Why We Dream is a spirited, cogent defense of dreams and dream-telling ... Though Robb delivers a solid crash course on Freud and Jung, she's a science writer and her interests tend toward the lab, not the couch. Crucially, she takes no interest in the paranormal, except as entertaining detail.
Much more than a basic dream-interpretation manual ... Readers will be easily drawn into this well-crafted book on an uncommon topic, making it a worthwhile addition to public libraries.
... lively, immersive ... Robb neatly uses her own and others’ dream experiences to introduce current research, including how dreams help us learn and remember, recover from trauma and stay mentally healthy ... Robb offers a range of suggestions for better attention to dreams, from keeping a dream journal to starting a dream group.
Scientific research as well as ample anecdotal evidence is presented with relatively equal weight, and there are numerous instances of a blurring between science and the paranormal. The author acknowledges these issues, however, and while the line between fantasy and reality is somewhat murky, the information is delivered with a dose of humor and introspection ... Filled with just as many anecdotes as actual studies, the book tries to present dreaming as an exciting, exploratory pastime ... While the book is bound to appeal to lay readers, science enthusiasts should consider passing on this book in favor of more rigorous texts ... Why We Dream has broad shelf appeal and explores an interesting topic, to be sure, but falls just short of the mark in terms of scientific rigor.
Inviting ... more given to metaphor and lyric ... tends toward the softer side of the neuropsychological spectrum; there’s been much hard neuroscience work on the sleeping and dreaming brain, for instance, that doesn’t figure here ... A friendly primer for would-be oneirologists.
Intriguing and accessible ... Though Robb’s reiteration of certain points results in the occasional redundancy, she provides an engaging overview of sleep science and effectively argues for its significance.
