Book Description
This #1 best-seller has successfully introduced thousands of students to the intricate relationship between biology and psychology. This Eighth Edition redefines the high standard set by previous editions. It offers the best balance of rigor and accessibility, the most current research, and the most thorough technology integration available for your course--all presented within a unique modular format that supports student mastery and provides instructors with maximum teaching flexibility. In every chapter, Kalat accurately portrays biopsychology as a dynamic and empirical field in which fascinating new discoveries are constantly being made. He captures readers' interest with the latest biological psychology findings, such as how gingko biloba claims to aid memory and coverage of the hypothesis that humans' mate choice patterns are influenced by natural selection. Throughout, the author's goal is not only to convey information, but also to convey his excitement about and dedication to the subject.
Customer Reviews:
cells over systems.......2003-08-24
I'm a biopsychologist. Kalat is a very good writer with a gift for explaining difficult concepts and for keeping technical issues interesting. I chose his Intro Psych book for my classes for just this reason. My response to this book is a little more mixed. Biopsychology ranges broadly from cellular to systems level research. This book does well at the former level. It gets a little more deeply into the biochemistry than I would prefer but does so well and is impressively up to date. It does less well at the systems level literature. For example, it defines two common imaging terms incorrectly: PET and rCBF (mixing them up with SPECT and PET respectively). Overall, I like the book and chose it for my biopsychology class but every instructor needs to choose based on their own needs for depth and for emphasis.
as for textbooks............2002-09-30
as for textbooks for a biopsych class, this book is certainly interesting and the enhanced cd is definitely a plus. this book has not yet been used as a pillow for a sudden study break nap. the pictures are clear, the writing is friendly, and it's too bad that more texts can't be like this!
Great textbook!.......2002-01-30
I'm a freshman Psychology student at the University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands)... I used this book to study for my course Biological Psychology (duh!)... Anyway, this book is very organized, good summaries and a clear explanation of all the important concepts... Even if you don't have much knwoledge of biology, you will understand this book... at least I did...
Amazon.com
This clear and valuable book dispels a variety of myths about attention deficit disorder (ADD). Since both authors have ADD themselves, and both are successful medical professionals, perhaps there's no surprise that the two myths they attack most persistently are: (a) that ADD is an issue only for children; and (b) that ADD corresponds simply to limited intelligence or limited self-discipline. "The word disorder puts the syndrome entirely in the domain of pathology, where it should not entirely be. Although ADD can generate a host of problems, there are also advantages to having it, advantages that this book will stress, such as high energy, intuitiveness, creativity, and enthusiasm, and they are completely overlooked by the 'disorder' model." The authors go on to cite Mozart and Einstein as examples of probable ADD sufferers. (The problem as they see it is not so much attention deficit but attention inconsistency: "Most of us with ADD can in fact hyperfocus at times.") Although they warn against overdiagnosis, they also do a convincing job of answering the criticism that "everybody, and therefore nobody" has ADD. Using numerous case studies and a discussion of the way ADD intersects with other conditions (e.g., depression, substance abuse, and obsessive-compulsive disorder), they paint a concrete picture of the syndrome's realities. Especially helpful are the lists of tips for dealing with ADD in a child, a partner, or a family member. --Richard Farr
Book Description
Through vivid stories of the experiences of their patients (both adults and children), Drs. Hallowell and Ratey show the varied forms ADD takes -- from the hyperactive search for high stimulation to the floating inattention of daydreaming -- and the transforming impact of precise diagnosis and treatment.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best places to start.......2007-09-07
This book is a great resource for those who wonder if they may have some issues with ADD and ADHD (actually the same diagnosis) I originally bought this book to figure myself out (and subsequently saw clues to my mother's behavior all these years). WHen my youngest was diagnosed with ADHD, I re-read it to get the perspective of a child's struggle with ADD. Essential reading.
Do you question what ADD is and whether you or someone you love has ADD?.......2007-08-20
This book can change your life. If you read this book, and you see your life history/story, maybe you should find out a little more about ADD and yourself. Or if you read this book and you see your husband, wife or child, this can be a first step in answering many questions.
The classic for ADD information.......2007-08-18
I love this book, and have bought several copies over the years for newly diagnosed friends, etc. It is concise, clear and not overly stuffy. It doesn't throw a pity party like some books about disabilities do, and offers a diagnostic criteria, as well as coping skills, medical links, and resources listed in the back. A must read if you or anyone you love has ADD, or ADHD.
The BEST........2007-06-20
The absolute best book out there for an introduction to ADD. The structure of the book is perfectly managable for an ADDer without being condescendingly superficial or taking on a tone of talking to children, like some of these books do. I'd also recommend it to anyone who has friends or family who either doubt the existence of or (just don't know much about) ADD.
Check out Hallowell's "Delivered" for more coping mechanisms, and info on treatment, therapy and medication.
very helpful.......2007-06-17
If you wish to become more informed on the topic of ADD and ADHD,then this book is a "must read". The format is easy to read and understand. The reader can identify with one or more of the many examples and scenarios outlined in the book. I found it to be extremely helpful in understanding what ADD is really all about and what it feels like for my daughter to live with ADD.
In addition, I now recognize symptoms of adult ADD as well.
Book Description
Dr. James W. Kalat's BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY is the best selling text in the market because of its extremely high level of scholarship, clear and occasionally humorous writing style, and precise examples integrated throughout the text. Throughout all nine editions, the goal has been to make biological psychology accessible to psychology students, not just to biology majors and pre-meds. The goal has also been to convey the excitement of the search for biological explanations of behavior. Kalat argues that biological psychology is "the most interesting topic in the world," and this text convinces many students. Try-it-yourself activities in the book and on-line help illustrate phenomena and procedures described in the text. Accuracy, currency and a clear presentation style have always been the trademark signature of this text and this Ninth Edition has taken these qualities to the next level. An extremely skilled teacher, Dr. Kalat has written a text that not only speaks to today's students but to their professors as well. Accuracy, currency and a clear presentation style have always been the trademark signature of this text and this Ninth Edition has taken these qualities to the next level.
Customer Reviews:
Ectremely Interesting But Not Boringly Technical.......2007-09-25
Extremely interesting for both undergraduate and graduate readers. Great online help and internet references. Kalat remains true to his history of clear and accurate presentation. (Strongly Recommended)!
Text Book.......2007-09-21
The book was in perfect shape and a good price! It also arrived very quickly after I ordered it.
Yay Biological Psychology.......2007-09-10
I really like this book so far. Its one of the best textbooks I've ever read. The author makes it really interesting and he uses great examples. The "stop and check" questions are also really helpful in making sure you actually understand what you're reading.
This is the Myers of Biological Psychology.......2006-10-06
WOW! This is an incredibly illustrated and beautifully laid out book. The information is fantastic. It is suitable for undergraduate level or early graduate level biological psychology--- its not so detailed that it becomes dry and boring, yet, not too simple that it does the same. Its extremely easy to learn from and very up to date. If you are familiar with the industry-standard general psychology book by Myers-- this one comes close (if not farther) in the way of readability, accessibility to readers, and illustrations. Highly recommended!
Book Description
From the Internet to networks of friendship, disease transmission, and even terrorism, the concept--and the reality--of networks has come to pervade modern society. But what exactly is a network? What different types of networks are there? Why are they interesting, and what can they tell us? In recent years, scientists from a range of fields--including mathematics, physics, computer science, sociology, and biology--have been pursuing these questions and building a new "science of networks." This book brings together for the first time a set of seminal articles representing research from across these disciplines. It is an ideal sourcebook for the key research in this fast-growing field.
The book is organized into four sections, each preceded by an editors' introduction summarizing its contents and general theme. The first section sets the stage by discussing some of the historical antecedents of contemporary research in the area. From there the book moves to the empirical side of the science of networks before turning to the foundational modeling ideas that have been the focus of much subsequent activity. The book closes by taking the reader to the cutting edge of network science--the relationship between network structure and system dynamics. From network robustness to the spread of disease, this section offers a potpourri of topics on this rapidly expanding frontier of the new science.
Customer Reviews:
Vice President IT Global Business Initiavies.......2007-08-10
Excellent resource to follow the progress of Network Science through the history of the field up to the present day. I would definitlly recommend this book to anyone embarking on a social netowkring track. You may need a math referesher to follow some of the studies but well worth it!
Book Description
The considerable progress that has been made researching fundamental learning processes tells an important and interesting story. In this new book--written for undergraduates, graduate students, and curious professionals--Mark Bouton recounts that story, providing a strong background in modern learning and behavior theory that is informed by the history of the field. The text reflects the author's conviction that the study of animal learning has a central place in psychology, and that understanding its principles and theories is important for students, psychologists, and scientists in related disciplines (e.g., behavioral neuroscience and clinical psychology).
Almost all of the chapters are organized to illustrate how knowledge is accumulated through the systematic development of theory and research. The book opens with a brief history that connects the modern issues with their philosophical and biological roots. The second chapter addresses the idea that basic learning processes are designed to help an organism adapt to a changing world; in the process, it introduces the reader to a wide range of interesting examples of learning. After analyzing some fundamental phenomena in Pavlovian learning, the book then provides a very clear and readable review of modern conditioning theories since the Rescorla-Wagner model, discusses memory retrieval and behavior-system processes that govern performance, and addresses the question (posed by research in the late 1960s and 1970s) of whether the laws of learning and behavior uncovered in the laboratory maze and Skinner box have generality--by studying learning in honey bees and categorization and causal judgments in humans. Instrumental learning is then discussed from various perspectives in chapters on behavior and its consequences (research in behavior analysis), how stimuli guide instrumental action (a survey of the field of animal cognition), and how motivation influences instrumental action. The final chapter reviews and integrates the major themes of the book, describing avoidance learning, learned helplessness, and related examples of learning before reviewing the modern cognitive and synthetic perspective on instrumental action.
Lively and current, Learning and Behavior: A Contemporary Synthesis engages students while illustrating the interconnectedness and excitement of modern research.
Customer Reviews:
A pleasant, deep, thorough review of a beautiful science.......2007-06-13
Bouton's "Learning and Behavior" provides one of the best current introductions to the science of animal learning. This book might feel "hard to digest" at first due to the great amount of literature reviewed in it, as well as because of the many connections the author makes among different findings and theories (in my opinion, these are feats, rather than flaws). Don't desist... keep reading it! The beauty of this journey lies in its many different paths. If you view psychology as a scientific endeavor, you will enjoy the openness of this book to different interpretations, rebuttals, refutations, and alternative accounts. A patient, persistent reader won't be disappointed with this book, and will reach the end of the last chapter with the irreplaceable satisfaction of realizing that much has already been done in the science of associative learning, but there's still plenty of room for further research too.
Book Description
Biological Psychology is a comprehensive survey of the biological bases of behavior that is authoritative and up-to-date. Designed for undergraduates enrolled in Biological Psychology, Physiological Psychology, or Behavioral Neuroscience, the book continues to offer an outstanding illustration program that engages students, making even complicated topics and chains of events clear. The book offers a broad perspective, encompassing lucid descriptions of behavior, evolutionary history, development, proximate mechanisms, and applications. New coauthor Neil V. Watson brings his expert knowledge of the field and the course to the Fourth Edition. This edition is designed to make the book even more readable. Each chapter has been made more concise and now begins with a brief narrative relating the topic to the human condition. The new edition boasts hundreds of new references, including research students may have encountered in the popular media. Yet critical thinking skills are also honed as the reader is alerted to the many widely-held myths about the neuroscience of behavior (different parts of the tongue detect only certain flavors, dogs are color-blind, sleep deprivation makes you crazy), and educated about facts that sound so unlikely to the uninformed (some people cannot feel pain, in some animals only half the brain sleeps at a time, ears make sounds, some people cannot form new memories, experience alters the structure of the brain). Thorough and reader-friendly, Biological Psychology reveals the fascinating interactions of brain and behavior.
Key Features
* The book has an outstanding full-color art program, including hundreds of original drawings that make it easy to understand structures, mechanisms, and processes in the brain.
* Each chapter opens with a brief narrative illustrating an important aspect of behavioral biology that will be made clear to the student by reading the rest of the chapter.
* Chapters end with a summary of the main points and offer recommended reading for students who want to learn more.
* Icons alert students to important methods, clinical issues, competing hypotheses, and instances in which genes, evolution, or neural plasticity are at work.
* Every copy comes with Learning Biological Psychology, an electronic study referenced from CD icons throughout the text.
Customer Reviews:
A good tool.......2007-03-09
Book came quickly. It's good if you like to learn... otherwise it would work better to beat yourself in the face with.
Warning! This is NOT the TEXTBOOK!.......2006-08-15
You'll never guess from this page, but this volume is NOT THE TEXTBOOK if that is what you're looking for and thinking you've gotten it dead cheap.
This is the "Cram101 Textbook Outlines" 74-page textbook OUTLINE! Includes "highlights, outlines, and notes for the textbook" "never highlight a book again!"
Now go back and buy the textbook, if that's what you need -- it's over fifty bucks even used, so suck it up and click Order. But don't get the wrong, like I did, and lose the time sending it back.
Great Introductory Text.......2000-06-07
I have used both the first and second editions of this text in courses for first-year graduate students in a Psy.D. program. The text is clear, the illustrations excellent, as are the color overheads. This is at exactly the right level for students who will be clinicians using this information in understanding and dealing with clients directly (as opposed to researchers).
good end of the second millenium.......2000-05-02
I had the chance to give a overlook to prof. M.Rosenzweig text "Biological Psychology...", talking with my assistant teacher, I said, at last a nice, and good text for undergraduate student that are not going to be medicine student, but other profesional. This is the text for a change in the teaching of neuroscience; the result of it use will be clear at december 2000. the reasons for this: - clear use of history. - great use of design in each theme treated. - all the aids (cd, etc) are exactly what a beginnig student need. - the use of real neuroanatomy part, are perfectly complement by the pictures, diagram in the text. profs. M. Rosenzweig, A. leiman & S.M. Breedlove thanks from Chile.
Please try again Mr.Rozenweig.......1999-12-16
This book is a course textbook for my course, but to be honest I find it badly set out, espacially in the index where it's impossible to find anything. I know the guy's an expert in his field but the relevent information is hard to extract from the very dry tone. I've been tempted on more than one occasion to simply use it as a computer stand. This may sound like any other textbook but when you compare this to Kalat's book of the same name, the difference is unbelievable. As a student I'll take this rare opportunity to say 'good try Mr.Rozenweig, but I think you should take it back and work on it a little more'
Book Description
WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THE THINGS YOU BELIEVE? Do you remember events differently from how they really happened? Where do your superstitions come from? How do morals evolve? Why are some people religious and others nonreligious? Everyone has thoughts and questions like these, and now Andrew Newberg and Mark Waldman expose, for the first time, how our complex views emerge from the neural activities of the brain. Bridging science, psychology, and religion, they demonstrate, in simple terminology, how the brain perceives reality and transforms it into an extraordinary range of personal, ethical, and creative premises that we use to build meaning, value, spirituality, and truth into our lives. When you come to understand this remarkable process, it will change forever the way you look at the world and yourself.
Supported by groundbreaking research, including brain scans of people as they pray, meditate, and even speak in tongues, Newberg and Waldman propose a new model for how deep convictions emerge and influence our lives. You will even glimpse how the mind of an atheist works when contemplating God. Using personal stories, moral paradoxes, and optical illusions, the authors demonstrate how our brains construct our fondest assumptions about reality, offering recommendations for exercising your most important "muscle" in order to develop a more life-affirming, flexible range of attitudes.
You'll discover how to:
- Recognize when your beliefs are altered by others
- Guard against mental traps and prejudicial thinking
- Distinguish between destructive and constructive beliefs
- Cultivate spiritual and ethical ideals
Ultimately, we must always return to our beliefs. From the ordinary to the extraordinary, they give meaning to the mysteries of life, providing us with our individual uniqueness and the ability to fill our lives with joy. Most important, though, they give us inspiration and hope, beacons to guide us through the light and dark corners of the soul.
Customer Reviews:
Very interesting and helpful.......2007-09-11
Was struggling with faith. This book helped me sort things out. Very, very helpful.
Why We Believe What We Believe.......2007-08-24
I'm just about done reading this book and have enjoyed it very much. The author doesn't go on any tangents, go off the subject or include any difficult theories to weed through. The author does mentioned several scientific experiments but they are necessary to back up his findings. He doesn't bash people who believe in spiritual things but he doesn't sway that way himself he just looks at what he discovered with a scientific eye. I prefer books that don't bash other people with an opposing view but prefer someone who is looking for the reason of things with an open mind. I still would recommend that if you are a Christian you will need an open mind to enjoy this book.
Well-written and compelling, although with obvious biases.......2006-09-21
Andrew Newberg, professor of Radiology and Psychiatry, has written (along with Mark Robert Waldman) a sequel to his book, Why God Won't Go Away. The new book has strengths and weaknesses, but, should be of some interest to those who have an interest in spiritual matters and human behavior. The book is primarily written to address the question of how the brain works so that we arrive at what we believe to be true. The authors write from a spiritual perspective, but take numerous jabs at Christians and Christianity throughout the book. In contrast, New Age and Far Eastern religions seem to receive little or no criticism (co-author, Mr. Waldman seems to be into New Age type spirituality), and are actually endorsed. Likewise, atheists may not be entirely comfortable with the content, since it clearly challenges their cherished belief that that have no beliefs.
Even with this viewpoint bias, the first two parts of the book ("How the brain makes our reality" and "Childhood development and morality") are nothing less than fascinating. The topics are broad, so a lot of details are not included (especially supporting studies), although doing so would have increased the length considerably. Even so, I would have preferred more details and citations and a little of the controversy, which must be present in such a complex field. One gets the distinct impression that the results are not quite as neat and tidy as presented, and one wonders if studies that do not support the authors' premises are omitted as a form of viewpoint bias or just to save space.
A particularly interesting chapter entitle, "Ordinary Criminals Like You and Me," presents numerous experiments (many of which would be considered unethical today) that demonstrate that the vast majority of individuals will do extremely immoral acts, given the right conditions. For example, if enough people (planted experimental confederates) go along with a lie, test subjects will do likewise. In another study, participants "electrocuted" a "student" who was a "poor learner." Studies simulating prison conditions showed that the "officers" (experimental subjects) routinely mistreated the "prisoners" (also experimental subjects). In other experiments, subjects would usually act in selfish ways, rather than take the moral high ground. Newberg suggests that barring interception by our frontal lobes of our brain, all our actions would be immoral and selfish.
The book's third section, spiritual beliefs and the brain, presents Newberg's latest (and earlier) functional brain scan results on religious people. Previously, Newberg had studied the brain activity of Buddhists practicing meditation and Franciscan nuns practicing "centering prayer," a Roman Catholic method of meditating deeply on a specific biblical passage or concept. These results had shown similar patterns of brain activity for those meditating on "becoming one with the universe" or "inner peace" (Buddhists) and those meditating on God or the Bible. Both groups showed increased activity in the frontal lobes (primarily the prefrontal cortex), which represents the "attention area" and decreased activity in the parietal lobes (the "orientation area"). Each group interpreted their experience on the basis of their beliefs (e.g., inner peace for the Buddhists or God's presence for the nuns). In this book, Newberg added a third group - Pentecostal Christians who "speak in tongues." When analyzed, the brain scans showed increased activity in the thalamus (as in Buddhists and nuns). Speaking in tongues also resulted in high activity in the temporal lobes (involved in making emotions) and in the midbrain (probably resulting from the activities of speech and dance). Like Buddhists and nuns, Pentecostals represent a small percentage of the American population (probably only about 1% of Americans claim to speak in tongues). Newberg presented one case (not exactly a scientific sampling) of a spiritual atheist. Like the Buddhists, he practiced meditation, and presented with a brain scan similar to the Buddhists and nuns (though the actual scans were not shown in the book).
Also noteworthy was the finding of asymmetric thalamic activity in the Buddhists, nuns, Pentecostals, and even the one "spiritual" atheist, which is not found in the vast majority of people. The question arises whether these people are born with this asymmetry, resulting in the ability to play these mind games or whether the continual practice of the games themselves lead to the asymmetry. None of Newberg's studies were able to address these questions. An even more fundamental question concerns the rest of us, who lack the asymmetry, but still have religious beliefs. Maybe none of these studies really tell us anything about the kind of religious belief that most of us exhibit, since all the groups chosen for study represent extremely small minorities.
In conclusion, the book is well-written and compelling, although the obvious biases of the writers will probably annoy most Christian readers. The topic is complex and experimental design is difficult at best. Future studies will likely shed more light on this subject.
An Astonishing Book.......2006-09-21
This fascinating book examines how human beings construct their beliefs about everything: how we map the realities of the world, build moral and political beliefs, and develop religious and spiritual beliefs about the universe. The authors base their premises on neurobiological research and then they integrate their findings with contemporary psychology and sociology without ever becoming overly technical, a difficult feat when it comes to explaining the neurological processes of the brain.
The introductory chapter introduces the basic premises of the book, using the case history of a man who riddled with cancer and is about to die in a research hospital at UCLA. Placebo injections are given, and within a week all tumors disappear, but when newspaper reports describe the ineffectiveness of the medicine the patient thought he was taking, the tumors returned. The doctor convinced the patient that a "new and improved" medication was available, and again the tumors disappeared. The FDA then pronounced the medical study a failure, and again, the tumors returned. The authors return to this story throughout the book to explain how our beliefs can deeply influence the neurobiological processes in the brain.
In Chapter 3, the authors use numerous optical illusions to How the brain incorporates perceptual errors into its maps of the world. In this way, they show how many supernatural beliefs are literally perceived as real within the brain. In the next chapter, they show how different cognitive functions contribute to the foundations of everyday beliefs about reality, and how a child's brain is prone towards seeing monsters, believing in Santa Claus, and relying on magic to explain unusual occurrences in the world. The authors also show what happens in the brain when adults attempt to perceive the unperceivable, i.e. God and other spiritual realms.
In Chapter 5, Parents, Peas, and "Putty Tats," Newberg opens his chapter on developmental neuropsychology with a story of how his mother got him to eat his plate of peas. He uses this cute tale to show how early childhood beliefs can shape the remainder of one's adult life. The authors show how easy it is to implant false memories in children and adults, why autobiographical memories are faulty, and why false memories remain imprinted in various circuits of the brain well into adulthood. They also offer a brilliant integration of neurological development with the psychological development of morality (unfortunately, our brains begin to deteriorate in our thirties, and the likelihood of us changing our beliefs, especially inaccurate ones, becomes less and less the older we get.
As the title of Chapter 6 implies (Ordinary Criminals Like You and Me) we are not as moral as we like to think we are. Using brain scan research, they show how we are easily manipulated by authorities to lie, hurt and even kill. Ultimately, the more complex the moral dilemma, the longer it takes our brain to react. Thus we are likely to stand by and watch when others commit immoral acts.
In Chapter 7, Newberg describes his brain scan research with a group of Franciscan nuns engaged in prayer, and the authors suggest how spiritual beliefs become neurologically real in the minds of practitioners.
Chapter 8 includes the first brain scan study of Pentecostal practitioners who speak in tongues, and the findings show that this uniquely creative form of prayer is very different from other forms of spiritual practice, and is probably very similar to shamanic trance states, hypnotherapy, and certain altered states of consciousness brought about by drugs. The authors are careful to point out that Pentecostal practices are inherently beneficial and do not represent pathological processes of illness.
In Chapter 9, the authors conduct the first brain scan on an atheist who attempts to pray to God. They found that when a person focuses on opposing beliefs, a neurological dissonance takes place that prejudices the individual to reject them. Atheists are physiologically healthy individuals, even though they are one of the most despised groups in America. This chapter sheds light on why political parties tend to despise one another and goes a long way in explaining why there is so much religious discord in the world.
Finally, in Chapter 10, the authors discuss ways to become "a better believer" by developing a more cautious, skeptical, yet openminded approach when evaluating information from the media and from science. An overview of 27 forms of cognitive biases are presented, along with a systematic critique of prayer/religion research. They also summarize contemporary research on the placebo effect.
Overall, an astonishing book that was equally fun to read--but then again, that's what I believe.
Book Description
"It's the animal in us," we often hear when we've been bad. But why not when we're good? Primates and Philosophers tackles this question by exploring the biological foundations of one of humanity's most valued traits: morality.
In this provocative book, primatologist Frans de Waal argues that modern-day evolutionary biology takes far too dim a view of the natural world, emphasizing our "selfish" genes. Science has thus exacerbated our reciprocal habits of blaming nature when we act badly and labeling the good things we do as "humane." Seeking the origin of human morality not in evolution but in human culture, science insists that we are moral by choice, not by nature.
Citing remarkable evidence based on his extensive research of primate behavior, de Waal attacks "Veneer Theory," which posits morality as a thin overlay on an otherwise nasty nature. He explains how we evolved from a long line of animals that care for the weak and build cooperation with reciprocal transactions. Drawing on both Darwin and recent scientific advances, de Waal demonstrates a strong continuity between human and animal behavior. In the process, he also probes issues such as anthropomorphism and human responsibilities toward animals.
Based on the Tanner Lectures de Waal delivered at Princeton University's Center for Human Values in 2004, Primates and Philosophers includes responses by the philosophers Peter Singer, Christine M. Korsgaard, and Philip Kitcher and the science writer Robert Wright. They press de Waal to clarify the differences between humans and other animals, yielding a lively debate that will fascinate all those who wonder about the origins and reach of human goodness.
Customer Reviews:
Plausible.......2007-09-19
This is a very short book. The main essay has just about over 50 pages. The rest is introduction, some responses, and a closing statement.
Who says that important books need to be long? Possibly it is not all that important, but the main idea is new to me, therefore I am glad that I picked it up, after a recommendation in Der Spiegel.
Let me also say, I don't find the main hypothesis really compelling, in the sense of thoroughly thought through and explained. But I think it is plausible, and as I had been used to think in different directions and categories, this is a new paradigm for me.
Simply put, FdW challenges the conventional view that morality is part of civilization, that morality is a 'veneer' over our animal core, which is generally assumed to be selfish and immoral. He rejects the view that mankind developed as individuals and then became socialites, requiring rules for co-existence. Rather, homo evolved as a social animal and started his career on Earth with a set of rules for social life. I.o.w., the whole question how a human society without a creator can have morality, is superfluous, baseless, a waste of energy.
On the way to this hypothesis, FdW gets into arguments with the 'selfish gene' theory and with the Dawkins direction of neo-Darwinism. My suspicion is, that this conflict is as useless as a goitre (as we say in German). I don't think that Dawkins really meant the gene to be literally 'selfish', hence let's drop this linguistic bickering. (However I am too lazy to look it up in Dawkins.)
Only 4 stars, not because it is not important, but because it remains below its potential. The discussion part is not always to the point.
I am tempted to give an extra star for the foto of Georgia admiring her own reflection in the camera lens. But maybe an Oscar is more appropriate?
Welcome new perspectives on moral theorizing.......2007-09-06
This book is an interesting confrontation between primate research and professional moral philosophers. The aim is to discuss De Waal's attack on `veneer theory', the idea that moral behaviour is not really grounded in our nature but just a thin cultural overlay, but the discussion quickly becomes way more general.
In fact, we quickly see familiar dividing lines appear. Some, like Korsgaard, see morality as based on reason alone, and therefore purely human. Others, like De Waal, see it as primarily based on inborn capacities like empathy, and maintain that we share a lot of our morality with primates.
The truth is probably somewhere in between. Actually almost all the contributors confirm this in some way, but this is obscured by the fact that the authors do not seem to be able to agree on the meaning on the word`morality'.
Semantic confusion and untenable extremes: Nothing new in the world of discussions of morality then? What does make this book interesting, is that this time the discussions are informed by empirical evolutionary research, which means that even the philosophers have to keep their feet on the ground. Apart from the ape-stories being interesting to read, the result is a welcome new perspective on existing moral theories.
Critically Important Research.......2007-08-25
Teleologically oriented theologians and pompous philosophers need to read this book. New empirical research offers dramatic insights as to the how's and why's of the bilogoical origins of human values and morality. The more this book is read and digested, the faster the phony televangelists will disappear from popular and uninformed culture.
Excellent .......2007-07-29
I do not have the required background knowledge to really make a judgment as to the fundamental claim here i.e. that moral behavior, including decision-making is not an exclusively human prerogative but in fact is the natural condition of a wide variety of species for whom cooperatrive and and altruistic behavior can be collectively advantageous. De Waal's critique of what he calls 'veneer theory' the idea that human morality is a thin layer which comes over and above our fundamentally aggressive, selfish nature is I believe, even when one considers humans in isolation, quite convincing.
He brings certain evidence and examples to show that other species' outside the human, including such stereotypically cruel and mean creatures as wolves engage in mutually advantageous group behavior. The question however of the degree of conscious decision involved in this is one not really solved here. Clearly the human capacity for language- use and symbolic - communication extends not only modes of cooperation, but complexities in consciousness. One feels that deliberation and decision in human action work in ways other animals cannot come close to.
Our hertitage deepens.......2007-06-10
Succinct, quotable, accessible and scholarly ( in the best sense!)- Dr De Waal never disappoints.
Customer Reviews:
Good text book........2007-05-04
This book is actually pretty awesome for a text book. The writer throws in some humor periodically and takes a straightforward approach to explanations. There are several charts that summarize information well. And there are some great diagrams that really clarify the writing. There is also a companion website with FANTASTIC animations and practice tests. It's really helpful.
If you want a text book that will make Bio Psyc a little bit easier and a lot more fun I recoomend this text book.
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Language, Learning, and Behavior Disorders: Developmental, Biological, and Clinical Perspectives
Joseph H. Beitchman
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0521472296 |
Book Description
The role of language as a bridge between learning disability and psychiatric disorder is the unifying theme of this wide-ranging book. The editors of this text give particular emphasis to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, and autistic disorder. Contributors seek explanations for the dual incidence of psychiatric and language disorder by considering research in developmental, cognitive and biological fields, and speculate on the contribution of new imaging modalities. Essays cover topical issues such as syndrome definition in dyslexia, acquired memory disorder in childhood, and biology-behavior correspondence, as well as a range of treatment options. Enlivened with case vignettes, and offering insights into the range of current thinking on language and behavior, this will prove to be a rich resource.
Customer Reviews:
IEP Resource.......2001-11-30
Any parent of a child diagnosed with a language disorder who needs to generate or review an IEP for their school program would find this book required reading.
This has been my primary source for information on nonverbal language disorder, NLD.
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