Book Description
The brain is a fearsomely complex information-processing environment--one that often eludes our ability to understand it. At any given time, the brain is collecting, filtering, and analyzing information and, in response, performing countless intricate processes, some of which are automatic, some voluntary, some conscious, and some unconscious. Cognitive neuroscience is one of the ways we have to understand the workings of our minds. It's the study of the brain biology behind our mental functions: a collection of methods--like brain scanning and computational modeling--combined with a way of looking at psychological phenomena and discovering where, why, and how the brain makes them happen. Want to know more? Mind Hacks is a collection of probes into the moment-by-moment works of the brain. Using cognitive neuroscience, these experiments, tricks, and tips related to vision, motor skills, attention, cognition, subliminal perception, and more throw light on how the human brain works. Each hack examines specific operations of the brain. By seeing how the brain responds, we pick up clues about the architecture and design of the brain, learning a little bit more about how the brain is put together. Mind Hacks begins your exploration of the mind with a look inside the brain itself, using hacks such as "Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Turn On and Off Bits of the Brain" and "Tour the Cortex and the Four Lobes." Also among the 100 hacks in this book, you'll find:
- Release Eye Fixations for Faster Reactions
- See Movement When All is Still
- Feel the Presence and Loss of Attention
- Detect Sounds on the Margins of Certainty
- Mold Your Body Schema
- Test Your Handedness
- See a Person in Moving Lights
- Make Events Understandable as Cause-and-Effect
- Boost Memory by Using Context
- Understand Detail and the Limits of Attention
Steven Johnson, author of "Mind Wide Open" writes in his foreword to the book, "These hacks amaze because they reveal the brain's hidden logic; they shed light on the cheats and shortcuts and latent assumptions our brains make about the world." If you want to know more about what's going on in your head, then Mind Hacks is the key--let yourself play with the interface between you and the world.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting but disappointed.......2007-07-02
Learning about the mind is okay, but I didn't learn anything that I hadn't seen in Psych 101, and a few interesting articles later on.
Calling it a "hacks" book is false advertising, at best. Should it make it to another printing, I would hope O'Reilly would rename it.
The information seemed accurate, so I'll give it that.
Mind hacks.......2007-02-13
This is a really great book. More novelty than improvement, but still great. If you're looking for something that will be useful as well as attention grabbing then look for the second edition; "Mind Performance Hacks"
Not really a "hacks" book.......2006-11-02
I was sorely disappointed in this book--I checked it out from the local library and hoped that it would actually live up to the subtitle of including tips and tools for using my brain. It didn't; the few "tips" included were those that are found in virtually every other discussion of how to improve memory.
This book is more geared toward folks who are designing user interfaces--it talks about how the brain processes information (and thus describes ways to improve information conveyance).
Mind Hacks: Tips & Tools for Using Your Brain.......2006-07-25
It's a book very interested about language in mind and speech comprehension. I read a short comment in BBC Focus magazine and I wish to read because it's very easy to learn the misteries of mind in cognitive science applied to language and psichology.
A fun book.......2006-04-30
It is not a typical "hacks" book in that it does not tell you how to utilize you brain more effectively or do neat things. It *does* have a lot of exercises that show you cool things on how your brain works with sections describing how your brain works - and a number of experiments (blind spot, Magnet interaction with the brain, word parsing in the the mind, and so on). This book goes very well with a recent title called _Mind Wide Open_ by Steven Johnson.
If you want traditional "hacks" the book "Mind Performance Hacks" just came out, and is chock full of those sorts of experiments, while less informative, does do things like memory tricks, meath calculation, creativity enhancement and so on.
I view "Mind Hacks" as more informative, though, so would recommend this as the first one to get, though the next purchase in this should be the "Mind Performance Hacks."
Book Description
The Object-Oriented Thought Process, Second Edition will lay the foundation in object-oriented concepts and then explain how various object technologies are used. Author Matt Weisfeld introduces object-oriented concepts, then covers abstraction, public and private classes, reusing code, and devloping frameworks. Later chapters cover building objects that work with XML, databases, and distributed systems (including EJBs, .NET, Web Services and more).Throughout the book Matt uses UML, the standard language for modeling objects, to provide illustration and examples of each concept.
Download Description
The Object-Oriented Thought Process is a concise and readable primer. Matt Weisfeld's years of programming, teaching, and writing have given him a flair for presenting highly technical topics in a clear and interesting manner. He is able to blend abstract concepts with ingenious examples and clear illustrations to quickly teach powerful OOP techniques. The code examples are written in Java and UML but are designed in such a way that a reader with no previous experience will still understand them. The Object-Oriented Thought Process is a clear and accessible alternative to the often dry and overly dense books available on the market today.
Customer Reviews:
Just great!.......2007-06-29
This book is the OOP concepts starting point with clear definitions of oop terms and practices. Just don't try to get into oop without getting the idea first.
Only explanation of OOP that made sense to me.......2007-05-21
I am a relative newcomer to object-oriented programming (OOP), though I am an experienced programmer in non-OOP languages (Fortran 90, IDL). I've had several people try to explain to me what OOP is and isn't, but thier explanations never made sense. I picked this book up and read it and everything clicked the first time through. The author does a great job of explaining OOP and why it is important.
I highly recommend reading this book cover-to-cover BEFORE learning an OOP language. And, although the examples all use Java code and I was learning Ruby, I found that it didn't matter. So, don't think you have to know or be learning Java to get something from this book.
Excellent Book.......2007-05-14
This is an excellent book. Its perfect for anybody looking for a book to get a little further insight into how object oriented concepts are used. I have read a few reference books that describe object oriented concepts such as classes, interfaces, objects, ect. And although they explain the concepts and how to code them they do not go to far in regards to the underlining meaning of the concepts and how they all fit together or how to use them. This is what the books about.
A big picture book: OT concepts not just syntax.......2007-03-24
If you're looking for detailed coverage of UML, Java or C# syntax, you should look elsewhere. However, if you are looking for a conceptual description of OT (object technologies) then this is definitely the book for you.
This book starts at a very high level, and for the most part stays there. This book will be a good starting point if you learn best by studying high-level concepts first, then delving into detail later. If you like all the nitty-gritty detail first, then save this book for later when you are tying everything together into the big-picture.
This book falls into the big-picture category. It provides a wonderful foundation of not just HOW but more importantly WHY. It covers all the significant OT topics such as Encapsulation, Inheritance vs. Composition, Polymorphism, Inheritance, Interface, etc. etc.
The key with this book is it doesn't get lost in the details. Instead it uses just the right amount to go along with the powerful concepts being presented.
This is a must have for software developers.......2007-03-11
Many people think they learned Object-Oriented development in school or on their own, but most of these people are mistaken. Here's a quick test - what is it? If you said anything along the lines of "a way of programming ..." or worse yet quoted the four buzzwords, then there's a good chance you could learn from this book. Object-Oriented development is most fundamentally a way of designing software, and as such a way of thinking. One the design is done (properly), the programming aspects are mostly straightforward.
This book is the best I have seen at explaining that thought process, why it came about, and what benefits it can provide. As a software development manager, I have recommended this book to numerous staff who were able to learn from it.
Customer Reviews:
THE BOOK on data modelling.......2007-04-26
In his own data modeling consulting, David Hay discovered that for all enterprises, there were common patterns of entities and relationships in various topical areas, whatever the organization. So he set about capturing those ideas in very high-level data models, and he put them together in a book.
This book is quite an intellectual accomplishment, because he has boiled down many different areas into their essentials and has captured those essentials. If you face a data modelling problem, it's likely that one or more of his patterns will work for you and jump-start your efforts.
These are high level models, and don't take you all the way to database design. You'll still have a lot of design decisions to make. But the framework given in these models will help you explore your own problem to discover if you've covered all the eventualities that Mr. Hay considered in his work.
Good introduction to data modelling.......2006-11-07
If you have any interest in modelling domains, then you've probably already read, or are planning to read, Martin Fowler's Analysis Patterns. The models here share some overlap with that book, but this is a gentler introduction, so I would recommend this book for a beginner, before they read the Fowler book. A more experienced modeller should probably consider this as a catalogue of off-the-shelf models.
This book covers modelling enterprises - e.g. businesses and government agencies, and the relationships between their employees, organisational structures and the products and services they provide.
The fundamental models applicable to enterprises are covered here: the business itself, its employees and their positions; the products they produce and the equipment used to produce them; the activities carried out to produce the products; and the contracts between a buyer and seller that deliver the products and services. Later chapters cover some more specific examples, including accounting, laboratories, and manufacturing.
It is true that the models aren't very detailed, but that's the point of the book - for pretty much any enterprise, these models can be used as starting points, while covering most of the relationships that are likely to be encountered. It's true that you won't get any advice on actually converting the models to a database or an object oriented design, but that's beyond the scope of the book.
While an expert modeller won't find the in-depth treatment they might be looking for, I would definitely recommend this to a beginner. Unfortunately, there's no insight into the process of decomposing a domain, although the last chapter demonstrates wide applicability of the models by applying them to a theatre. What you do get are lots of simple examples of the finished output, which will provide inspiration, even if you have no particular interest in the enterprise domain itself.
From Starters to Main Course.......2006-03-05
Very satisfying reading experience. Starting off rudimentary and keying into a maturity withing 5 chapters - hats off to David.
I am looking forward to his new book on meta data.
Potentially valuable, but primarily as a reference........2005-06-01
I've done some data modeling, and much more process modeling, so I was familiar with Mr. Hay's objectives with respect to data and restricting the model to logical representations of data, whatever that may be.
About six chapters into this book, I realize that while I could continue through to the end, I would likely find this more useful as a companion to a problem. I think the majority of non-academic readers, software practitioners if you will, will extract the necessary value from owning this book given a specific objective, i.e. I have to develop a work management model from scratch, and these are my (current) business rules.
The book covers so many kinds of models that it's entirely possible a reader will have no practical frame of reference, such as the chapter on accounting. Modern accounting software is primarily off-the-shelf, so developing a data model for it isn't something very common today. However, the smart developer understands that living "in the spaces between" software is a very good line of business, so to that end knowing what an ideal data model might have is certainly valuable ammunition when weighing vendor claims and evaluating solutions.
Because it lacks that sort of accessible readability, I am withholding a star. I'd have withheld a half-star if it were possible; I believe the book has great value to a developer or analyst.
Fred
Learn to think like a data modeler.......2005-02-26
I can understand why this book has gotten some mixed reviews. The author addresses many common modeling problems. But readers looking for instant solutions to those problems will probably be disappointed. Those looking for oop patterns are reading the wrong book. And anyone looking for a beginner's introduction to data modeling will be completely lost. But if you've been feeling as if your database designs could be better, but you're not sure how, you need this book.
Mr. Hay covers many real-world modeling problems. His discussions of these problems give incredible insight into the thought process of a professional data modeler. That is the true value of this book.
I first read this book about three years ago and now I am totally embarrassed by every database I created before. I've re-read it many times since and my copy is beaten and dog-eared. Thankfully, it's a hardcover book.
Make sure you read all the footnotes in the book. Some of them are hysterically funny.
Book Description
His vision changed our world. But in this monumental work Bill Gates argues that the capabilities of computers, software, and networks are only beginning to be harnessedand that your company must start building a modern, digital nervous system now in order to compete quickly and intuitively in the new millennium. Here, one of the worlds most successful, strategically-thinking CEOs explains how to turn your hardware and software into a powerful, evolving network of information by looking at the digital systems in place at Microsoft and other leading corporations.
Customer Reviews:
Information velocity.......2007-09-16
In fifteen months we will reach Bill Gates' proposed milestone (10 years) of an era where information velocity, and our ability to deal with it at 'The speed of thought' will make or break any business. The tech-bubble crash has certainly dampened the progress, but the book is nonetheless undeniably relevant - arguably even more so in today's fast-paced world. Companies such as Wal-Mart, Mark & Spencer, FedEx and many others are prime examples of lessons well learned. Don't be left in the dust, build your own digital nervous system before it is too late.
Lessons Learned.......2007-09-04
I wished I read the book in the late 90s. Most of what Bill Gates said is true today.
The Bible: by Bill Gates........2007-04-12
I have been a software engineer for over 10 years now and have been a paperless office evangelist from the get go. Bill Gates takes you not only into the inner workings of his passion, the "Digital Nervous System" but also some of the inner workings of Microsoft® and the business model of Dell® computers.
I love Microsoft® and their technologies and I have read everyhting that I can possibly get my hands on from Bill Gates and by far this is the best. It doesn't matter if you're pro Gates or not, this book is not technology specific. It's about having the ability to make good and bad news travel quickly into the decision makers hands in an effort to become pro-active rather than re-active. I have been preaching this for years.
I keep a copy with me at work and talk about it to anyone who will listen and if you're a technology evangelist as well this is a MUST have for your library.
Now, if I can only get Bill to sign it...
Information Technology.......2005-03-31
Gates tells how organizations should use their I.T. departments. More importantly, Gates tells how Microsoft uses I.T. If you want your organization to succeed, read this book.
This was a great improvement over Gates' earlier book, The Road Ahead.
A must read for future Software Billionaires.......2005-03-30
Business @ the Speed of Thought: Succeeding in the Digital Economy
by Bill Gates
When it comes to producing results, Bill Gates takes the cake. As founder of Microsoft; Gates is in a unique and powerful position to not only prognosticate, but he has the power to boldly shape the future. Like him or not, Gates deeply understands business, and particularly the software industry. Therefore I submit that it is wise to listen to what he says about the future. Digital convergence is in the air, shaping the very world around us. Bill Gates analyzes the consequences of the release of technology onto the economy and society at large. Gates makes it clear that the digital revolution takes no prisoners and that you must adapt to the unescapable digital revolution, or die.
Business @ the Speed of Thought is broken down into 23 chapters in 6 sections
I - Information Flow Is Your Lifeblood
II - Commerce: The Internet Changes Everything
III - Manage Knowledge To Improve Strategic Thought
IV - Bring Insight To Business Operations
V - Special Enterprises
VI - Expect The Unexpected
Business @ the Speed of Thought is an exciting read that will inspire you to take on the world. Gates makes it clear that we're near the beginning of a great revolution. If you think about it, the PC is fairly new and the Internet is in its absolute infancy. In fact, we're just beginning to discover what the computer can do for us. Gates says, and I certainly agree, that there will be many more billionaires created in the next generation.
- Excerpted from a more complete review in the March issue of Byvation
Average customer rating:
- "Daydreaming..." documents a milestone in AI research.
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Daydreaming in Humans and Machines: A Computer Model of the Stream of Thought
Erik T. Mueller
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Commonsense Reasoning
ASIN: 0893915629 |
Customer Reviews:
"Daydreaming..." documents a milestone in AI research........1996-06-21
Based on work done by Mueller and colleagues at UCLA in the
late 1980's, "Daydreaming..." describes the development and
operation of a novel type of artifical intelligence program known as
"DAYDREAMER". The program simulates the "daydreams" of a young female living
and working the Los Angeles area. With its special emphasis on
the endless internal dialoque we all carry on within our
minds, the program worries about earthquakes, getting a
date with Harrison Ford, and buying sunglasses, among other
things. The output is surprisingly coherent, and an
examination of the software gives somes very interesting
insight into the role that emotions play in the guidance of
our daydream thoughts. Moreover, with the creation of the DAYDREAMER
program, Mueller may have come closer to the realization of
Artificial Intelligence than one might surmise from the
title alone. Written more in the style of a light technical
reference than a typical scientific research work,
"Daydreaming..." presents the reader with a step-by-step
account of the development, testing, and operation of the
software. Example program fragments are included to help
illustrate key points, which is unusual for a book of this
type. Perhaps more interesting than its content is the lack
of interest in Mueller's work shown by the AI research
community, which is a shame, since DAYDREAMER illustrates
for the first time some of the inner workings of the
private corners of cognition. Highly recommended for
anyone interested in AI and cognitive psychology.
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Handbook Of Environmental And Ecological Modeling (Environmental & Ecological (Math) Modeling)
S.E. JORGENSEN
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
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With descriptions of hundreds of the most important environmental and ecological models, this handbook is a unique and practical reference source. The Handbook of Environmental and Ecological Modeling is ideal for those working in environmental modeling, including regulators and managers who wish to understand the models used to make assessments. Overviews of more than 360 models are easily accessed in this handbook, allowing readers to quickly locate information they need about models available in a given ecosystem. The material in the Handbook of Environmental and Ecological Modeling is logically arranged according to ecosystem. Each of the sixteen chapters of the handbook covers a particular ecosystem, and includes not only the descriptions of the models, but also an overview of the state-of-the-art in modeling for that particular ecosystem. A summary of the spectrum of available models is also provided in each chapter. The extensive table of contents and the easy-to-use index put materials immediately at your fingertips.
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Computation in Cells and Tissues: Perspectives and Tools of Thought (Natural Computing Series)
R. Ed. Paton
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Cellular Computing (Series in Systems Biology)
ASIN: 3540003584 |
Book Description
This book deals with key issues in the emerging interdisciplinary area involving cellular systems, computational modelling, and biologically inspired computing. This highly multidisciplinary book offers a unique blend of topical contributions that are written by biologists, computer scientists and mathematicians with non-expert readers in mind. It reflects important trends and developments in this exciting field of science.
The volume can serve as a textbook and reference book for advanced students and computer scientists, biologists, and mathematicians.
Book Description
The Internet played a pivotal role in some of the most memorable instances of political activism in recent years. 1999's "Battle of Seattle" saw more than 70,000 protestors come together by means of online organizing to take on the World Trade Organization. Similar ad hoc groups were assembled largely with the aid of decentralized online information sites at the April 2000 World Bank protests in Washington, D.C.; at the Republican and Democratic Convention demonstrations; at George W. Bush's inauguration; and most recently at the World Economic Forum protests in New York. Cyberactivism is a timely collection of essays examining the growing importance of online activism. The contributors show how online activists have not only incorporated recent technology as a tool for change, but also how they have changed the meaning of activism, what community means, and how they conceive of collective identity and democratic change. Topics addressed range from the Zapatista movement's use of the web to promote their cause globally to the establishment of alternative media sources like indymedia.org to the direct action of "hacktivists" who disrupt commercial computer networks. Cyberactivism is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the impact of the Internet on politics today.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Illustrations of Internet Activism in Use.......2004-03-22
If books like Howard Rheingold's Smart Mobs but found it to be a little too thin on examples of actual application, this book would provide excellent follow-up reading. CyberActivisim: Online Activism in Theory and Practice is a comprehensive collection of eleven research articles that includes such diverse topics as captology (use of computers in persuasion), online communities, Cyberprotesting, "Social" network analysis of activist organizations reachable via the Internet, and the influence of online interaction on identity and collective identity.
If none of the subject areas just mentioned sound familiar to you, then this book isn't for you. I'd recommend a combination of the Rheingold book mentioned above along with the Duncan J. Watts book, Six Degrees.
The various research articles are authored by independent authors and vary considerably in quality of information and quality of presentation. Overall, the collective quality of the information in this book is excellent and there are only two or three articles that don't quite measure up to the standards of the rest of the articles. I was quite impressed with the breadth of subject matter covered in this book. The chapter on use of public domain pollution statistics for persuading online visitors to take action against environmental pollution was a particularly intriguing study illustrating the still obscure field of captology in encouraging activism.
This book is a must read for every sub-academic devotee to the fields of social networks, online communities, and online activism.
Community, Collaboration, and the Free Exchange of Ideas.......2004-03-15
Cyberactivism: Online Activism in Theory and Practice illuminates many current vectors in online activism, never losing sight of the big picture. Martha McCaughy and Michael D. Ayers have assembled a stellar collection of scholarly essays. Sitting at the intersection of virtual and corporeal, theory and praxis, Cyberactivism observes the brief history, the current actions, and the future implications of online activism.
Dorothy Kidd uncovers the rise of Indymedia.org as a new communications commons. Sandor Vegh attempts to classify forms of online activism, and in doing so, provides a great overview of recent cyber actions worldwide. Lee Salter evokes Jürgen Habermas to analyze democracy and new social movements in light of the internet. Michael D. Ayers compares online and offline collective identities in feminist activists, while Joshua Gamson does the same for gay media. This far-reaching collection takes a serious look at the internet's overall impact on activism, its ramifications for specific groups, and its potential for the future of all concerned.
As Cyberactivism proves over and over in earnest, online activism isn't just about defacing corporate websites. It's about community, collaboration, and the free exchange of ideas -- three core ideals we could all do well to hold on to.
Book Description
This book will help you learn to recognize and create the three vital elements of producing top-quality recordings - a great song, a great performance of that song, and a great sound. Olsen shares his expertise on musical themes, performance, arrangement and musical trends. Then he takes you into the recording studio, with discussions of microphone placement, drum recording, acoustic and electric guitar, monitor speakers, and the pros and cons of building a home studio. After you've mastered those concepts, you will learn about the more technical nuts and bolts of producing, the vibe in the studio, and of course the engineering aspects, including the use of effects, the spectrum of sound, and mixing. Finally, you need to know your path through advertising and legal matters for your productions, and Olsen does not disaapoint, demystifying promotion, royalties and copyrights, pirating and intellectual property rights. In short, this comprehensive guide is your key to the world of producing quality products!
Customer Reviews:
a little of everything and not MUCH of anything.......2007-10-01
At least the title is really not decieving. "Thoughts" is pretty accurate. Not much in the way of info, except maybe some mic techniques.
It just seemed more like a bragging rights book - throwing 'insider' words at you while explaining what you would already know if you knew those words. Well actually, not much was explained, just hinted at.
Pretend you're a well respected producer who's 'in the know' with all the shortcut terminology, and you get together with another of the same background and chew the fat, tossing the latest hip vernacular back and forth over a few drinks. Man oh man do you feel cool.
A bad read, with few insights........2007-06-27
Two words of advice for anyone contemplating buying this book: don't... DON'T.
There may be some good ideas buried in here and I'm sure author Keith Olsen is a talented music producer, but he should not be writing books. (Even the title is poorly worded: anyone think "Creating Music: A Producer's Thoughts" might have rolled off the tongue a bit more easily?)
I'm equally sure the talented editors at Thomson Course Technology tried to make it a smoother read, but they must have been so exhausted by the first editing round that they had no energy left for the rest of the misspellings, sophomoric prose and howling grammatical errors. It even appears as if Olsen has commas and periods mixed up.
And what about those creative insights? The brave souls who do succeed in hacking their way through the thicket of bad language will be rewarded with such pedestrian gems as: "It's much more important to have a great part played well than a poor part not played very well..." Really, he wrote that.
The middle section -- at 75 pages it forms the bulk of this 118-page book -- is the most disappointing. Here Olsen delves into the recording and mixing processes, subjects treated in much greater depth and with far more clarity in many other well-known professional books, periodicals and websites. (Even this book's one truly useful item, a musical frequency chart, turns out to have been lifted [with proper credit, at least] from an old issue of Stereo Review.)
Chatty and anecdotal in the early pages, Olsen abruptly shifts styles in these middle chapters and becomes Mr. Engineer: "Say for instance you have a lot of input level (about a -10db average); you set the gain of this first stage mic preamp at medium (about +20db) and you push the fader up to '0.' What's happening to the transients? Now you add +5db at 1500 Hz and wonder why it sounds a bit clipped or just a bit scratchy." Nothing wrong with any of that, you'd say. Except that nowhere does Olsen bother to define db or Hz or transients or clipping, or even faders -- not in the main text; not in the criminally incomplete glossary. Woe be unto the recording studio neophyte, for whom the book ostensibly was written.
Perhaps the saddest commentary is that the highlight of this sloppily thrown together work is the well-worn but still funny Blind Rabbit/Blind Snake joke. It can be found, strangely enough, in the glossary.
a fresh and honest outlook from one of the biggest producers in history .......2006-11-15
" A Music Producer's Thought to Create By" gives the reader a fresh and honest outlook from one of the biggest producers in history on the aspects of recording in a home studio; starting with the conception of the idea, all the way through to the final mix. It has helped me to better understand the technical recording process and serves as a wonderful reminder to first and foremost; always focus on the creative.
Sarah Montes
Get This Book - Thank Me Later. By Joe Solo.......2006-10-25
Keith Olsen's insights into the realities of the music busines are downright hilarious, frank and...well, insightful.
When reading this book, you will get the perspective of one of the most respected music industry acheivers without any of the sugar coating that is typical with entertainment industry writings. He tells it like it is, often lacing his point with very humerous anecdotes where the names have NOT been changed to protect the innocent. In fact, he points out that there are no innocent in this industry.
Keith will inspire you to constantly think "outside the box." He emphasizes music, spirit and creativity over technological engineering chops. These are important lessons to learn for anyone who has an interest in finding out what goes on under the hood of making records that have long standing relevancy.
As a songwriter and producer, I have created a few platinum records myself- thank you for your invaluable thoughts, Keith.
Get this book- and you can thank me later.
A must read for anyone into production and producing!.......2006-04-10
I've read a several more expensive books that didn't deliver anywhere near the amount of practical information as Keith Olsen's book A Music Producer's Thoughts to Create By. This is actually the first book I've seen that explains in plain english how to produce. I felt I had received my monies worth after getting midway through the first chapter.
Whether you're an aspiring artist, songwriter, producer or engineer headed for the studio you owe it to yourself and your art to read this book first... not just because you'll discover what a really competent producer does. Rather for the money-in-the-bank bonus. That being some of Olsen's best production techniques which he's used on countless million selling albums gleaned from a stellar studio career that began nearly 40 years ago. To me, you just can't go wrong with that kind of sage-like wisdom dispensed by a man who has obviously delivered the goods consistently for decades.
Average customer rating:
- Turned My Head Inside Out
- More difficult than it seems at first glance...
- Mindful learning leads to mindful teaching
- The Onslaught will Follow
- Challenging typical thinking about learning
|
The Power of Mindful Learning
Ellen J. Langer
Manufacturer: Perseus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0201488396 |
Amazon.com
Remember those all-nighters back in college--staying up till all hours memorizing the plu-perfect form of the verb avoir or the names and dates of succession of all the kings of England? Now remember facing that final exam and having your mind go blank? According to Professor Ellen J. Langer, author of The Power of Mindful Learning, those sleepless nights and agonizing memorization were probably for naught. In her book, Professor Langer seeks to prove that real learning takes place in a "mindful" environment, one that provides a context for the subject we are studying and allows us to bring something of ourselves into the process. As an example, she points to a study of two groups of piano students, one of which was taught through repetition and memorization of scales, while the other was encouraged to respond to their own thoughts and emotions. The second group became more competent and more creative.
Professor Langer espouses a more holistic approach to teaching than is generally in vogue today. For example, she believes that forgetting can be an essential component to learning: just as smokers who have attempted to quit before have a better chance of succeeding in future attempts, so people who have forgotten information and skills and then relearn them may remember better the second time. The Power of Mindful Learning is sure to raise a great deal of debate among educators, and this is a good thing; after all, what old dog couldn't stand to learn a new trick or two?
Customer Reviews:
Turned My Head Inside Out.......2004-10-11
I can't guarantee it will have the same effect on everyone, but this book affected me profoundly. I've heard the same ideas repeated in other contexts before but nothing hit home like this book did. Challenged a lot of very deeply held assumptions about the value of "competence." I don't know whether it's actually that great a book or if it was just exactly what I needed to read at that point in my life.
More difficult than it seems at first glance..........2004-03-12
This book exemplifies the post-modern trend in psychological thinking, i.e., (i) There are no universally valid "givens," other than this one; (ii) Truth depends on perspective and context; and (iii) Validity stems from a proposition's meaning, and so forth.
Langer happens to be one of the more articulate proponents of this kind of thinking, namely: (i) conditional teaching and (ii) creative distractions increase the "mindfulness" of a person's learning; that (iii) rote learning is verboten, (iv) that one should help youngsters move toward "mindfulness," and (v) that "flexibility" in thinking, not raw intellect, is favored as an indicator of intellect.
Some of her techniques can be useful to educators and teachers: (i) conditional questions and presentations, (ii) mindful scanning, (iii) reading from more than one perspective, (iv) searching for differences, (v) shifting questions from "obvious" to "not so obvious," and so on.
Despite the post-modern flavor, the embedded educational philosophy here is Progressive and Romantic, not Basics, so if you want something that will tell you how good it is to memorize the multiplication tables, this book is not it. While I have do doubt that Prof. Langer is a very creative and unique person, the unstated educational philosophy here is as elite and as unfulfilling as a Bordeaux cookie.
Mindful learning leads to mindful teaching.......2003-03-25
I read this book from the perspective of a college teacher, looking for new ways to think about what goes on in the classroom. My eyes were opened! Langer argues that learning need not be boring and students don't have to think of education as "work." She suggests ways to re-frame activities in ways that engage students in what they are doing and give them a reason to care about the outcomes.
Langer attacks the myth that rote learning & blind memorization are the foundation for higher-order skills. She makes a strong case that "forgetting" is often a good thing. Teachers should be concerned about students understanding the contextual limitations of what they learn, rather than with "covering the material."
Coupled with Bob Boice's several books on mindfulness in teaching, this book changed the way I think about college teaching.
The Onslaught will Follow.......2002-10-28
From the mass of information that has come out of brain research and neuropsychiatry, the field of education has managed to get hold of some of the profits. That spotlight is aimed at Mindful Learning, where author Ellen Langer, delivers a worthy introduction into the nature of study and memorization. Her work has balance and her perspective is research-based and largely positive.
The book identifies things students do and believe whose value and worth are nothing but myths. These include cramming, assuming there is always a right and a wrong, equating attention to staying awake and the dissembling of rote memorization as an inevitable and necessary practice. She even refutes the standard that it is a bad thing to forget.
The material in Mindful Learning is not a prescriptive nor does the author promise miraculous classrooms with skyrocketing test scores. She is an Ivy League academic, a psychology professor and her purpose is to inform and to pique interest into further research and applications.
As science will do, the massive attention to find an answer for Alzheimers and other age-related memory loss have overlapped with the public debate over ADHD and in particular, psycho-stimulant therapy. These discrete areas of medicine and neurology have spawned a spillover revolution in education; specifically the field of learning theory. The unheard of premise that a reduced amount of energy and time could result in greater memory and lasting results- has already earned some critics. The ball keeps rolling however as the primacy of sleep as it relates to depression, substance abuse and ability to maximize classroom instruction has found itself aligned with the basic study practices. These, like cramming, waking up early to finish studying and any effort done at the expense of sleep have been indicted and found more negative than positive. Instead, taking frequent breaks, exercise, nutrition and chunking parts of the whole are refashioning how we think about working hard as the way to do your best.
The correct amount and type of sleep has greater weight upon how we drive and how we perform than had heretofore been recognized. Sleepy teens have as many and as deadly accidents as drunk teens. Sleep and its relationship to mood, depression, substance abuse and anti-social behaviors is powerfully shown to have a one to one relationship. Adolescence as a time of developmental paradoxes and a circadian rhythm whereby early evening is their morning and morning their mid-night REM time- is presenting itself as a challenge to districts over America that start highschool at dawn. In a nation with evidence of an epidemic of despair and intermittent suicide and violence, we will not dismiss these claims as merely unique.
As a boost for special education and physically frail learners, whereby energy levels and consequences of medication and attention do so conspire to reduce outcomes, the implications are impressive. Langer offers a strong argument and justification of techniques that work and ones that are over priced gas guzzlers. If you have not been following this subject, or if you want to get a non-self-help viewpoint- and get it before the the marketplace and airways are flooded with hype- this is a good enough place to start. Science- not magic, not one person's brainchild- but smart brained.
Challenging typical thinking about learning.......2002-06-20
Ellen did a great job with this book, giving us the why-to's explaining why we need a different attitude against learning. At large I agree with her analysis that traditional education feeds us 7 beliefs which aren't very useful once we leave the classroom to go to the school of live. Actually, these beliefs aren't useful for the classroom neither, but they seem designed into the way schools teach. As such it should be required reading for anyone considering a career in education or as trainer in a business context.
Next to the analysis and showing what goes wrong, you'll get a partial solution, consisting of guidelines of how one can do better. These guidelines are useful for teachers or trainers as well as for learners. As teacher it boils down to avoiding the 7 myths, and teaching students to learn more mindfully. The book backs up this recommendation with the research findings that proves this approach is far more effective. As learner, the recommendation is that you start having a more mindful attitude while learning.
The book only gets 4 stars, because it would have been more useful if it had been more of a how-to book as well. That might be an idea for the next edition. Meanwhile, other how-to books which are compatible with notion of emotional intelligence and which will complement this one are Don Blackberry's "Rediscover the joy of learning" and the books by Michael Grinder.
Patrick Merlevede -- author of "7 Steps to Emotional Intelligence"
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