About the Author

Sam Gosling is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. He has spent the last decade conducting research on how personality is expressed New Haven, Connecticut.

Reviews

"Gosling's work, reminiscent of Martha Stout's The Sociopath Next Door in its vivid, true-to-life portraits of people and places, is a unique blend of scholarly research and accessible vignettes. Expect future books from this young scholar, whose storytelling skills prove he's capable of bridging the gap between ivory-tower dwellers and street denizens."-Library Journal, starred review

"Gosling, a psychology professor, shows us how the bits and pieces of our everyday lives can reveal more than we ever imagined. Did you know that the stuff you keep on your desk can tell a shrewd observer not just your likes and dislikes, but also your political leanings, your sexual interests, your fears, even your secret self-image (as opposed to the version of yourself you present to the world)?"-Booklist
"The basic premise behind "Snoop" is that you can tell an awful lot about a person based on their apartment; their work space; their favorite music; their style of dress - even their trash. (Gosling approvingly quotes Ward Harrison, a professional scavenger who made a career rummaging through the trash of celebs, who once said, "Garbage is a window into the soul.") This thesis puts "Snoop" firmly in "Blink" or "Freakonomics" territory."-New York Post

"Gosling's work, reminiscent of Martha Stout's "The Sociopath Next Door" in its vivid, true-to-life portraits of people and places, is a unique blend of scholarly research and accessible vignettes. Expect future books from this young scholar, whose storytelling skills prove he's capable of bridging the gap between ivory-tower dwellers and street denizens."-"Library Journal," starred review

"Gosling, a psychology professor, shows us how the bits and pieces of our everyday lives can reveal more than we ever imagined. Did you know that the stuff you keep on your desk can tell a shrewd observer not just your likes and dislikes, but also your political leanings, your sexual interests, your fears, even your secret self-image (as opposed to the version of yourself you present to the world)?"-"Booklist"
"The basic premise behind "Snoop" is that you can tell an awful lot about a person based on their apartment; their work space; their favorite music; their style of dress - eve

"Gosling is the rarest of authors--a superb behavioral scientist who is as funny as he is smart. One of his great contributions is giving us fresh insight into what makes each of us who we are."-Dan P. McAdams, author of "The Redemptive Self" ""Snoop" isn't conventional self-help. Instead, the psychology professor a the University of Texas-Austin draws on academic research to explain how to look at other people's stuff - music, CD's, books, personal websites, posters, email usernames - and figure out who they are in terms of five traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism."-"USA Today" .,."charming and well written...readable and practical guide to understanding the people around you."-"New Scientist" "Gosling's research addresses some fierce debates in academic psychology, and makes them lively and accessible to general readers in "Snoop,""-"Times Higher Education Supplement"