Review: Pleased to Meet Me by Bill Sullivan

About Pleased to Meet Me

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (August 6, 2019)

Synopsis

Why are you attracted to a certain “type?” Why are you a morning person? Why do you vote the way you do? From a witty new voice in popular science comes a clever, life-changing look at what makes you you.

“I can’t believe I just said that.” “What possessed me to do that?” “What’s wrong with me?” We’re constantly seeking answers to these fundamental human questions, and now, science has the answers. The foods we enjoy, the people we love, the emotions we feel, and the beliefs we hold can all be traced back to our DNA, germs, and environment. This witty, colloquial book is popular science at its best, describing in everyday language how genetics, epigenetics, microbiology, and psychology work together to influence our personality and actions. Mixing cutting-edge research and relatable humor, Pleased to Meet Me is filled with fascinating insights that shine a light on who we really are–and how we might become our best selves.

My Thoughts…

This book is a perfect example of why I review books the way that I do.  I’ve posted about this before, but here’s a quick recap.  I review a book by comparing it to books of the same genre and seeing how successful or not they were.  The reason I do it that way becomes very clear when you read a book like this, because, though I read a lot of nonfiction, I tend to shy away from anything scientific.  It’s not that I don’t find it interesting, but because I’m intellectually insecure about science and mathematics. I could blame it on society not teaching girls well enough, or telling them to focus on “girly” pursuits, but for whatever reason, science and math are out of my comfort zone.

So I was a little scared to open this book, but I am so glad that I did! To say the premise is interesting is a severe understatement.  In the first paragraph you will find the sentence, “others say brussel sprouts taste like fart truffles.”  Are you not entertained already?  This is by far the most approachable book about the science of humans that I have ever read.

I really don’t know how to describe this book adequately.  I was nervous to open it, but was quickly sucked into its pages by an intelligent and friendly narrator.  Bill Sullivan used personal anecdotes as breaths of fresh air, grounding information that otherwise might have flown over the readers’ heads.

I also loved, LOVED the layout of this book.  By breaking down each chapter into different parts, Sullivan kept my attention better than I could have hoped.  I never felt like I was falling behind or becoming confused by reading this book, even though my BA in English didn’t help me overmuch.

I would have read this book on the information about coffee alone, but I’m going to really love explaining to people why it’s not my fault I don’t like bacon and my love of hot sauce is actually my way of thrill seeking. So, go grab this book if you want to learn some amazing things while being thoroughly amused.

*Special thanks to Bill Sullivan, TLC Book Tours and National Geographic for a copy of Pleased to Meet Me in exchange for an honest review.

Social Media

Please use the hashtag #pleasedtomeetme and tag @tlcbooktours and @wjsullivanjr.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Amazon Canada | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

About Bill Sullivan

BILL SULLIVAN is a professor of pharmacology and microbiology at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, where he studies infectious disease and genetics. An award-winning researcher, teacher, and science communicator, Sullivan has been featured in a wide variety of outlets, including CNN, Scientific American, Cosmos magazines, PLOS SciComm, The Naked Scientists, and The Scientist.

Find out more about Sullivan at his website, and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.