59 Seconds
Change Your Life in Under a Minute
by Richard Wiseman
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Recommended by 3 notable people, including Money Mustache and Jeff Atwood
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Reading Profile
Should I read this?
59 Seconds serves up brisk, bite-sized psychology tips and myth‑busting claims written by Richard Wiseman, a psychologist. it reads as quick and practical: chapters are built around single ideas you can try immediately. Its usefulness lies in fast heuristics that invite small experiments rather than big overhauls. The main limitation is simplification—many suggestions are presented with light anecdotes and short summaries of studies, so readers wanting full methodological depth or dense reasoning will find it unsatisfying.
Read this if...
- •a busy team leader at a small company needing quick behaviour nudges to pilot this quarter — because the short, testable tips are easy to roll out and measure
- •an undergrad cramming for finals who wants fast-memory study and stress hacks to try tonight instead of reading long theory
- •an editor curating pop-psych newsletter pieces who needs compact, debatable takeaways that spark reader curiosity and conversation
Skip this if...
- •you'll likely put it down when the same one‑idea-per-page rhythm becomes repetitive; the midbook repeat of short fixes is a common drop-off point
- •annoying if you prefer fully sourced, methodological deep dives or academic-style argumentation — the book favors readable summaries over dense citation chains
- •not a fit if you want step-by-step exercises or a long-term plan for complex life problems; many tips are quick experiments rather than structured programs
A psychologist and bestselling author gives us a mythbusting response to the selfhelp movement, with tips and tricks to improve your life that come straight from the scientific community.Richard Wiseman has been troubled by the realization that the selfhelp industry often promotes exercises that destroy motivation, damage relationships, and red...
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:hard
Audience Fit
- a busy team leader at a small company needing quick behaviour nudges to pilot this quarter — because the short, testable tips are easy to roll out and measure
- an undergrad cramming for finals who wants fast-memory study and stress hacks to try tonight instead of reading long theory
- an editor curating pop-psych newsletter pieces who needs compact, debatable takeaways that spark reader curiosity and conversation
- you'll likely put it down when the same one‑idea-per-page rhythm becomes repetitive; the midbook repeat of short fixes is a common drop-off point
- annoying if you prefer fully sourced, methodological deep dives or academic-style argumentation — the book favors readable summaries over dense citation chains
- not a fit if you want step-by-step exercises or a long-term plan for complex life problems; many tips are quick experiments rather than structured programs
Check formats, pricing, and availability options for Kindle, physical print, or audiobooks directly.
View available editions on AmazonKey themes
Why recommended
Recommended by 5 sources and appears in Psychology, Most Recommended Books, and Psychology.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. Recommended by 8 sources.
“Soft-spoken, heavily illustrated fable built from short dialogues and watercolor sketches. Each spread pairs a spare line of text with a loose drawing, so the pleasure is visual and aphoristic rather than narrative; readers collect felt-true sentences more than plot. Most useful when you want quick consolations, a prompt for conversation with a child, or a pause during a rough day. Limiting if you want sustained argument, concrete advice, or tightly plotted storytelling: the repetition of gentleness can feel sentimental or thin after a while.”
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Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.