130,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

Happy Long Weekend! We're open all 3 days! 📚 Open 7 days, 8:30am–5pm

What Makes Us Tick?

The ten desires that drive us
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In What Makes Us Tick?, Hugh Mackay delves into the intricacies of human behaviour, examining the desires and motivations that drive us. With insights from psychology, sociology, and philosophy, Mackay explores what influences our decisions and actions in daily life, providing a thought-provoking exploration of the underlying forces that shape human nature.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2999
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're curious about human behaviour and the psychological factors that drive us. It offers insights into what motivates people, combining elements of social science and personal observation to explore the complexities of human nature. Hugh Mackay's exploration might resonate with those interested in understanding themselves and the world around them better.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Ever wondered what 'human nature' really means?

This new edition of What Makes Us Tick takes us beneath the often overwhelming surface noise of politics, economics, new technology, and social change to explore something that hasn't changed: the ten desires that drive us all and, now in a new prologue, the seven characteristics that define us as a species.

From our desire to be taken seriously, to be useful and to be loved, to the desire for more, the desire for control, and the desire for something to believe in, these universal human motivations powerfully influence our behaviour towards each other.

Hugh Mackay goes to the heart of what it means to be human. This is a book that explains us to ourselves and, in the process, helps us understand each other a little better. It also encourages us to lead more generous, compassionate lives.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

What Makes Us Tick? by Hugh Mackay has received recognition as a thoughtfully insightful work by a well-regarded social commentator. It is praised for Mackay's ability to illuminate different voices and perspectives, rendering him a valuable asset in the realm of social analysis.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780733641640

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 27 December 2018

Country: Australia

Imprint: Hachette Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 34.0mm

Width: 124.0mm

Height: 194.0mm

Weight: 300g

Pages: 432

About the Author

Hugh Mackay is a social researcher and bestselling author. He has a master's degree in moral philosophy and was one of the founders of the St James Ethics Centre. He has been awarded honorary doctorates by five Australian universities and is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society. In 2015, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia. He lives in Canberra.

Also by Hugh Mackay

View all
  • The Therapist
    I loved the chance to peek inside a therapist's office ... told with such intelligence and tenderness. - Debra Oswald, bestselling author of The Family Doctor Smart, empathic and perfectly plotted - The Therapist is a marvellous read. - Jacqueline Maley, bestselling author of The Truth About Her A VIVID PORTRAYAL OF THE COMPLEXITIES OF CONTEMPORARY LIFE Martha Elliott, maverick...
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Way We Are
    Life is messy. Relationships are complex. Outcomes are uncertain. Yet none of our differences—whether based on ethnicity, politics, religion, cultural tastes and preferences, or gender—are nearly as significant as the humanity we share. Amidst our epidemics of loneliness, anxiety and depression, and the impacts of entrenched poverty and ubiquitous technology, The Way We Are examines the major trends that are...
    Paperback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Kindness Revolution
    Revolutions never start at the top. If we dare to dream of a more loving country - kinder, more compassionate, more cooperative, more respectful, more inclusive, more egalitarian, more harmonious, less cynical - there's only one way to start turning that dream into a reality: each of us must live as if this is already that country. Following the ravages...
    Hardback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Right and Wrong
    In modern Western societies, we are presented with a huge array of choices and encouraged to believe that having the freedom to choose sets us on the path to happiness. Yet, as renowned social commentator Hugh Mackay shows in Right and Wrong: How to Decide for Yourself, freedom to choose is no freedom at all unless it is accompanied by...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Just Saying
    Warm, witty, wise - and occasionally challenging - Just Saying is bestselling social psychologist Hugh Mackay's highly personal reflections on twenty-five quotations from some of the world's greatest thinkers and writers, from Confucius and Plato to Susan Sontag and Miles Franklin; from Samuel Johnson and Mary Wollstonecraft to Bertrand Russell and Gloria Steinem. Interpreting our world and inspiring us to...
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Good Life
    No one can promise you that a life lived for others will bring you a deep sense of satisfaction, but it's certain that nothing else will. Hugh Mackay has spent his entire working life asking Australians about their values, motivations, ambitions, hopes and fears. Now, in The Good Life, he addresses the ultimate question: What makes a life worth living?...
    Paperback
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Question of Love
    What really goes on in a marriage? Richard and Freya are, on the surface, a perfect couple. He has a thriving architectural practice; she plays the violin like an angel. They live in a beautiful home. They seem respectful and caring of one another. They should be happier than they are. In The Question of Love, Hugh Mackay has constructed...
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Inner Self
    How can I get in touch with this real self, underlying all my surface behaviour? How can I become myself? — Carl Rogers, US psychotherapist The Inner Self is a book about the ways we hide from the truth about ourselves and the psychological freedom we enjoy when we finally face that most searching question of all: 'Who am I,...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Science & Nature

View all
  • What If? 10th Anniversary Edition
    CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF THE MILLION-SELLING POP SCIENCE CLASSIC WITH A SPECIAL EDITION. THIS IS WHAT IF? . . . x10. THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Nerd royalty' — BEN GOLDACRE 'Totally brilliant' — TIM HARFORD 'Required reading across the world' — NEW YORK TIMES From the creator of the wildly popular xkcd.com, experience hilarious and informative answers to important questions...
    Hardback
    $4200
    Elsewhere:
    $5000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Nuclear War
    The Sunday Times bestselling non-fiction thriller that has to be read to be believed. Baillie Gifford shortlisted, a favourite of Steven Bartlett, with an average reader rating of 4.6, sure to be a mass-market hit. Up to now, no one outside of official circles has known exactly what would happen if a rogue state launched a nuclear missile at the...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Anxious Generation
    A powerful argument for reclaiming childhood—and all human relationships—from the online world, from the influential social psychologist and international bestselling author. Jonathan Haidt has spent his career speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most difficult spaces—communities polarised by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the mental health emergency hitting teenagers today in many countries around...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Prisoners of Geography
    Prisoners of Geography looks at the past, present, and future to offer crucial insights into one of the major factors that determine world history – because if you don’t know geography, you’ll never have the full picture. Originally published in 2015, this completely revised and updated edition brings it up to date with the events and trends of the past...
    Paperback
    $2899
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Ultra-Processed People
    Launching the runaway bestseller with ambitions to be the biggest non-fiction paperback of the year IT'S NOT YOU. IT'S THE FOOD. "If you only read one diet or nutrition book in your life, make it this one" - Bee Wilson "You've got to get this book in your life . . . Completely compelling . . . Read a page...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Pokemon Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded 2024
    The essential guide to all things Pokémon, this year’s Encyclopedia includes all of the details of Ash Ketchum’s battle to become Pokémon World Champion! The new updated and expanded final edition of the Pokémon Encyclopedia! Ash Ketchum’s journey to becoming a Pokémon Master, and winner of the Masters Eight World Championships, has come to an end. Travel through all 8...
    Hardback
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Kitchen Confidential
    The classic bestseller from the star of Parts Unknown and No Reservations: 25th Anniversary edition, with a new introduction by Irvine Welsh. BEFORE THERE WAS THE BEAR, THERE WAS BOURDAIN. ‘Elizabeth David written by Quentin Tarantino’ — A.A. Gill ‘Fantastic: as lip-smackingly seductive as a bowl of fat chips and pungent aioli’ — Daily Telegraph After twenty-five years of sex,...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • That's not my... Zoo
    A perfect introduction to zoo animals with eye-catching illustrations, touchy-feely patches and a noisy finale! Discover the fun of the zoo in this sound-book addition to the bestselling That's not my... series. Turn the pages to explore the zoo and meet a monkey, an elephant, a tiger and a parrot in this larger format touchy-feely book. Press the sound button...
    Board book
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Sapiens
    Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari is an extraordinary exploration of humanity's history from the dawn of our species to the present day. Harari delves into our evolution, offering insights into the cognitive revolutions that allowed Homo sapiens to rise above other animal species. Traversing through various stages of human development, he examines the Agricultural Revolution, the unification of humankind through...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Talk
    A Harvard professor shows how we can become better talkers - and why effective conversation will help us all thrive. Conversation is at the heart of our relationships and decision-making, but the science behind our everyday interactions, and how to improve them, is little known. In Talk, Harvard Professor Alison Wood Brooks provides fascinating insights into the power of effective...
    Paperback
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Clean & Green
    Simple swaps and innovative ideas for cleaning and maintaining your home that won't cost the Earth. Learn how easy it is to make simple swaps in your cleaning and tidying methods for a more eco-friendly home. This beautifully illustrated black and white guide with 101 hints and sustainable, natural cleaning tips and hacks will help you take small steps that...
    Paperback
    $2999
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    18% off
    The Genetic Book of the Dead
    From one of the world’s great science writers, a book that explores the deepest principles of evolutionary history. In this groundbreaking new approach to the evolution of all life, Richard Dawkins shows how the body, behaviour, and genes of every living creature can be read as a book – an archive of the worlds of its ancestors. A perfectly camouflaged...
    Hardback
    $4000
    Elsewhere:
    $5499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.