Situations Matter: Review

51glaxccAuL. SL110 Situations Matter: Review Situations Matter: Understanding How Context Transforms Your World by Sam Sommers

Release date: 2011 / 263 pages

Synopsis (from the back cover): The world around you is shaping your innermost instincts and your most private of preferences, and you don’t even realize it. Every day we overlook the enormous power of context in our lives. That’s a mistake…

First Sentence: Mama said there’d be days like this.

Review: I’m so excited to share this book with anyone who enjoyed — or was intrigued by — Gladwell’s Outliers. Situations Matter is not only as fascinating (perhaps even more so, since the subject is how the reader is affected by situations and context), but answers that all important question, “So what?” I read over a hundred thesis statements from my students each year and before these sentences are submitted for my perusal, I remind students that I should not be able to ask the question, So What? after I finish reading their thesis. The significance of their idea should be clear and apparent, and I should not wonder whether or not writing the paper will be worth either the student’s or my time.

Situations Matter is significant and engaging throughout. Sommers states, “The objective of this book has been to shake up your assumptions. To prompt you to take notice of the situational influences on human nature that too often remain hidden in plain sight….” (255).

Sommers, a psychology professor at Tufts University, covers situations are varied as conformity, decision-making, emergency response, falling in love, and even why we hate:

We all break down the people we see into distinct social categories. We’re all impacted by stereotypes. We have automatic preferences for and against certain groups. We’re more comfortable with in-groups than out-groups. The real question isn’t whether or not you’re an -ist. Rather, it’s are you willing to make the effort to go beyond your default tendency of relying on category-based associations? And does the situation you’re in leave you with enough cognitive energy to do so?” (249)

At the end of every section (full of well-researched and documented findings), Sommers answers the question “So what?” and explains why and how his findings are applicable to our daily lives. In addition, Sommers is really funny and his “voice” is friendly, warm, and personable. He is self-depreciating throughout, so his recommendations for action never feel preachy or self-righteous. He includes many examples of where he has fallen prey to certain situations, even with his uber-awareness of how context dictates our reality and actions.

I would recommend this book to any book club and believe it would be a great gift idea for any curious individual. In fact, I’m keeping this one to give as a gift But don’t worry, I have a wonderful give-away next week!