This is a non-fiction book, authored by Professo of Psychology Sam Gosling. It draws on vast research by Gosling and others about how we are connected to the places where we live (e.g., the country or region where we end up settling) and those that we inhabit (our bedrooms, offices, desks…).
The book unpacks how our choices in relation to those spaces tell so much about our values, personality, political tendencies and life style – not just where we choose to live, but also the objects that populate those spaces with, and even how we display those objects. For instance, a picture frame facing the user of a desk will serve a very different function from one facing visitors.
I started reading this book a few times, over the years. Though, as there’s so much detail and associated research that I wanted to check, I always ended up getting side-tracked. This month, I persevered and read through the whole book. It is now a bit dated, and the examples are very US-centric. But, nonetheless, it was a thought provoking read about the bi-directional link between spaces and objects on the one hand, and personality and personal choices on the other.
This is the kind of book that I would love to write: a book that communicates complex research ideas in a very digestible way, with plenty of anecdotes, and making research relevant to everyday life. Maybe one day…
Ana Canhoto 