blink- The Power of Thinking

Product Description

In his #1 bestseller The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell redefined how we understand the world around us. In BLINK, he revolutionizes the way we understand the world within. How do we make decisions--good and bad--and why are some people so much better at it than others? That's the question Malcolm Gladwell asks and answers in BLINK. Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience and psychology, examining case studies as diverse as speed dating, pop music, and the New Coke, Gladwell shows how the difference between good decision making and bad has nothing to do with how much information we can process quickly, but rather with the few particular details on which we focus. BLINK displays all of the brilliance that has made Malcolm Gladwell's journalism so popular and his books such perennial bestsellers as it reveals how all of us can become better decision makers--in our homes, our offices, and in everyday life.
Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #1348 in Books
* Published on: 2007-04-03
* Released on: 2007-04-03
* Original language: English
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Paperback
* 320 pages

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Blink is about the first two seconds of looking--the decisive glance that knows in an instant. Gladwell, the best-selling author of The Tipping Point, campaigns for snap judgments and mind reading with a gift for translating research into splendid storytelling. Building his case with scenes from a marriage, heart attack triage, speed dating, choking on the golf course, selling cars, and military maneuvers, he persuades readers to think small and focus on the meaning of "thin slices" of behavior. The key is to rely on our "adaptive unconscious"--a 24/7 mental valet--that provides us with instant and sophisticated information to warn of danger, read a stranger, or react to a new idea.

Gladwell includes caveats about leaping to conclusions: marketers can manipulate our first impressions, high arousal moments make us "mind blind," focusing on the wrong cue leaves us vulnerable to "the Warren Harding Effect" (i.e., voting for a handsome but hapless president). In a provocative chapter that exposes the "dark side of blink," he illuminates the failure of rapid cognition in the tragic stakeout and murder of Amadou Diallo in the Bronx. He underlines studies about autism, facial reading and cardio uptick to urge training that enhances high-stakes decision-making. In this brilliant, cage-rattling book, one can only wish for a thicker slice of Gladwell's ideas about what Blink Camp might look like. --Barbara Mackoff

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Best-selling author Gladwell (The Tipping Point) has a dazzling ability to find commonality in disparate fields of study. As he displays again in this entertaining and illuminating look at how we make snap judgments—about people's intentions, the authenticity of a work of art, even military strategy—he can parse for general readers the intricacies of fascinating but little-known fields like professional food tasting (why does Coke taste different from Pepsi?). Gladwell's conclusion, after studying how people make instant decisions in a wide range of fields from psychology to police work, is that we can make better instant judgments by training our mind and senses to focus on the most relevant facts—and that less input (as long as it's the right input) is better than more. Perhaps the most stunning example he gives of this counterintuitive truth is the most expensive war game ever conducted by the Pentagon, in which a wily marine officer, playing "a rogue military commander" in the Persian Gulf and unencumbered by hierarchy, bureaucracy and too much technology, humiliated American forces whose chiefs were bogged down in matrixes, systems for decision making and information overload. But if one sets aside Gladwell's dazzle, some questions and apparent inconsistencies emerge. If doctors are given an algorithm, or formula, in which only four facts are needed to determine if a patient is having a heart attack, is that really educating the doctor's decision-making ability—or is it taking the decision out of the doctor's hands altogether and handing it over to the algorithm? Still, each case study is satisfying, and Gladwell imparts his own evident pleasure in delving into a wide range of fields and seeking an underlying truth.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Bookmarks Magazine
Gladwell, the author of 2000’s The Tipping Point, reaches to create another popular intellectual phenomenon by overturning received wisdom about how we make decisions. As in his articles for The New Yorker, where he works as a staff writer, the anecdotes throughout Blink are lively and entertaining. But the sheer quantity of stories about everything from sip tasters for Coca-Cola and the Pepsi challenge to gut reactions to "fake" art overwhelms the main theme of the book; many critics feel Gladwell isn’t entirely sure what his theme is. David Brooks of The New York Times Book Review sums up the critical consensus nicely: "If you want to trust my snap judgment, buy this book: you’ll be delighted. If you want to trust my more reflective second judgment, buy it: you’ll be delighted but frustrated, troubled and left wanting more."

Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.
Customer Reviews

The art of split-second thinking5
There are almost one thousand reviews for this book, most are positive, do I need to submit one? Yes.

The author discusses split-second thinking, or "in the blink of an eye" speed of thought. He postulates that those rapid decisions are usually better. He backs it up with many examples of decisions made with more time, more information, and more discussion that turned out wrong, when the initial decision was actually the correct one. How does this happen?

The subconscious mind processes many inputs and helps to steer our decisions. It is usually right and we need to trust it more often. I trade financial products and I have found that too much information does not give me a clearer picture of what is going to happen, especially in the short to very short term future. I don't know how many times each week while looking at the market, I get this flash of go long, or go short. I have started tracking these thoughts and they are correct almost 90% of the time. How is that possible? I don't know, but I assume my subconscious mind picks up small clues that my conscious mind misses, or needs more information to form an opinion.

The whole process is very exciting and while I can't explain the details, I can verify the results. Another book that delves deeper into the thought process and the subconscious decision-making process is Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind: How Intelligence Increases When You Think Less an excellent book, which I read a couple of years ago and I think I am ready to pull it off the shelf and give it a second read.

Great book even if I don't agree with it...4
The book is based on an interesting premise and the writing style is very easy to read, it really sucks you in. I personally REALLY like Malcolm Gladwell's books/lectures/ideas -- he's defeinitely one of my favorites.

Note that after reading this book I'm not convinced that I completely agree with the fundamental arguement it's trying to make. I also didn't like it as much as Gladwell's previous book, Tipping Point. But, I don't want to sound overly critical. What I consider high quality writing isn't based upon whether or not I agree with the arguement the author is trying to make. The ideas are unique and creative and that alone is basis enough for me to give this book four stars. One last note is that you might want to look at the rebuttal to this book titled Think! (I have not read it but if you find Blink interesting you would probably also like Think!).

Intuition is No Simple Subject Matter to "Thin-Slice" - Gladwell does it Well!5
Gladwell (intuition/"thin-slicing"), Coleman (emotional intelligence/"limbic high-jacking"), De Bono (lateral thinking/"water logic")... Brains within brains... Thinking without thinking... Thinking about thinking... The states of non-duality and no-mind of not thinking at all and just being...

The lotus of consciousness is still flowering, it seems... The pollen of popularization is still spreading across the printing presses... And we, the readers, violently sneeze out the allergies of oblivion as we thumb through the pages of these operating manuals for our consciousness...

Excuse the late-night reviewing poetics. Seriously: be glad Gladwell writes so well - intuiton is no simple subject matter to "thin-slice."


Pavel Somov, Ph.D., Author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (New Harbinger, Nov. 2008)

Linda Goodman's Sun Signs by Linda Goodman

Product Description

Find out what's really happening in your life and the lives of those around you. Is he really unstable beneath that placid exterior? Is she marrying you for your money alone? When should you give a wayward spouse the benefit of the doubt? How can you adjust your inner moods to your best advantage, knowing when to push and when to pull back, when to speak up and when to shut up? What is the best time to ask your boss for that raise, your girl for her heart and hand, your brother-in-law for a loan? Learn all this and much, much more from the world-famous astrologer who has helped millions divine their way to happiness, love, and profit by studying the sun signs. Amaze your friends and yourself with your insight into their most hidden characteristics. Be the best that you can possibly be with -- Sun Signs.
Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #11083 in Books
* Published on: 1985-01-01
* Released on: 1984-12-01
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Mass Market Paperback
* 512 pages

Editorial Reviews

The Boston Globe
"What makes SUN SIGNS different is that much of the writing is done with humor."

The New York Times
"...tells us Taureans and Capricorns exactly what's what - with none of this 'Mars is in your ninth house stuff.'"

From the Publisher
Find out what's really happening in your life and the lives of those around you. Is he really unstable beneath that placid exterior? Is she marrying you for your money alone? When should you give a wayward spouse the benefit of the doubt? How can you adjust your inner moods to your best advantage, knowing when to push and when to pull back, when to speak up and when to shut up? What is the best time to ask your boss for that raise, your girl for her heart and hand, your brother-in-law for a loan? Learn all this and much, much more from the world-famous astrologer who has helped millions divine their way to happiness, love, and profit by studying the sun signs. Amaze your friends and yourself with your insight into their most hidden characteristics. Be the best that you can possibly be with -- Sun Signs.
Customer Reviews

Very informative (and fun)5
This is a fun, informative guide to the signs you won't find elsewhere. Far from being the typical "daily horoscope", Linda Goodman details the various aspects of each sign(and the book is broken into sections which reflect this): general, man, woman, child, boss and employee. The personality traits of each sign are shown and tend to be quite accurate. Enjoyable reading and will help you to understand why you see things the way you do, as well as understanding other people in your life. I would highly recommend it!

An oldie but a goodie!5
I first read this book years ago when I was in high school (won't tell you how long ago that was!). I think everyone goes through phases in their life where they investigate astrology, then usually forget about it after a while. Recently talking to a friend, he mentioned about certain traits of a particular sign and I remembered this book and how dead on it seemed in describing zodiac personalities. I got on Amazon and ordered a copy and was once again astounded at how well it described people I knew. My eleven year old daughter got her first look at it and was also quite intrigued by the accurate descriptions of people she knew. I would definitely recommend this book, (despite it's age!) to anyone who would like to understand someone a little better and to perhaps realize that there just may be something to this astrology stuff after all! This book is timeless and is an asset to ANYONE'S library!

Fun read4
I first read this book when I was a sophmore in high school. I loved it. It was one of my favorites and I shared it with many friends. I've read through it a few times since and though I'm slightly more skeptical and analytical now I still find it to be a fun read. I think you can identify with many of the things stated in this book and its fun to get familiar with other Sun Sign characterisitcs and try to guess different people you meet. Its a fun little game I like to play now. I recommend this book if you are interested in astrology and sun signs, however I think its important to not take it too seriously and just enjoy it. (***This would probably make a great gift for a teenage girl!)

Pain and Depression: An Antidisciplinary Patient-Centered Approach (Advances in Psychosomatic Medicine)

Product Description

Pain is the most common physical complaint while depression is the second most debilitating chronic medical condition. The co-occurrence of pain and depression is well known but a detailed understanding of their phenomenology, interrelationship, and effective therapies remains speculative. This book provides a synthetic approach to the evaluation and treatment of patients with chronic pain and depression that will generate therapeutic optimism and lead clinicians to improve quality of life and restore function.The recognition that depression is not just an affective disorder or demoralization is discussed in detail in the contributions: Function, Disability, and Psychological Well-Being and in Structural Models of Comorbidity among Common Mental Disorders: Connections to Chronic Pain. Other articles review the complex regional pain syndrome and the Gulf War syndrome. Further papers discuss issues relating to the use of opioids in the treatment of chronic pain.This book will
Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #5392077 in Books
* Published on: 2004-05-13
* Binding: Hardcover
* 176 pages

Personality Disorders (WPA Series in Evidence & Experience in Psychiatry)

Product Description

This 8th volume of the WPA series in Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry provides an update of research evidence and clinical experience concerning personality disorders.

A general term for a group of behavioural disorders, personality disorders are usually characterised by lifelong, ingrained, maladaptive patterns of deviant behaviour, lifestyle and social adjustment that are different in quality from psychotic and neurotic symptoms. The book reviews recent progress and current controversies in this area, providing a guide to clinicians and a contribution to the ongoing revision of the two main diagnostic systems, the DSM-IV and ICD-10.

Written by Mario Maj, an internationally renowned psychiatrist and secretary for publications of the World Psychiatric Association, this work includes coverage of neuroscientific and psychiatric aspects and is an unbiased and reliable reference point.
Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #1696648 in Books
* Published on: 2005-04-01
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Hardcover
* 536 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review
"This well-ordered text by a world-wide collection of experts provides an authoritative exploration of these common and misunderstood conditions." (Electric Review, November/December 2005)

"…clearly well researched and reasonably organized…" (Doody's Health Services)

Download Description
This 8th volume of the WPA series in Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry provides an update of research evidence and clinical experience concerning personality disorders. A general term for a group of behavioural disorders, personality disorders are usually characterised by lifelong, ingrained, maladaptive patterns of deviant behaviour, lifestyle and social adjustment that are different in quality from psychotic and neurotic symptoms. The book reviews recent progress and current controversies in this area, providing a guide to clinicians and a contribution to the ongoing revision of the two main diagnostic systems, the DSM-IV and ICD-10. Written by Mario Maj, an internationally renowned psychiatrist and secretary for publications of the World Psychiatric Association, this work includes coverage of neuroscientific and psychiatric aspects and is an unbiased and reliable reference point.

From the Back Cover
Be guided by the evidence ...

Personality Disorders are among the mental disorders for which the gap between research evidence and clinical practice is most significant. They are currently underdiagnosed and undertreated. Even of an appropriate diagnosis os made, treatment is rarely evidence-based.

This book aims to review recent progress and current controversies in this area, providing a guide to clinicians and a contribution to the ongoing revision of the main diagnostic systems.

Personality Disorders offers:

* A comprehensive update on the diagnosis, course and outcome, and treatment of the social and economic burden and perspective and perspectives in the classification
* An overview of clinical, biological and psychosocial research in the area
* The unique series format of systematic reviews followed by commentaries

Personality Disorders is the eighth volume in the WPA Series "Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry. The book is an unbiased and reliable reference point for all psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses and policy makers.
Customer Reviews

personality disorder4
There are interestig chapaters about schizotypal personality disorder,antisocial personality disorders etc. International discussions following review are very stimulating.

Personality Disorders in Modern Life by Theodore Millon

Product Description

A revision of the leading textbook on personality disorders by renowned expert Theodore Millon

"Personalities are like impressionistic paintings. At a distance, each person is 'all of a piece'; up close, each is a bewildering complexity of moods, cognitions, and motives."
-Theodore Millon

Exploring the continuum from normal personality traits to the diagnosis and treatment of severe cases of personality disorders, Personality Disorders in Modern Life, Second Edition is unique in its coverage of both important historical figures and contemporary theorists in the field. Its content spans all the major disorders-Antisocial, Avoidant, Depressive, Compulsive, Histrionic, Narcissistic, Paranoid, Schizoid, and Borderline-as well as their many subtypes. Attention to detail and in-depth discussion of the subtleties involved in these debilitating personality disorders make this book an ideal companion to the DSM-IV(TM).

Fully updated with the latest research and theory, this important text features:

* Discussion of the distinctive clinical features and developmental roots of personality disorders
* Balanced coverage of the major theoretical perspectives-biological, psychodynamic, interpersonal, cognitive, and evolutionary
* Individual chapters on all DSM-IV(TM) personality disorders and their several subtypes and mixtures
* Case studies throughout the text that bring to life the many faces of these disorders

Including a new assessment section that singles out behavioral indicators considered to have positive predictive power for the disorders, this Second Edition also includes a special focus on developmental, gender, and cultural issues specific to each disorder. A comprehensive reference suitable for today's practitioners, Personality Disorders in Modern Life, Second Edition features a clear style that also makes it a valuable resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. The most thorough book of its kind, this Second Edition is a powerful, practical resource for all trainees and professionals in key mental health fields, such as psychology, social work, and nursing.
Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #344660 in Books
* Published on: 2004-08-06
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Hardcover
* 624 pages

Editorial Reviews

Download Description
A revision of the leading textbook on personality disorders by renowned expert Theodore Millon

"Personalities are like impressionistic paintings. At a distance, each person is 'all of a piece'; up close, each is a bewildering complexity of moods, cognitions, and motives."
-Theodore Millon

Exploring the continuum from normal personality traits to the diagnosis and treatment of severe cases of personality disorders, Personality Disorders in Modern Life, Second Edition is unique in its coverage of both important historical figures and contemporary theorists in the field. Its content spans all the major disorders-Antisocial, Avoidant, Depressive, Compulsive, Histrionic, Narcissistic, Paranoid, Schizoid, and Borderline-as well as their many subtypes. Attention to detail and in-depth discussion of the subtleties involved in these debilitating personality disorders make this book an ideal companion to the DSM-IV(TM).

Fully updated with the latest research and theory, this important text features:

* Discussion of the distinctive clinical features and developmental roots of personality disorders
* Balanced coverage of the major theoretical perspectives-biological, psychodynamic, interpersonal, cognitive, and evolutionary
* Individual chapters on all DSM-IV(TM) personality disorders and their several subtypes and mixtures
* Case studies throughout the text that bring to life the many faces of these disorders

Including a new assessment section that singles out behavioral indicators considered to have positive predictive power for the disorders, this Second Edition also includes a special focus on developmental, gender, and cultural issues specific to each disorder. A comprehensive reference suitable for today's practitioners, Personality Disorders in Modern Life, Second Edition features a clear style that also makes it a valuable resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. The most thorough book of its kind, this Second Edition is a powerful, practical resource for all trainees and professionals in key mental health fields, such as psychology, social work, and nursing.

Book Info
Institute for Advanced Studies in Personality and Psychopathology. Discusses the developmental aspects of personality disorders, and includes the major theoretical perspectives: biological, psychodynamic, interpersonal, cognitive, and evolutionary. This text is a reworking of the authors' text Disorders of Personality: DSM-IV and Beyond, c1996. DNLM: Personality Disorders.

From the Back Cover
A revision of the leading textbook on personality disorders by renowned expert Theodore Millon

"Personalities are like impressionistic paintings. At a distance, each person is `all of a piece'; up close, each is a bewildering complexity of moods, cognitions, and motives."
-Theodore Millon

Exploring the continuum from normal personality traits to the diagnosis and treatment of severe cases of personality disorders, Personality Disorders in Modern Life, Second Edition is unique in its coverage of both important historical figures and contemporary theorists in the field. Its content spans all the major disorders-Antisocial, Avoidant, Depressive, Compulsive, Histrionic, Narcissistic, Paranoid, Schizoid, and Borderline-as well as their many subtypes. Attention to detail and in-depth discussion of the subtleties involved in these debilitating personality disorders make this book an ideal companion to the DSM-IV™.

Fully updated with the latest research and theory, this important text features:

* Discussion of the distinctive clinical features and developmental roots of personality disorders
* Balanced coverage of the major theoretical perspectives-biological, psychodynamic, interpersonal, cognitive, and evolutionary
* Individual chapters on all DSM-IV™ personality disorders and their several subtypes and mixtures
* Case studies throughout the text that bring to life the many faces of these disorders

Including a new assessment section that singles out behavioral indicators considered to have positive predictive power for the disorders, this Second Edition also includes a special focus on developmental, gender, and cultural issues specific to each disorder. A comprehensive reference suitable for today's practitioners, Personality Disorders in Modern Life, Second Edition features a clear style that also makes it a valuable resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. The most thorough book of its kind, this Second Edition is a powerful, practical resource for all trainees and professionals in key mental health fields, such as psychology, social work, and nursing.
Customer Reviews

Excellent5
Although not what I would call "easy reading" by any stretch of the imagination, this book was extremely detailed and broke down each DSM into smaller fragments. It was a great piece to add to my courses in MH DSM and went into much greater detail than my university textbooks! My professor at the time recommended a similar book which I managed to misplace. Fortunately this one was recommended to me and is even better.

Excellent in every regard and a must-have for any mental health practitioner.

First class resource on the little understood world of PD. 5
Theodore Milon's work on personality disorder's is a tour de force of the little understood world of "personality disorders in modern life."

This is an outstanding book, both as a text for the advanced master's level student, or as a stand-alone reference for the clinician looking to delve deeper into this mysterious world.

Dr. Milon cogently and meticulously dissects each disorder and provides case vignettes to aid the reader in grasping each entity for what it is, if that is possible.

Highly recommended. Encyclopedic in scope. Scholarly in its depth. 5+ stars.

An absolutely wonderful book on personality.5
As an "advanced layman" interested in personality, I can fully endorse all that has been said by others about this book. It's not often that you find a book intended as a textbook that's....hard to put down, but this book certainly qualifies.

One rather missleading aspect of the title is its' implication that the book is only about the more pathological aspects of personality, and although the book is indeed organized along the lines of the DSM defined personality disorders, Millon makes an ongoing point within every section that the severity of each of the disorders exists along a continum, ranging from "normal" to "extream".

Those within the "normal" range on each disorder illustrate aspects of personality that are common to almost every one of us, and as such, the book provides equally comprehensive insights into normal aspects of personality as well.

If you are truely interested in personality in it's full range of variation, I would not allow yourself to be detered by the books' price. Millon is a stunning intelect, and I believe you will come away from this quite readable volume with the same enthusiastic response as others who have reviewed it.

Grounding Cognition: The Role of Perception and Action in Memory, Language, and Thinking

Product Description

One of the key questions in cognitive psychology is how people represent knowledge about concepts such as football or love. Recently some researchers have proposed that concepts are represented in human memory by the sensorimotor systems that underlie interaction with the outside world. These theories represent a recent development in cognitive science to view cognition no longer in terms of abstract information processing, but in terms of perception and action. In other words, cognition is grounded in embodied experiences. Studies show that sensory perception and motor actions support understanding of words and object concepts. Moreover, even understanding of abstract and emotion concepts can be shown to rely on more concrete, embodied experiences. Finally, language itself can be shown to be grounded in sensorimotor processes. This book brings together theoretical arguments and empirical evidence from several key researchers in this field to support this framework.
Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #690528 in Books
* Published on: 2005-01-10
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Hardcover
* 334 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review
'... the chapters of this book provide convincing evidence that higher cognitive processes draw heavily upon perceptual and motor knowledge ... [it] allows readers to appreciate the diversity of ideas that fall under the embodied view of cognition ...' Applied Cognitive Psychology

Download Description
One of the key questions in cognitive psychology is how people represent knowledge about concepts such as football or love. Recently some researchers have proposed that concepts are represented in human memory by the sensorimotor systems that underlie interaction with the outside world. These theories represent a recent development in cognitive science to view cognition no longer in terms of abstract information processing, but in terms of perception and action. In other words, cognition is grounded in embodied experiences. Studies show that sensory perception and motor actions support understanding of words and object concepts. Moreover, even understanding of abstract and emotion concepts can be shown to rely on more concrete, embodied experiences. Finally, language itself can be shown to be grounded in sensorimotor processes. This book brings together theoretical arguments and empirical evidence from several key researchers in this field to support this framework.

About the Author
Diane Pecher is assistant professor at the Erasmus University Rotterdam (The Netherlands). She received a PhD from the University of Amsterdam in 1999. Her dissertation 'Dynamics of Semantic Memory' was supervised by Jeroen G. W. Raaijmakers. Her research is funded by a grant from the Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research (NWO).

Rolf A. Zwaan is Professor of Psychology at Florida State University. He received his PhD from Utrecht University, The Netherlands, in 1992 and is the author of over 60 scientific publications. His journal publications include articles in Psychological Science, Cognition, and Psychological Bulletin. His research is funded by grants from the National Institute of Health.

Figments of Reality: The Evolution of the Curious Mind by Ian Stewart

Product Description

Peppered with wit and controversial topics, this is a refreshing new look at the co-evolution of mind and culture. Bestselling authors Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen (The Collapse of Chaos, 1994) eloquently argue that our minds evolved within an inextricable link with culture and language. They go beyond conventional views of the function and purpose of the mind to look at the ways that the mind is the response of an evolving brain that is constantly adjusting to a complex environment. Along the way they develop new and intriguing insights into the nature of evolution, science, and humanity that will challenge conventional views on consciousness. The esteemed authors tantalize the reader with these bold new outlooks while putting a revolutionary spin on such classic philosophical problems as the nature of free will and the essence of humanity. This clearly written and enjoyable book will inspire any educated reader to critically evaluate the existing notions of the nature of the human mind.
Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #340646 in Books
* Published on: 1999-10-28
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Paperback
* 340 pages

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
In Figments of Reality, mathematician Ian Stewart and biologist Jack Cohen's thesis (or schtick) is that human minds are produced by complicity between human brains and culture. In their earlier book The Collapse of Chaos, Stewart and Cohen used the power of Humpty Dumpty to redefine complicity to mean properties that emerge from the mutual interaction of complex systems. "Our minds, our societies, our cultures, and our global multiculture, are all evolving within a reality that we mould in images of our own creation. We are a figment of reality--but reality is increasingly a figment of us."

Reality is not the only figment in the book. Stewart and Cohen use a group of eight "weird alien beings from the planet Zarathustra, resembling fluffy yellow ostriches but with much stranger habits" as a sounding board, as comedy relief, and as a philosophical-experimental playpen. To quote:

"Ringmaster: What is this?
Liar-to-children [=teacher]: A continuing educational narrative of some kind, Ringmaster. Based upon a revered/reviled (delete whichever is inapplicable) ancient text. [Watches the screen and interprets the tale that unfolds--a long and dramatic story of an exploding universe, elements born in stars, complex carbon-based molecular machines, a doubly-helical genetic molecule, the origins of life, evolution, sense organs, brains, minds, and intelligence.]
R: What a fascinating narrative.
LtC: And such a convincing story.
Destroyer-of-facts [=scientist]: Such vigor and power! Such unified scientific insight!
R: Not a word out of place, no loose ends--amazing!
ALL: [In unison] Must be wrong, then."

Read it and think, read it and giggle, read it and come back for more. At long last, a worthy successor to Gödel, Escher, Bach, updated, twisted, and put through a Monty Python filter.

From Library Journal
Mathematics and geometry professor Stewart, who writes the "mathematical recreations" column in Scientific American, and biologist Cohen are witty, erudite, clever, at times funny, and generally clearheaded in this rationalist's view of the universe and human evolution. Their thesis is that the human mind evolved in response to the complexity of the world and that language?and, indeed, culture?are inextricable parts of this process: there could be no mind without evolution but no evolution without mind. As is apparently mandatory in books on this subject, the authors include examples, anecdotes, and samples from literally every field of human and animal endeavor to illustrate, illuminate, and elucidate their thesis, making their case by seemingly having on hand millions of bits of information. A delightful but heavy read that is excellent for academic collections and general collections with a highly literate readership.?Mark L. Shelton, Univ. of Massachusetts Medical Ctr., Worcester
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"One of the most heartening and innovative books of the year...This kind of book explodes the notion of the imminent and final theory of everything; by the same token, it shows that the death of science has been greatly exaggerated." The Sunday Times of London

"[The authors] are witty, erudite, clever, and generally clear-headed in this rationalist's view of the universe and human evolution...delightful..." Library Journal

"It analyzes the evolution of mankind's consciousness from a new and intriguing perspective. It argues that the mind evolved in the context of culture and language, aiding survival in a complex and competitive world." Biology Digest

"The most thought-provoking book I've read all year." Terry Pratchett, author of the Discworld series

"A stimulating theory of how mind, consciousness, and culture have coevolved to create our species by two masters of informed, scientific speculation. Try it...you'll learn a lot. Who could ask for more?" John L. Casti, Santa Fe Institute and Technical University of Vienna, author of Would-Be Worlds

"Figments of Reality is highly recommended for college-level collections and any non-specialist general reader." Bookwatch

"A delightful read that is excellent for academic collections and general collections with a highly literate readership." Mark L. Shelton, Library Journal

"Stewart and Cohen show how intelligence and extelligence interact by way of language and how the end product formulates culture...the authors are quick-witted and provide a lively exposition." Science News

"While the subject matter is rather heady, the authors are quickwitted and provide a lively exposition." Science News Books

"It analyzes the evolution of mankind's consciousness from a new and intriguing perspective. It argues that the mind evolved in the context of culture and language, aiding survival in a complex and competitive world." Biology Digest
Customer Reviews

Evolution of mind and human culture4
While there is relatively little about the brain itself in this book, the authors do consider the importance of symmetries in neural processing. Thus, a discussion of the recognition of male and female faces takes advantage of an eigenvector (or eigenface) that embodies the difference between an average him and her. (Enthusiasts of the quantum mind approach to consciousness studies should note that such ideas are the coin of modern nonlinear science, and not at all dependent upon the extrapolation of quantum theory to the macroscopic world: a point that was clearly made by Niels Bohr back in 1933.)
Unfortunatly, there is no mention of recent research by Hermann Haken and his colleagues in connection with this work, although this sort of eigenvector analysis is closely related to ideas presented in his book Principles of Brain
Functioning (1996).

A short chapter on free will is interesting but ultimately somewhat disappointing because the authors seem to be sitting on both sides of the philosophical fence. Recognizing that the assumption of free will is necessary for the orderly functioning of any culture and scornful of the inflated claims of genetic determinists, they note that theoretical reasons can be imagined for anything that occurs. To me, at least, this is as true as it is unconvincing. It is always possible to cobble together some sort of explanation of whatever transpires after the fact. Does this imply that the future is determined by the present? What might such an assertion mean? This chapter ends with the statement: ``Therefore free will is not just an illusion: it is a figment rendered real by the evolutionary complicity of mind and culture'' (p.241). Maybe I am dense, but this doesn't mean much to me. Perhaps the authors would have been wiser to omit this chapter, admitting that they do not know what free will is.
Two final chapters deal with some of the details of our many interactions with the surrounding culture, noting that a very large amount of knowledge is presently available to us all through libraries, schools, theater, television, and more recently the World Wide Web. The first of these chapters, entitled Extelligence, considers in some detail the ever increasing pool of information in which we are embedded in by our technological culture. The authors consider their notion of extelligence to be somewhat different from (say) Karl Popper's World 3, because it involves complicit interactions with individuals in a culture. This is, in my view, such an extremely important aspect of the overall subject of consciousness studies, that it deserves a book of its own. Perhaps the authors will team up with an informed and imaginative ethnologist in the not too distant future and work on such a project. The last chapter - entitled ``Simplex, Complex, Multiplex'' - describes the relationships between the organization of biological cells and human social systems. From this perspective, the village is analogous to a bacterium, whereas a town is compared to an eukaryote, and a city to a multi-celled organism. The chapter title alludes to increasingly sophisticated ways that individuals have of perceiving the intricacy of their social environments in a human culture.

Alwyn Scott
http://personal.riverusers.com/~rover/

Life, consciousness, mind, and reality explained5
How does life arise from inanimate matter? How does consciousness arise from life? Is consciousness of the universe an illusion? Or is mind itself an illusion?

The British authors of this book are a mathematician and biologist pair who boldly tackle these classic questions in philosophy with some original approaches. Maintaining that life, consciousness, and culture cannot understood by reducing them to the material elements from which they arise, the authors deftly develop a set of interesting concepts. Some of these are not especially original, but they are presented in an unusual light particularly as the authors ably illustrate them with very accessible descriptions of complex biochemical pathways of living matter.

A key concept is that of emergence - well established in philosophy and roughly equated to the popular idea of the whole being more than the sum of its parts. The authors couple this concept with one of their own - complicity, or the interaction of different things which lead them to become entirely new things. A third, among several others, is that of extelligence which arises from the interaction of the intellegences of individuals and is rooted in human culture. Using these and other concepts, the book, which is at the nexus of science and philosophy, seeks to explain how life, consciousness, culture, and reality arise and the relationship between them.

Be prepared to wade through these pages slowly to enjoy the masterful exposition of this book. Or, if you find this tedious, enjoy the elegant prose which uses the lens of science and philosophy to describe events which we might normally frame in different language. In the four-page prologue, a graphic sequence of events unfolds which chart the creation of the universe to the emergence of the symbolic literary creatures which constitute the human species: QUOTE Fifteen thousand million years ago the universe was no bigger than the dot at the end of this sentence......today, the two descendants of those tiny creatures are busy delineating their own limited version of the entire story in strange, angular geometric symbols impressed in contrasting pigment upon sheets of impressed white vegetable matter. UNQUOTE

Having long forgotten more than half the courses I took in college, this book allowed me to relive and reinforce the pleasures of two wonderful philosophy seminars - on theories of mind and philosophy of science. Expect, if you get through the book cover to cover, to see the world a little differently from when you start at the prologue.

Gets one thinking along new channels.5
Okay, okay, I admit it; I should never argue with Steven Haines about a book. I had first discovered the title Figments of Reality while reading another author. When I finally got the book, though, I discovered that I really couldn't get into it, but Steven Haines' review was so enthusiastic

Qualitative Research in Psychology: Expanding Perspectives in Methodology and Design

Product Description

Qualitative Research in Psychology brings together a diverse group of scholars who share valuable qualitative research techniques and rich case examples. Qualitative methodologies and the different paradigms which guide them can be seen as both an alternative and complementary approach to quantification and positivism in social, personality, developmental, health, clinical, counseling, community and school psychology. Qualitative methodology seen as an alternative approach seeks to answer questions that cannot be answered through quantification, random sampling, probability testing and other measures, which seek to control the environment of the participant. Viewed as a complementary approach to research, qualitative methodology can be utilized alongside quantitative methods, bringing a new depth and richness to data analysis. The wide variety of innovative techniques and theoretical perspectives offered in this volume will challenge readers to think about and expand on their understanding of qualitative research and its continually emerging applications.
Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #215684 in Books
* Published on: 2003-01
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Hardcover
* 315 pages

Editorial Reviews

Book Info
Columbia College, Chicago, IL. Text presents an integration of qualitative methods into academic and applied psychology. Also presents a compilation of material from experts with a variety of psychological perspectives who are establishing and using qualitative methods. Focuses on the benefits and limitations of both qualitative and quantative approaches.
Customer Reviews

Long Overdue5
Psychological research has veered away from qualitative design, often because the methodologies have been misunderstood. Dr. Camic and his colleagues offer us a great deal in this book. Chapters talk about both attitude and strategies. Some are familiar methods, others are newer. It is an essential book for students and researchers, and I hope it will bring more psychologists back to qualitative work.

Basic Concepts in Kabbalah by Rav Michael Laitman PhD

Product Description

By reading in this book, one develops internal observations and approaches that did not previously exist within. This book is intended for contemplation of spiritual terms. To the extent that we are integrated with these terms, we begin to unveil the spiritual structure that surrounds us, almost as if a mist had been lifted.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #515880 in Books
Published on: 2006-06-15
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
112 pages
Customer Reviews

Basically Complete
'Basic Concepts in Kabbalah' provides the reader with an inner observation of each concept presented for authentic study of Kabbalah. One reading of the book and you'll find yourself returning to these topics and terms again and again -- each time receiving a clearer sense of what already surrounds us, yet only needing us to perceive it.

Brain Repair

Product Description

Sixty years ago, the Nobel laureate Santiago Ramon y Cajal stated that "in the adult brain, nervous pathways are fixed and immutable; everything may die, nothing may be regenerated." Cajal's influence has been legendary--and conventional wisdom still holds that the human brain cannot repair
itself. Today, however, remarkable discoveries from laboratories around the world offer a much more optimistic prognosis. In Brain Repair, three internationally renowned neuroscientists team up to offer an intriguing and up-to-the-minute introduction to the explosive advances being made in the
research, technology, and treatment of brain damage.
The key to neuroscience's most exciting discoveries to date is a theory that is rapidly gaining adherents in the scientific community--the theory of neuroplasticity. Unlike the prevalent notion that mental processes--like seeing, remembering, and speaking--take place only within highly specialized
brain regions made up of irreplaceable and non-regenerating cells, neuroplasticity stresses that cells throughout the brain can not only regenerate, but can adapt their function to assume critical roles once performed by damaged tissue. In clear, accessible language, the authors show us that the
brain manufactures a host of complex chemicals that actually foster growth in damaged brain cells. We visit the laboratories where researchers are untangling the mystery of Parkinson's disease and trying to understand what goes wrong in stroke victims, and why some, thought permanently impaired,
show remarkable improvements. In addition, they discuss how even today misguided ideas can adversely affect how physicians treat patients--for example, they describe common drug treatments given to stroke and head trauma patients that can actually worsen the effects of brain damage. And, along the
way, they detail the fascinating history of how brain structure and functioning has been understood and studied, from prehistoric times to the present.
Over a half million people each year suffer brain-damaging injuries and diseases--but the outlook for their eventual recovery is far more hopeful than it was just a short while ago. A best-selling volume in France and Mexico, Brain Repair provides a vividly written, wide-ranging look at the leading
edge of one of science's most exciting frontiers.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #781742 in Books
Published on: 1997-08-07
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
176 pages
Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Justifiable optimism is the theme of this carefully thought-out, clearly written book. Stein and his colleagues survey the growth of knowledge about the brain, its injuries and diseases; examine current approaches to the repair of those traumas and the rehabilitation and retraining of their sufferers; and discuss procedures of examination and diagnosis. Emphasizing Nobel laureate Santiago Ramon y Cajal's refusal to consider brain regeneration as a possibility, they show how this attitude has limited the possibilities for innovative research and treatment; many years of poor communication between laboratory researchers and practicing clinicians have compounded that situation. Citing specific examples of diseases and trauma, the authors show how vital psychosocial factors are for both the present and the future of successful treatment. Professional and lay readers alike should ponder this pioneering book. William Beatty

Midwest Book Review
Doctors are commonly taught that brain damage is irreversible: the authors maintain that brain cells can regenerate, and can adapt to compensate for damage. Chapters explore new advancements in brain research and the treatment of brain damage, offering hope based on new theories of recovery.

Review
" ... This book should be on the "must-have" list of anyone interested in biological psychiatry ... as a summation of major research work in the last 50 years, this book is a bargain." Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience (1999)

"...these 3 prominent neuroscientists have marshalled a vast accumulation of knowledge....This book should be on the 'must-have' list of anyone interested in biological psychiatry....as a summation of major research work in the last 50 years, this book is a bargain....buy it."--Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience

"The authors have done a marvelous job of summarizing the vast amount of literature related to this subject and describing it in accessible language. Many interested laypersons will find the content both fascinating and helpful in better understanding the brain."--The New England Journal of Medicine

"A unique account of recent research on the variables that influence regeneration and recovery of function in the nervous system after brain damage."--Choice

"Justifiable optimism is the theme of this carefully thought-out, clearly written book. Stein and his colleagues survey the growth of knowledge about the brain, its injuries and diseases; examine current approaches to the repair of those traumas and the rehabilitation and retraining of their sufferers; and discuss procedures of examination and diagnosis....Professional and lay readers alike should ponder this pioneering book."--Booklist
Customer Reviews

A wonderfully insightful book
Although I read this book for a class I was fascinated by it. Regardless of your level of expertise this is a great book. Dr. Stein's book provides an insight into the field of brain repair that is quite unique. It presents a history of brain repair and the current status of it as well as future issues that plague such research. Well written and provides a gateway to future reading. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Uncommon Therapy: The Psychiatric Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, M.D. by Jay Haley

Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #27829 in Books
* Published on: 1993-04
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Paperback
* 313 pages

Customer Reviews

Interesting and informative5

Highly recommended reading for anyone who wants to gain a basic understanding of how hypnosis works.

This is a great book for anyone who has been influenced unconsciously by this type of hypnosis. Particularly for those who have been involved with a cult leader or guru (Byron Katie, for example) who uses these methods to bypass their victims conscious mind and rational thought, in order to influence and control their behavior, thoughts, etc. This book is non-technical and non-specific enough to help victims of mind control identify methods used to persuade them, and to take control of their own lives again.

Very interesting and enlightening read.

Milton Erickson, Where are you now that I need you?4
Extremely interesting portrait of Milton Erickson highlighted by many case studies that are fascinating. Very informative and enjoyable. For those of you who have an interest in psychology and are tired of reading variations of the same idea, give Dr. Erickson a shot. His methods at times are hilarious, yet effective. Entertaining, informative, enlightening. I hope he takes my insurance.

A Useful Book5
Uncommon Therapy is a good survey of Dr. Milton Erickson's approach to therapy. The book consists of stories from Erickson's case files along with an explanation of the approach that Erickson took. This book is potentially useful for anyone who has problems and wishes to solve them as the techniques could be applied on a personal level. The people who should be interested in reading this book are the professionals who wish vary their and customize their approach to their patients.

My interest in the book was to find out more about Erickson and his therapeutic techniques that I could apply in my own life. It succeeded in satisfying both my aims. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book.

Essentials of Psychological Testing by Susana Urbina

Product Description

An excellent primer on the key concepts of psychometrics

Essentials of Psychological Testing surveys the basic principles of psychometrics, supplies the information needed to understand and evaluate tests, and introduces readers to the major contemporary reference works in the field. It is the only book to provide such a thorough and up-to-date overview of psychometrics in an engaging, accessible format.

As part of the Essentials of Behavioral Science series, this book offers an overview of the most relevant psychometric concepts and techniques that provides the foundation necessary for knowledgeable, informed practice. Each concise chapter features numerous callout boxes highlighting key concepts, bulleted points, and extensive illustrative material, as well as "Test Yourself" questions that help to gauge and reinforce readers' grasp of the information covered.

Starting with a basic introduction to psychological tests, their historical development, and their uses, Essentials of Psychological Testing also covers the statistical procedures most frequently used in testing, the frames of reference for score interpretation, reliability, validity, and test item considerations, as well as guidelines for test selection, administration, scoring, and reporting test results. Whether as an orientation for those new to the field, a refresher for those already acquainted with it, or as a reference for seasoned clinicians, Essentials of Psychological Testing is an invaluable resource on the fundamentals of this evolving area of practice.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #329618 in Books
Published on: 2004-07-26
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
336 pages
Editorial Reviews

Review
“…a core reading material for everyone embarking on an effort or a course to learn what is and how to do psychological testing.” (PSYPAG – Psychology Postgraduate Affairs Group, No.54. March 2005)

Download Description
Packaged in the popular Essentials format, this book introduces the fundamental information needed to understand this vastly complex, technical, and dynamic field. Its unique coverage of psychometrics basics is broad and presented in an engaging style.

About the Author
Susana Urbina, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at the University of North Florida, Jacksonville. She is the coauthor of the seventh edition of Anne Anastasi’s classic text Psychological Testing (Prentice Hall).
Customer Reviews

Excellent book.
This book should be required for every School Psychology student. It has all the basics for testing. I definitely see myself using it as a reference throughout the rest of my graduate career and my career in the field.