Mystery A Seduction, A Strategy, A Solution by Jonah Lehrer

​   I can’t believe I’m the first person reviewing this book. It should be more popular. Mysteries are popular. Ubiquitous, really. I know, I read tons of them. I don’t need to be sold on their appeal.  By a lifelong interest in social psychology propelled me to find out more and reading this book covered all I wanted to know and more.
    Mind you, this isn’t just a book plaining the appeal of mystery as a genre, it covers all aspects of mystery, in daily life, in art, in music and more, there is proper brainscience to go with the explanations, but the basic fact is this…we like mysteries, we are wired to like them. We want to be intrigued, surprised, fooled even, so long as it’s exciting, so long as its unpredictable and fresh.
     The author gallops from lowbrow fun like Law and Order and sports and popular music to the decidedly highbrow things like Bach to Mona Lisa and public education innovations, and, of course, there’s a lot about books too.  And at every turn there’s a trick from the mystery box (which itself in a narrative trick) being utilized.
    It’s about a certain way of living, the wanting of immaterial treasures and intangible pleasures of the mysterious world.
    Einstein said it best, but then, of course, he was a genius,
The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom the emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.
      Nd so this book is a fascinating, edifying and entertaining journey to be taken on. Pop science at its best. And an absolute delight to read.  I sincerely hope my review will inspire more readership for this book, it certainly deserves a wider audience. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.