengagement” from goals that have outlived their usefulness so you can live to the fullest in every sphere of your life. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

My show's sponsor is now Audible.com. Get a free audiobook download and support this show financially at no cost to you by signing up for a free 30-day trial at audibletrial.com/amya (It's $14.95 after 30 days, but you can cancel before then and have it cost you nothing.)

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Adorably, we humans see ourselves as rational animals. Research shows us to be anything but.

We are swayed in ways we wouldn’t expect in both our decision-making and how well we stick to our plans. 

The good news is, the research also shows that our going off track happens in predictable ways. My guest tonight, Harvard Business School professor, Dr. Francesca Gino, will both lay out the forces that sidetrack us as we’re trying to accomplish our goals and offer guidelines that we can use to keep ourselves on track. 

Dr. Gino will be discussing her recently-published book, Sidetracked: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We Can Stick to the Plan. Join us tonight and have your eyes opened about the psychological, social, and environmental stumbling blocks that keep us from getting where we want to go.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society.

And please ask a newspaper near you to carry my award-winning syndicated, science-based advice column...if they don't already.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

NOTE: Superbowl Sunday "Best Of" replay. Back with live shows again next Sunday, on Feb 9! 

Assertiveness isn't about "building a good disguise," Dr. Randy Paterson explains. "It's about the courage to take the disguise off." It's "about being THERE."

Paterson, a clinical psychologist, is the author of the excellent book I've recommended in my column, "The Assertiveness Workbook: How To Express Your Ideas and Stand Up for Yourself at Work and in Relationships," and that's exactly what he and I will be laying out on tonight's show.

Paterson takes a very rational, behavioral approach and gives extremely practical tips for how to change, and this show should help even already-assertive people notice and shore up areas where they could do better.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society.

And please ask a newspaper near you to carry my award-winning syndicated, science-based advice column...if they don't already!

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Join me for a thought-provoking, mind-opening show on the underpinnings of our sexuality.

Dr. Jesse Bering’s book, “Perv,” is subtitled “The Sexual Deviant in All of Us.” This is a book about weird sex but it’s also a book about all of the ways that even “normal” people fall along the spectrum of “perversions.”  

Tonight’s show, like Bering’s book, will be a fascinating inside look into how our specific sexual desires seem to be shaped in childhood, how sexually not “normal” some of the most seemingly normal people are, and how human psychology leads us to find others’ sex practices upsetting and creepy instead of just different from our own.

As Bering writes, “Humans aren’t the only sex deviants in the animal kingdom. But we are the only ones to stigmatize each other as disgusting perverts.”

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society.

And please ask a newspaper near you to carry my award-winning syndicated, science-based advice column...if they don't already.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science. 

Tonight’s guest is not a behavioral scientist like most of my guests, but I couldn’t resist having him on, because the subject he studied in depth -- the asshole -- is one most of us are forced to deal with on a daily basis, and sometimes repeatedly. UC Irvine philosophy professor Aaron James is the author of the wonderfully titled “Assholes: A Theory.” 

Join us tonight as we dig deep into asshole-ishness, as Aaron James answers questions including: What is an asshole? What makes an asshole tick? Is it possible to engage in successful asshole management -- and if so, how? Is it possible for an asshole to reform? And why does worrying that you are an asshole mean you probably have nothing to worry about?

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society.

And please ask a newspaper near you to carry my award-winning syndicated, science-based advice column...if they don't already!

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

***("Best Of" Replay this week, because I am completing the final polish on my upcoming book. New LIVE show Jan. 19 and onward!)

Psychology professor Dr. Gabrielle Principe notes that the panic-stricken parental race to raise tiny geniuses is actually bad parenting -- leading to overcontrolled childhoods that have negative effects on kids' development.

This way of raising children is marketing-driven, not science-driven (though marketers typically claim their toys and learning tools are based in science).

Take Baby Einstein videos. In 2007, UCLA's Department of Health Services chairman Frederick Zimmerman and his colleagues found that kids watching these had a 17 percent decrease in vocabulary acquisition for each hour they spent watching them per day.

Through looking at solid science on the human brain, Dr. Principe has figured out ways for parents to naturalize childhood again, so a child's environment gels with how the brain was designed to grow.

Her clearly written and dryly witty book: "Your Brain on Childhood: The Unexpected Side Effects of Classrooms, Ballparks, Family Rooms, and the Minivan."

Join us tonight as she busts countless myths about how to raise children and lays out simple, clear advice for how kids can thrive.

And join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday from 7-8 pm Pacific and 10-11 pm Eastern, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes.

Buy my book, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society, at Amazon, and look for my award-winning, nationally syndicated, science-based advice column in a paper near you.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Dr. Matthew Lieberman's new book is "Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect," and it's filled with fascinating findings on how surprisingly driven we are by our nature as social beings. 

For example, there's a finding by his wife and research partner, Naomi Eisenberger and her colleagues that taking acetaminophen (think Tylenol) actually diminished the pain of being socially excluded. Lieberman explains, "Our sensitivity to social rejection is so central to our well-being that our brains" react to social wounds (and ways to heal from them) much like they do physical ones. 

An important underlying point in his book is that self-esteem is not just "from within." It's deeply affected by whether we're liked or esteemed -- or bullied -- by others (which research finds even affects our IQ).

We'll be discussing many such interesting and unexpected findings on tonight's show, and discussing ways we can each capitalize on what Lieberman has learned from the research.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

I have a rerun for you this week -- but a very good one as well as a very topical one, because a lot of people use January 1st as their start date for getting healthy (and slimmer).

On this show, exercise trainer and rehab expert Fred Hahn explains why slow-speed strength training, for just a few minutes a week, will make you healthier than that fitness fanatic who spends hours and hours in the gym. (He lays out fascinating and solid evidence throughout the show.)

Fred is co-author, with Dr. Michael Eades and Dr. Mary Dan Eades, whom I greatly respect, of The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution: The Slow-Motion Exercise That Will Change Your Body In 30 Minutes A Week.

He will debunk all the myths most of us hold about exercise and fitness, and leave you with a plan for exercise that will make you fitter and healthier, and will only eat 12-15 minutes of your week.

This is a not-to-be-missed show. This method of exercise has improved my health and my life and I'm hoping you'll follow my lead.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, from 7-8 pm Pacific and 10-11 pm Eastern, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon

And please buy a copy of my own science-based (and funny) book on why people are rude and how to change things, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science. 

Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams, obviously, is not a scientist. But he thinks and views his experiences like a scientist and his wisdom is well-supported and worth hearing. 

For example, Adams found that it isn't goals that are the key to success, but what he calls "systems." 

And Adams advises, based on his own steady stream of failures in business, that "Everything you want in life is in that bubbling vat of failure. The trick is to get the good stuff out."

As a cartoonist, he thinks of himself as a "professional simplifier." That's what he does in his just-published book, How To Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, and simplifying for all of us what it takes to succeed in business and be happy in life is what he'll be doing on tonight's not-to-be-missed show.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society.

And please ask a newspaper near you to carry my award-winning syndicated, science-based advice column...if they don't already. 

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science. 

Changing our behavior starts with changing our thinking and doing that successfully takes both insight and practice.

Science writer and bestselling author David DiSalvo returns to the show tonight to talk about how the brain operates via a series of "feedback loops," and to explain how we can actually redirect our thinking and influence our brain's response -- in turn influencing how we feel and act.

These insights come straight out of DiSalvo's just-published book, Brain Changer: How Harnessing Your Brain's Power to Adapt Can Change Your Life. Drawing on the latest research in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral econ, DiSalvo replaces "self-help" with "science-help," giving us practical steps to change our thinking and our lives. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific, 10-11 p.m. Eastern, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society. 

And please ask a newspaper near you to carry my award-winning syndicated, science-based advice column...if they don't already.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science. 

Wharton organizational psychologist Dr. Adam Grant will be on this week talking about his terrific book, "Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success," which draws from research to explain what makes giving both powerful and dangerous to people's achieving their goals.

Paradoxically, it's often those who give without looking for anything in return -- who just want to do good, open the playing field to good people -- who ultimately get the most in return. But, Grant warns, there are caveats to this -- and he lays them out in the book and we'll discuss them as well as giving's many nuances and benefits on the show. 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society.

And please ask a newspaper near you to carry my award-winning syndicated, science-based advice column...if they don't already. 

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

*Thanksgiving weekend "Best-Of" replay on a topic we can all use some help and insight on -- blame: How ineffective it is, how damaging it is, and how to stop blaming and be constructive in getting ourselves and others to change. Back with a live show next week!

My guest tonight is psychotherapist Carl Alasko, Ph.D., talking about blame -- one of the most toxic and destructive components of relationships and so many human interactions.

We'll be talking about how to stop blaming and how to take healthier -- and far more productive -- steps to problem-solving, in relationships and beyond.

Alasko has written a very comprehensive book on blame -- Beyond Blame: Freeing Yourself from the Most Toxic Form of Emotional Bullsh*t

Listen to tonight's show live at this link at 7pm Pacific, 10pm Eastern, or download the podcast afterward.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday from 7-8 pm Pacific and 10-11 pm Eastern, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. 

Buy my science-based but funny book on why we're so rude and how to change things, I See Rude People. And please look for my award-winning, nationally syndicated, science-based advice column in a paper near you or ask the editor to carry it. Getting paid for writing it keeps me writing it!

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science. 

Many people seem to think that the most effective motivation comes from outside of us, that motivating is something one person does to or for another. The studies done by my guest tonight, psychologist Dr. Edward L. Deci, find that self-motivation, not external motivation, is at the heart of creativity, responsibility, healthy behavior, and lasting change.

This is essential to understand whether we are trying to motivate ourselves or looking to encourage others to successfully motivate themselves.

On tonight's show, Dr. Deci will tell us what research shows about we go wrong in our thinking on motivation and how we can become more self-motivated -- and thus happier and more successful in every aspect of our lives.

Dr. Deci's book we'll be discussing tonight is "Why We Do What We Do: Understanding Self-Motivation." 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society.

And please ask a newspaper near you to carry my award-winning syndicated, science-based advice column...if they don't already!

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.

Tonight’s show draws on scientific research to reveal some surprising ways we use tiny bits of behavior and mannerisms to correctly predict others' intentions and actions.

It will also lay out areas that the research finds we are not so good in making predictions, like in discerning whether others are lying. You'll learn the few signs that actually do suggest that somebody is lying as well as finding out other ways we are prone to err in our assessments of people's skills and intentions.

My guest tonight, psychologist Dr. Matthew Hertenstein has taken a research-driven look at all of this in “The Tell: The Little Clues That Reveal Big Truths About Who We Are.”

Join us to become a more sophisticated reader of others’ nonverbal skills -- and maybe even learn how to rejigger your own to send a more desirable message the next time you have a date or a job interview.

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society.

And please ask a newspaper near you to carry my award-winning syndicated, science-based advice column...if they don't already!

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science. 

A "Best Of" replay for you tonight. It's one of my favorite recent shows, filled with science news everyone can use -- the science of how to spend our way to happiness.

My guest tonight is psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Dunn, co-author with Dr. Michael Norton, of a terrific, highly readable little book filled with research-driven wisdom: "Happy Money: The Science Of Smarter Spending." 

On tonight’s show, she lays out the myths we hold about how spending in certain ways will improve our lives and will explain all the ways we can rejigger our spending and thinking, often in small ways, to spend smarter and happier.

Dunn, at age 26, was featured as one of the "rising stars" in academia by the Chronicle of Higher Education, and this should be a very interesting and practical show, so don’t miss it! 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society.

And please ask a newspaper near you to carry my award-winning syndicated, science-based advice column...if they don't already!

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Nationally syndicated advice columnist Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio -- "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.
We like to believe our decisions are rationally driven and make sense. But constantly, our perception and decision-making are clouded by illusions we aren't even aware we have. Some of these include illusions of accuracy in our attention, memory, confidence, and knowledge. These illusions can lead us to make costly - and even deadly - errors.
The good news is, by understanding what these illusions are and how we fall prey to them, we can avoid doing it (or do it far less), make more rationally-based decisions, and live smarter overall. To help us do that, my guest tonight, psychologist and researcher Dr. Christopher Chabris is half of the team (with psychologist and researcher Dan Simons) who did the famous and hilarious "invisible gorilla experiment." It's also the title of their fascinating book, "The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us." Tonight, we'll be discussing this experiment and others, why we're so convinced we're perceiving situations correctly when we're doing anything but, and how we can stop and live like the rational animals we believe we are. Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society.

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Nationally syndicated advice columnist Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio -- "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in therapy and research.

There have been two major schools on negotiating -- Ury, Fisher and Patton's "win-win"/"relationships are everything" approach and Roger Cohen's "nail 'em to the wall" hardball approach. 

Harvard Business School professor Michael Wheeler finds that these rigid, one-size-fits-all strategies often clash with the real-world realities of negotiating. Drawing on his and his colleagues' research, he finds that the most successful negotiating techniques are born of an ability to adapt while negotiating, and use agility, creativity, and wise preparation. 

He'll advise us all on how to adapt (and do all the rest) in order to win in negotiation, the subject of his book we'll be discussing on the show, "The Art of Negotiation: How to Improvise Agreement in a Chaotic World." 

Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society

And please ask a newspaper near you to carry my award-winning syndicated, science-based advice column...if they don't already.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science.
  My guest on this week's show argues for a less confident world and a more realistically confident one.   Confidence is not all it's cracked up to be, especially because what we laud as confidence is too often actually overconfidence, lack of self-knowledge, and unreasonable expectations about ourselves, others, and the way the world works. This kind of "confidence" also doesn't play as well as we often think it does in impressing and persuading others.   My guest, Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, wants to help you achieve realistic confidence -- confidence based on competence. He is a professor of business psychology at University College of London, the author of seven books and numerous studies, and an authority in personality assessment, consumer analytics, and talent management. His book we'll be discussing on the show is "Conf!dence: Overcoming Low Self-Esteem, Insecurity, and Self-Doubt."   Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in therapy and research.   Unlike the guests on almost all of my shows, my guest tonight is actually not a scientist -- he's business consultant, public speaker, and best-selling author Mark Sanborn.   But this is the second time I've made an exception and had him on the show, because his thinking is so extraordinary, inspiring, and helpful.   To bring up that word again -- "extraordinary" -- being extraordinary means being a stand-out person in your work, friendships, and relationships. We tend to think being that is either something you're born with or you're not. But Sanborn will show you tonight that this isn't the case.   He'll explain why "extraordinary" is something you can choose to be, and explain how to recalibrate your thinking so you can achieve and maintain that. As for why to do this, his book we'll be discussing — "Fred 2.0: New ideas on how to keep delivering extraordinary results"  — and this show should make very clear that living "extraordinary" is living and working fulfilled in a way that living ordinary just can't meet.   Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in therapy and research.   Assertiveness isn't about "building a good disguise," Dr. Randy Paterson explains. "It's about the courage to take the disguise off." It's "about being THERE."   Paterson, a clinical psychologist, is the author of the excellent book I've recommended in my column, "The Assertiveness Workbook: How To Express Your Ideas and Stand Up for Yourself at Work and in Relationships," and that's exactly what he and I will be laying out on tonight's show.   Paterson takes a very rational, behavioral approach and gives extremely practical tips for how to change, and this show should help even already-assertive people notice and shore up areas where they could do better.   Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.   Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society.   And please ask a newspaper near you to carry my award-winning syndicated, science-based advice column...if they don't already!

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Nationally syndicated advice columnist Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio -- "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in therapy and research.
*"Best-of" replay this week because my corrections on my next book are due shortly and I'm working day and night on them. 
This week’s show will offer you numerous substantive, practical tips for keeping anxiety from taking over your thoughts and your life, emphasizing the use of reason.
My guest is psychologist Tamar Chansky, Ph.D, a leading expert on anxiety disorders, who has written a very helpful and down-to-earth book on understanding and conquering anxiety, Freeing Yourself from Anxiety: 4 Simple Steps to Overcome Worry and Create the Life You Want.    Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday from 7-8 pm Pacific and 10-11 pm Eastern, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.   Buy my book, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society, at Amazon, and look for my award-winning, science-based advice column in a paper near you or ask editors to carry it.

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in therapy and research. 
*"Best-of" replay this week -- a show I loved -- because my corrections on my next book are due shortly and I'm working day and night on them.
On tonight's show, noted sociologist Dr. Eric Klinenberg will discuss why remaining unmarried and living alone have increasing appeal and what the problems of living solo tend to be -- and how we might solve them.
We'll touch both on living solo as a younger person (whether romantically single or "living apart together" with a partner), and how we can live alone as we age.   Dr. Klineberg's book is Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone.   Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday from 7-8 pm Pacific and 10-11 pm Eastern, here at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.   Buy my book, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society, at Amazon, and look for my award-winning, nationally syndicated, science-based advice column in a paper near you, or ask the editor to carry it!

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Amy Alkon's Advice Goddess Radio: "Nerd Your Way To A Better Life!" with the best brains in science. 
There's something major missing in our understanding of how we succeed, and that's the biological side of things. 
That’s what my guest tonight, John Coates, is going to provide -- fascinating biological nuances that explain how to approach risk, manage stress, use our gut feelings, and optimize ourselves to achieve even the loftiest goals.
Coates is now senior research fellow in neuroscience and finance at the University of Cambridge, but he came to that after a very successful career on Wall Street where he ran the trading desk at Deutsche Bank. His terrific book is “The Hour Between Dog And Wolf: How risk-taking transforms us, body and mind.”
Stick with us and find out about how you can train yourself to manage stress rather than being crushed by it and actually toughen yourself both mentally and physically so you can be at your fittest to reach your goals. 
Join me and all my fascinating guests every Sunday, 7-8 p.m. Pacific Time, 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, at blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.   Please buy my science-based but funny book about why people are rude and how to change things, I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite societ