Cognitive studies Books

Book SynopsisNeuroscientist and psychologist Michael Graziano puts forward a ground-breaking new theory of the origin of consciousness.Trade Review"Graziano’s attention schema theory marks a milestone by offering a plausible, mechanistic answer to the hard problem [of consciousness]." -- Aaron Schurger - Science"Rethinking Consciousness is a very accessible work of science popularisation. There’s limited jargon and Graziano guides the reader with numerous pop culture references and helpful analogies." -- Prospect

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Book SynopsisA “startling, provocative and potently useful” (James McConnachie, Times UK) examination of the stupid things intelligent people do.Trade Review"Essential reading for anyone who wants to think more clearly." -- Rolf Dobelli, author of The Art of Thinking Clearly"Clearly, we need to find new and better ways to teach critical thinking and measure good judgement. Reading David Robson’s book would be a good place to start." -- Emily Bobrow - Wall Street Journal"Impressively accessible, with engaging storytelling, depth of discussion, and counterintuitive conclusions." -- Aron K. Barbey - Science"I loved The Intelligence Trap. As fun to read as it is fascinating, it celebrates the power of humility and curiosity. Everyone, especially intelligent people, should read this brilliant and important book." -- Anna Rosling Rönnlund, coauthor of Factfulness"The Intelligence Trap is a ceaselessly fascinating book written by one of our most consistently superb science writers. Its counterintuitive argument, that intelligence is no inoculation against wrongness, explains so much about the fractious and baffling times in which we live." -- Will Storr, author of Selfie"The Intelligence Trap is a ceaselessly fascinating book written by one of our most consistently superb science writers. Its counter-intuitive argument, that intelligence is no inoculation against wrongness, explains so much about the fractious and baffling times in which we live." -- Will Storr, author of Selfie"A fascinating and enjoyable investigation of what intelligence is and isn’t, by one of the most exciting new voices in science writing. This thought-provoking and brilliantly researched guide to achieving true wisdom shows us how to be smarter—and how to protect ourselves from the cleverest fools." -- Gaia Vance, author of Adventures in the Anthropocene

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Book SynopsisWhat is your emotional fingerprint? Why are some people so quick to recover from setbacks? Why are some so attuned to others that they seem psychic? Why are some people always up and others always down? In his thirty-year quest to answer these questions, pioneering neuroscientist Richard J. Davidson discovered that each of us has an Emotional Style, composed of Resilience, Outlook, Social Intuition, Self-Awareness, Sensitivity to Context, and Attention. Where we fall on these six continuums determines our own “emotional fingerprint.” Sharing Dr. Davidson’s fascinating case histories and experiments, The Emotional Life of Your Brain offers a new model for treating conditions like autism and depression as it empowers us all to better understand ourselves—and live more meaningful lives.Trade Review"Whether he is measuring neural activity in the laboratory or climbing the Himalayas to meet the Dalai Lama, Davidson is an inveterate explorer who has spent a lifetime probing the deep mystery of human feeling. Don't miss this smart and lively book by the world's foremost expert on emotion and the brain."—Daniel Gilbert, Ph.D., author of Stumbling on Happiness"The Emotional Life of Your Brain is an eye-opener, replete with breakthrough research that will change the way you see yourself and everyone you know. Richard Davidson and Sharon Begley make a star team: cutting-edge findings formulated in a delightful, can't-put-it-down read. I loved this book."—Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., bestselling author of Emotional Intelligence"What a gift from the world's leading neuroscientist who works on what makes life worth living. This is a must-read for everyone who is interested in positive psychology."—Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph.D., author of Learned Optimism

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Book SynopsisArtificial intelligence, or AI, is a cross-disciplinary approach to understanding, modeling, and creating intelligence of various forms. It is a critical branch of cognitive science, and its influence is increasingly being felt in other areas, including the humanities. AI applications are transforming the way we interact with each other and with our environment, and work in artificially modeling intelligence is offering new insights into the human mind and revealing new forms mentality can take. This volume of original essays presents the state of the art in AI, surveying the foundations of the discipline, major theories of mental architecture, the principal areas of research, and extensions of AI such as artificial life. With a focus on theory rather than technical and applied issues, the volume will be valuable not only to people working in AI, but also to those in other disciplines wanting an authoritative and up-to-date introduction to the field.Table of ContentsIntroduction Keith Frankish and William M. Ramsey; Part I. Foundations: 1. History, motivations, and core themes Stan Franklin; 2. Philosophical foundations Konstantine Arkoudas and Selmer Bringsjord; 3. Philosophical challenges William S. Robinson; Part II. Architectures: 4. GOFAI Margaret A. Boden; 5. Connectionism and neural networks Ron Sun; 6. Dynamical systems and embedded cognition Randall D. Beer; Part III. Dimensions: 7. Learning David Danks; 8. Perception and computer vision Markus Vincze, Sven Wachsmuth and Gerhard Sagerer; 9. Reasoning and decision making Eyal Amir; 10. Language and communication Yorick Wilks; 11. Actions and agents Eduardo Alonso; 12. Artificial emotions and machine consciousness Matthias Scheutz; Part IV. Extensions: 13. Robotics Phil Husbands; 14. Artificial life Mark A. Bedau; 15. The ethics of artificial intelligence Nick Bostrom and Eliezer Yudkowsky.

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Book Synopsis'Radically new and engaging.' MATTHEW WALKER'Not only will every reader remember better afterward, they'll also never forget this life-changing book.' SIDDHARTHA MUKHERJEE'Ranganath turns much of what we think we know about memory on its head.' DANIEL J.

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Book Synopsis“Fascinating and useful . . . The distinguished memory researcher Scott A. Small explains why forgetfulness is not only normal but also beneficial.”—Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of The Code Breaker and Leonardo da VinciWho wouldn’t want a better memory? Dr. Scott Small has dedicated his career to understanding why memory forsakes us. As director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Columbia University, he focuses largely on patients who experience pathological forgetting, and it is in contrast to their suffering that normal forgetting, which we experience every day, appears in sharp relief. Until recently, most everyone—memory scientists included—believed that forgetting served no purpose. But new research in psychology, neurobiology, medicine, and computer science tells a different story. Forgetting is not a failure of our minds. It’s not even a benign glitch. It is, in fac

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Book Synopsis“If you’ve ever wondered why we keep secrets and what motivates us to spill them, look no further. Michael Slepian has spent the past decade studying the psychology of secrets, and is ready to reveal his findings to the world.”—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again “The Secret Life of Secrets gracefully blends engaging stories with compelling science.”—Sonja Lyubomirsky, University of California professor and author of The How of Happiness Think of a secret that you’re keeping from others. It shouldn’t take long; behavioral scientist Michael Slepian finds that, on average, we are keeping as many as thirteen secrets at any given time. His research involving more than 50,000 participants from around the world shows that the most common secrets include lies we’ve told, ambitions, addictions, mental health challenges, hidden relationships

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Book SynopsisThe human brain evolved to prioritize short-term rewards over long-term goals. But while this adaptation served our ancestors well, it is maladaptive in the face of a slow-moving climate crisis. Luckily, brains can adjust. Ann-Christine Duhaime explores how we can reframe what we find rewarding to counteract climate change.Trade ReviewA fascinating book. Dr. Duhaime reveals that the vexed nature of the human brain complicates our response to our greatest crisis. By linking neuroscience and environmental studies, this book offers key insight into how we might leverage our brains to fight climate change. -- Bill McKibben, author of Falter and The End of NatureA unique look at how to meaningfully address catastrophic climate change…Duhaime’s original angle sets her work apart from the pack, and she easily translates complex neurology for nonspecialists. Climate-minded readers will find this full of insight. * Publishers Weekly *Duhaime covers many issues in a thoughtful way, including the gap between people’s stated intentions to perform pro-environmental behaviors and whether they actually do so; the limits of survey-based research about attitudes, beliefs, and behavior versus seldom-done field studies; and all the ways in which reward is pertinent for behavioral change. She succeeds in suggesting that neuroscience is indirectly relevant to understanding our current climate predicament. -- Adam R. Aron * Science *Surprising…Using insights provided by research at the intersection of neuroscience, environmental sciences and a number of other fields, Minding the Climate invites us to think about what a ‘sustainable brain’ might look like and how to achieve it. * New Books Network *Minding the Climate is a groundbreaking work on how we might leverage our brains to fight climate change. -- Sudhirendar Sharma * The Hindu *Original, thoughtful, and inspiring. Dr. Duhaime explains how our brains seek rewards, and if we take the time to understand how and why this affects our behavior, we will be able to live healthier lives—for ourselves and for our environment. -- Peter Sterling, author of What Is Health?Minding the Climate provides key insights on how the physiology of the human brain shapes our capacity to address the existential threat of climate change. This work is essential if we are to have any hope of surviving as a species and preserving a habitable planet for future generations. -- Brad Campbell, President, Conservation Law FoundationFor decades climate science has been ignored, undermined, and denounced. Dr. Duhaime takes us deep into the brain to understand why we fail to do what is in our and the planet’s best interest. This is an important book. -- Rachel Kyte, Dean, Fletcher School, Tufts UniversityWhile our brains are motivated by short-term incentives and immediate satisfaction loops, we can change the ways we think about the threat of global warming and, consequently, spark our collective sense of urgency and action. Minding the Climate presents a groundbreaking look at how to do that. -- John Judge, President and CEO, Trustees of Reservations, and author of The Outdoor CitizenA beautifully written look into why changing behavior in response to the climate crisis is so challenging. Like the great neurosurgeon she is, Dr. Duhaime methodically and carefully unpacks the fascinating evolutionary roots of human decision-making, why that decision-making so often falters in the face of modern threats, and how to use that understanding to guide future action. Highly recommended! -- Howard Frumkin, Senior Vice President, Trust for Public Land

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Book SynopsisImagination is thought to be the province of childhood—the stuff of free play and unrestrained ideas. Then comes the dull routine of adulthood, stifling creativity. In fact, the opposite is true. Andrew Shtulman shows that imagination is not inherited at birth, nor does it diminish with age. It grows as we do, through education and reflection.Trade ReviewShtulman ably and incisively navigates this vast, fascinating terrain. * Science *[Shtulman’s] clear, vivid exploration of his subject and how it works may cheer up adults, gladdened to learn the ways imagination ‘can be expanded through education and reflection.’ * Harvard Magazine *Imaginations grow and develop as people do. Shtulman argues that one’s imagination can be expanded by using technological advances, moral principles, models and examples, pretense, and, of course, additional information. * Library Journal *Replete with research across cognitive development, psychology, and education, the book is an inspiring and empowering nudge to nurture our knowledge banks to open up more possibilities, and affirms the importance of education in all its forms, from traditional pre-K–12 to Montessori, from unschooling to self-directed learning and higher education. -- Lauren Lee * Greater Good Magazine *This remarkable book explores one of the most exciting topics in all of developmental psychology—the emergence of the imagination. Shtulman is a brilliant theoretician and scientist, and he tells the story of how children’s imaginative powers, surprisingly limited at first, gradually blossom through learning, reflection, and practice. Learning to Imagine is a delight to read, essential for anyone interested in this most extraordinary human capacity. -- Paul Bloom, author of Psych: The Story of the Human MindImagination is the superpower of the human mind, enabling us to simulate and consider alternatives and possibilities. We are often told that childhood is the fertile breeding ground for imagination, but this is a myth, as explained by Andrew Shtulman, the world’s leading expert on children’s imagination. In his new book, Shtulman once again demonstrates his flair for making child development fascinating, easily accessible, and a delight to read. -- Bruce Hood, author of Possessed: Why We Want More Than We NeedShtulman illustrates, in vivid and compelling detail, common misunderstandings of imagination and its development. Building on hundreds of recent studies, he convincingly shows how a popular narrative about children as imaginative wizards is simply wrong. Imagination requires care and support over many years of childhood to become an enabling force behind innovation. This will be an immensely valuable and timely book for anyone interested in children’s minds, education, and the origins of creative thought. -- Frank C. Keil, author of Wonder: Childhood and the Lifelong Love of ScienceShtulman masterfully weaves together a set of ideas and findings that en face might seem disparate, and in the process he turns common views of the imagination on their heads. An engaging and insightful volume by a brilliant scientist. -- Angeline Stoll Lillard, author of Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius

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Book SynopsisJoseph LeDoux argues that ideas like the self are increasingly barriers to discovery and understanding. He offers a new framework, theorizing four realms of existence—bodily, neural, cognitive, and conscious. Together, these four realms operate continuously as an “ensemble of being” to make humans who and what we are.Trade ReviewLeDoux’s aim is to provide a new theory of being human by dividing our evolutionary past into four realms: biological at the bottom, then neurobiological, cognitive and conscious…Along the way are excellent accounts of the evolution of brain structures and cognitive abilities. -- Susan Blackmore * New Scientist *[LeDoux] suggests that there are four basic varieties of life on Earth: biological, neurobiological, cognitive and conscious. The book provides an in-depth description of these realms (I found the cognitive one especially thought-provoking) and describes how they evolved. -- Liad Mudrik * Nature *A rigorously scientific yet eminently readable exploration of what it means to be human…[LeDoux] delves into complex notions of personality and the self, the construction of internal narratives, and memory, elegantly making the case for the emergent properties of the mind without recourse to an undetectable soul or reducing the complexity of human existence to merely physical factors. The result is a finely wrought, thought-provoking feast for the mind. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Joseph LeDoux is one of the most influential researchers and engaging writers in contemporary neuroscience. In The Four Realms of Existence, LeDoux takes the reader on an eye-opening journey into some of the most profound mysteries of mind and brain. Full of provocative ideas and startling insights, this captivating book is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the basis of human experience. -- Daniel L. Schacter, author of The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and RemembersJoe LeDoux is a leading light in the neuroscience of consciousness, and his new book is fascinating, engaging, and provocative. He proposes that consciousness is a kind of story that the brain tells itself, and he backs up this intriguing proposal with a wealth of evidence, including many discoveries of his own. Well worth reading. -- Anil Seth, author of Being You: A New Science of ConsciousnessLeDoux is a deep and synthetic thinker, aiming to advance our understanding of the mind in a way that is consistent with our best science and philosophy. His encyclopedic mastery of evolutionary biology, neurobiology, cognitive neuroscience, psychology, and the philosophy of mind allows him to build a theory of mind that does justice to the theory of evolution. A terrific book! -- Owen Flanagan, author of How to Do Things with EmotionsOne of our great scientific storytellers, Joe LeDoux deftly exposes the insufficiencies of current understandings of self and personality to capture the totality of who and what a person is in this fascinating and deeply researched book on what it means to be human. -- Daniel J. Levitin, author of The Organized Mind and Successful Aging

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Book SynopsisDrawing on a range of hard evidence, Neil Van Leeuwen shows that the psychological mechanisms underlying religious belief are the same as those enabling imaginative play. He argues that we should therefore understand religious belief as a form of make-believe that people use to define their group identity and express the values sacred to them.Trade ReviewThis brilliant and controversial book reframes our understanding of faith. Van Leeuwen captures the complex nature of faith commitments accurately and with deft philosophical insight. He sees what people do—not what they think they do. -- T. M. Luhrmann, author of How God Becomes Real: Kindling the Presence of Invisible OthersThis is an important and richly stimulating book, perhaps the most important on the science of religion for a decade or more. It is required reading for philosophers of mind and religion, for those who work on the psychology of religion, and for all thoughtful people who care about the role of faith in public life. -- Neil Levy, author of Bad Beliefs: Why They Happen to Good PeopleNeil Van Leeuwen takes readers on a journey from children’s playgrounds to cave art, from imaginary friends to ghosts and gods, drawing on philosophy, psychology, and anthropology to mount a provocative argument that will delight some readers and vex others, but offer a worthwhile adventure for all. -- Tania Lombrozo, Princeton UniversityThis is a bold and persuasive effort to show that religious beliefs should not be conflated with straightforward factual beliefs. The argument is vigorous and combative. It will provoke lively and helpful discussion, especially among scholars of religion and philosophers willing to venture beyond standard analyses of belief. -- Paul L. Harris, author of Child Psychology in Twelve QuestionsMaintaining that religious beliefs and factual beliefs about the everyday world constitute different cognitive attitudes, Neil Van Leeuwen advances a theory that deftly integrates critical findings and insights from philosophy, cognitive science, anthropology, and history. This wonderful book glistens with careful argumentation, splendid clarity, consistent fairness, striking erudition, and what, ultimately, is remarkable wisdom. -- Robert N. McCauley, author of Why Religion is Natural and Science is NotA groundbreaking book that makes a substantial contribution to the scientific study of religion. Van Leeuwen’s distinction between factual beliefs and religious credences will help us make sense of some of the thorniest puzzles in the field. -- Jonathan Lanman, Queen’s University Belfast

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Book SynopsisMen and women became experts at influencing one another to achieve their cooperative ends, but also became trapped in strategies of manipulation and deception in pursuit of sex and partnership. Drawing on biology, sociology, anthropology, and economics, this book shows that conflict between the sexes is, paradoxically, the product of cooperation.Trade ReviewOne of Financial Times (FT.com) Best Economics Books of 2013 "[A] witty, informative and cogent new book."--Jonathan Ree, Guardian "Seabright zooms out and across history in an accessible mix of scholarly prose and chatty anecdote to explain why inequalities and disagreements persist beyond potty-training... Turning to today, Seabright investigates everything from the effects of technology on gender-bias, to the various benefits of tallness, talent, and charm in the workplace."--PublishersWeekly.com "Throughout the book, Seabright is terrific company--entertaining and convincing."--John Whitfield, Nature "Right off the bat, I can say that this book should not be collecting dust on your shelf... [I]s War of the Sexes a challenging and interesting read? Undoubtedly so."--Sander Van Der Linden, LSE Politics and Policy blog "The War of the Sexes is a fascinating read. I love its interdisciplinarity."--Diane Coyle, The Enlightened Economist "Seabright, an economist familiar with evolutionary modelling, synthesises several disciplines in asking what our evolutionary heritage teaches us about men's and women's rights and roles in the modern labour market. Judicious in bringing Darwinism to bear on contemporary mores, he avoids the vulgar reductionism that often plagues this kind of popular science."--Camilla Power, Times Higher Education "Seabright is unusual among economists in being a thoroughgoing Darwinian, and in this fascinating book he takes an evolutionary perspective to explore why there are still inequalities in economic power between men and women."--Jon Wainwright, SkepticTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Part One Prehistory Chapter 1: Introduction 3 Chapter 2: Sex and Salesmanship 27 Chapter 3: Seduction and the Emotions 40 Chapter 4: Social Primates 60 Part Two Today Chapter 5: Testing for Talent 93 Chapter 6: What Do Women Want? 111 Chapter 7: Coalitions of the Willing 126 Chapter 8: The Scarcity of Charm 141 Chapter 9: The Tender War 157 Notes 183 References 211 Index 233

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Book SynopsisAs countless love songs, movies, and self-help books attest, men and women have long sought different things. The result? Seemingly inevitable conflict. Drawing on biology, sociology, anthropology, and economics, this title shows that conflict between the sexes is, paradoxically, the product of cooperation.Trade ReviewOne of Financial Times (FT.com) Best Economics Books of 2013 "[A] witty, informative and cogent new book."--Jonathan Ree, Guardian "Seabright zooms out and across history in an accessible mix of scholarly prose and chatty anecdote to explain why inequalities and disagreements persist beyond potty-training... Turning to today, Seabright investigates everything from the effects of technology on gender-bias, to the various benefits of tallness, talent, and charm in the workplace."--PublishersWeekly.com "Throughout the book, Seabright is terrific company--entertaining and convincing."--John Whitfield, Nature "Right off the bat, I can say that this book should not be collecting dust on your shelf... [I]s War of the Sexes a challenging and interesting read? Undoubtedly so."--Sander Van Der Linden, LSE Politics and Policy blog "The War of the Sexes is a fascinating read. I love its interdisciplinarity."--Diane Coyle, The Enlightened Economist "Seabright, an economist familiar with evolutionary modelling, synthesises several disciplines in asking what our evolutionary heritage teaches us about men's and women's rights and roles in the modern labour market. Judicious in bringing Darwinism to bear on contemporary mores, he avoids the vulgar reductionism that often plagues this kind of popular science."--Camilla Power, Times Higher Education "Seabright is unusual among economists in being a thoroughgoing Darwinian, and in this fascinating book he takes an evolutionary perspective to explore why there are still inequalities in economic power between men and women."--Jon Wainwright, SkepticTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Part One Prehistory Chapter 1: Introduction 3 Chapter 2: Sex and Salesmanship 27 Chapter 3: Seduction and the Emotions 40 Chapter 4: Social Primates 60 Part Two Today Chapter 5: Testing for Talent 93 Chapter 6: What Do Women Want? 111 Chapter 7: Coalitions of the Willing 126 Chapter 8: The Scarcity of Charm 141 Chapter 9: The Tender War 157 Notes 183 References 211 Index 233

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Book SynopsisThe human propensity to take an ethical stance toward oneself and others is found in every known society, yet we also know that values taken for granted in one society can contradict those in another. Does ethical life arise from human nature itself? Is it a universal human trait? Or is it a product of one's cultural and historical context? Webb KeTrade Review"A book that masterfully interweaves insights from philosophy and the natural and social sciences."--Max Hayward, Times Literary Supplement "This far-reaching discussion of ethical life and moral systems by anthropologist Keane aspires to combine the traditions of what he calls 'natural history' with those of 'social history'... This rich and original study will certainly fascinate anyone with an intellectual interest in morality and ethics."--Choice "Ethical Life is an extraordinary book. It is broad in its scope, careful and reflective in its elaboration of a theoretical vocabulary, it deals with basic issues for the humanities and the social sciences and manages to produce genuine and thought-provoking new insights."--Ethical Theory and Moral Practice "An extraordinary achievement that deserves a wide readership way beyond anthropology. In short, Keane has given social scientists a theoretically informed way in which to approach ethics as an empirical phenomenon and he has provided scholars usually working within moral philosophy new challenges with his invitation to think of ethics as socially engrained--all the way down."--Klaus Hoeyer, Ethical Theory and Moral PracticeTable of ContentsAcknowledgments xi Part One Natures Introduction Ethical Affordances, Awareness, and Actions 3 Some Questions about Ethical Life 6 Defining Ethics and Morality 16 Awareness and Reflexivity 21 Ethical Affordances 27 Overview of the Book 32 Chapter 1 Psychologies of Ethics 39 Seeking Ethical Foundations 39 How Psychologists Define Ethics and Morality 40 Empathy and Altruism 46 Self and Other 48 Mind Reading 51 Psychology's Challenge to Ethical Awareness 54 Moral Emotions and Normative Judgments 58 Third-Person Perspective 63 Making Things Explicit 67 Ethical Affordances in Psychology 70 Part Two Interactions Chapter 2 Selves and Others 77 Giving Accounts 77 Intersubjectivity 79 Intention-Seeking 83 Conversational Inferences 86 Shared Reality 88 Regard for One Another 93 A Semiotics of Character 96 Ethical Vulnerability 99 Chapter 3 Problematizing Interaction 110 Dignity and Respect 110 Variations on Intersubjectivity 117 Underdetermined Emotions, Specific Concepts 122 The Opacity of Other Minds 124 Interiority 126 One's Own Thoughts 128 Local Themes, Affordances Everywhere 130 Chapter 4 Ethical Types 133 Moral Breakdown? 133 Self-Awareness and Other People 136 Standing before the Law 140 The Inner Clash of Ethical Voices 143 Dysfluency and Ethical Conflict 146 Disciplining the Clash of Voices 148 Typifying Character Explicitly 151 Ethical Figures and Types 153 Defining the Situation 156 Interaction as Affordance 160 Part Three Histories Chapter 5 Awareness and Change 167 Shifting Stances 167 Ethical Progress? 172 The Social Production of Ethical Problems 180 Abolitionism 184 Consciousness-Raising 187 From Personal Experiences to Analytical Categories 190 Reconstructing Ethical Feelings 194 Chapter 6 Making Morality in Religion 199 Ethical Life and Morality Systems 199 Historical Objects 201 Taking Ethics in Hand 203 Ethics as Piety 206 Habitual Ethics 207 The God's-Eye Point of View 208 Entextualization and Sacred Truth 211 Abstraction and Struggle 214 Chapter 7 Making Morality in Political Revolution 216 The Ethical Attack on Religion 216 Ethical Sources of Vietnamese Revolutionary Thought 218 Everyday Ethics, Everyday Oppression 221 Revolutionary Ethics 223 Reforming Social Interaction 228 The Various Fates of Ethical Revolution 233 History's Affordances 237 Conclusion 241 Affordances, Awareness, Agency 241 Human Rights 248 Humanitarianism 256 First-, Second-, and Third-Person Positions 259 Bibliography 263 Index 281

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Finalist for the PROSE Award in Popular Science and Mathematics, Association of American Publishers""How billions of neurons come together to turn thought into action is astounding in itself, but cognitive neuroscientist David Badre takes this to new levels in his book."---Amy Barrett, BBC Science Focus Magazine"On Task is a stimulating, enjoyable read for anyone interested in brain function, particularly if you want to understand how researchers are attempting to unravel some of the biggest mysteries of them all: how humans think, how they are successful when confronted with new challenges and how prefrontal cortex might contribute to that success."---Masud Husain, Brain"Badre provides a thorough and engaging introduction to the history of the study of cognitive control, and an overview of new developments from the last 20 years."---Zsuzsa Kaldy, Current Biology"I would definitely recommend On Task to anyone who is interested in metacognition and understanding how your brain makes decisions."---Leslie Hamachi, Chemistry World

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"As he explores why humans evolved to be so habit-driven, Poldrack considers dopamine, which is crucial in forming habits for its impacts on brain plasticity; questions the efficacy of mindfulness (now a 'billion-dollar industry'); and covers the formation of addictions, which he calls 'habits gone bad.' Poldrack's study is strongest when he describes experiments on interrupting habit formation on a cellular level, which can potentially help one shed such undesirable behaviors as smoking and overeating. . . . This is a worthy intellectual adventure, one that’s well articulated for readers looking for rigorous study." * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"In The Illusionist Brain, Jordi Camí and Luis Martínez elucidate the ways the two disciplines [psychological science and stage magic] can illuminate each other."---Matthew Hutson, Wall Street Journal"This exploration of neuroscience through the lens of magic will appeal to science-oriented readers, as it is first and foremost a deep dive into how the brain processes information. It’s also sure to find an audience in anyone who has ever witnessed a magic trick and wondered how the heck it works."---Ragan O'Malley, Library Journal"[A] tantalizing study."---Andrew Robinson, Nature"Cami and Martinez act like Morpheus, explaining in simple terms, and with compelling examples, the intricate workings of the matrix in our brain. In their book, magic acts as a trigger to learn neuroscience principles that are presented through a fascinating and refreshing viewpoint, and that should also be interesting to the lay reader not acquainted with the sorcerers’ guild."---Rodrigo Quian Quiroga, Current Biology"Thanks to this book, readers may arrive at a deeper understanding of daily experience through the intersection of neuroscience and the magical arts. The next time thisreader fi nds himself baffled by a magic trick, reflecting on which cognitive processes were hijacked will be thrilling."---J. E. Perez, Choice Reviews

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A bracing book that might make you less gullible about gullibility."---Barbara Kiser, Nature"At the risk of being seen as credulous, I’d say [Mercier] makes a strong case for gullibility being a far less prevalent and important trait than we thought." * New Scientist *"[Not Born Yesterday] will be of interest to anyone who wonders how to trust what people say and do, especially in the digital, free-for-all age of unfettered, often suspect, information. The breadth and depth of research studies presented by Mercier will be especially appealing to science aficionados."---Karen Koenig, New York Journal of Books"In Not Born Yesterday, the cognitive scientist Hugo Mercier brings the conceptual reversal to a domain in desperate need of new insights: that of truth and falsehood, knowledge and ignorance."---N. J. Enfield, Times Literary Supplement"[Not Born Yesterday] marshals a convincing body of research . . . from history and sociology, from anthropology and from the psychology laboratory."---Timandra Harkness, UnHerd"[Mercier's argument] is refreshingly optimistic."---Daniel Akst, Strategy+Business"[A] thought-provoking book about the science of who we trust." * Paradigm Explorer *"At a time when large swaths seem to believe that we are hopelessly doomed because everyone else is stupid and easily misled or manipulated, Mercier’s book provides a nuanced antidote to such thinking, grounded in a careful examination of a wealth of evidence from psychology and the social sciences."---Felix Simon, Medium"[A] lucidly written introduction to the social psychology of communication and reasoning."---Shreeharsh Kelkar, Public Books

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Using an expository style, interspersed with first-person accounts of his own research, Harris provides an authoritative synopsis of developmental neuroscience."---R. Douglas Fields, Science"[Zero to Birth] really is a masterpiece in terms of how much information is packed into this average sized book."---Nicole Barbaro, Bookmarked Reads"The story of how this development takes place is filled with as much drama as any Shakespearian plot. There are accounts of self-love and selfless cooperation, suicide and cannibalism, rivalry and survival of the fittest. All on the cellular level. And, fortunately for readers who are not experts in the field, the style makes the story comprehensible and engaging."---Gunnel Minett, Breathwork Science"Highly illuminating."---Andrew Robinson, Nature

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of Forbes' Must-Read Brain Books of 2019""Finalist for the PROSE Award in Philosophy, Association of American Publishers"

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Book SynopsisA fundamentally new approach to the history of science and technologyThis book presents a new way of thinking about the history of science and technology, one that offers a grand narrative of human history in which knowledge serves as a critical factor of cultural evolution. Jurgen Renn examines the role of knowledge in global transformations gTrade Review"[Renn’s] new tour de force, The Evolution of Knowledge, addresses all those concerned with science’s fate. . . . In the 1930s, at a moment of existential crisis comparable to today’s, [Edmund] Husserl likewise sought to reorient science around shared human experiences and common human needs. Yet Husserl, a notoriously opaque writer, had little hope of communicating his message to the scientific community. With this lucid and accessible book, Renn stands a far greater chance of success."---Deborah R. Coen, Science"This is an important book and one that powerfully advances our understanding of how knowledge operates in society while directly engaging with pressing contemporary issues."---Geoffrey Cantor, Times Higher Education"A global history of knowledge is a breathtakingly ambitious project. . . . Renn faces down the difficulties of crafting such an account with skill and resolve. The result is provocative and challenging."---Joseph D. Martin, Physics Today"In The Evolution of Knowledge, both academics and nonacademics concerned with the state of our planet will find a lot to think with and elaborate on. This erudite, rich, and important book indeed opens conversations rather than closing them."---Raf De Bont, Isis"This book should be required reading for all who consider themselves students of the history of knowledge."---Alfred Freeborn, History of Human Sciences"An inspiring survey of the products of Renn's long career."---Jeremy Trevelyan Burman, Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"How billions of neurons come together to turn thought into action is astounding in itself, but cognitive neuroscientist David Badre takes this to new levels in his book."---Amy Barrett, BBC Science Focus Magazine"On Task is a stimulating, enjoyable read for anyone interested in brain function, particularly if you want to understand how researchers are attempting to unravel some of the biggest mysteries of them all: how humans think, how they are successful when confronted with new challenges and how prefrontal cortex might contribute to that success."---Masud Husain, Brain"Badre provides a thorough and engaging introduction to the history of the study of cognitive control, and an overview of new developments from the last 20 years."---Zsuzsa Kaldy, Current Biology"I would definitely recommend On Task to anyone who is interested in metacognition and understanding how your brain makes decisions."---Leslie Hamachi, Chemistry World

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The breadth of research is impressive, as is the direct language used to express the complicated sciencebehind sound itself. . . . Sounds may not leave a fossil record, but Mathevon's research will."---Tina Panik, Library Journal, starred review"Mathevon delivers fascinating insights into animal communication. . . . This will change how readers hear the animals around them." * Publishers Weekly *"There's no one better than Mathevon to tell us about how diverse animals talk with one another and here's what he had to say about his new landmark, fact-based book, which is a lot of fun to read. His enthusiasm is contagious!"---Marc Bekoff, Psychology Today"The language flows easily and important scientific concepts, often complex in nature, are seamlessly woven into an entertaining story."---David Gascoigne, Travels with Birds"A significant contribution to the art of aural animal science."---Eric Brown, News Shopper: Wild Things"This is an excellent book full of fascinating facts, full of detail, but always very readable."---Patricia MacDuff, British Naturalists Association Bulletin"Excellent."---Marc Weidenbaum, The Wire

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Book SynopsisAs seen on the TODAY Show, The New York Times, People Magazine, Mind Body Green, and more “If you would like to live a more fulfilled life, Samantha Boardman has exactly what you need. Everyday Vitality is one part memoir, one part wisdom from years of experience as a psychiatrist, and one part cutting edge scientific evidence. Brilliant, warm, and best of all—an actionable guide to a life well-lived.”—Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance Science-backed, research-driven, actionable strategies for countering stress and building your resilience “A great deal of everyday wellbeing lies beyond what is happening inside a person’s head. Everyday opportunities and activities that foster growth and build positive resources are not 'icing on the cake,' but the active ingredients of everyday resilience.” &

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Book SynopsisIn recent decades cognitive science has revolutionised our understanding of the workings of the human mind. Philosophy has made a major contribution to cognitive science and has itself been hugely influenced by its development.Trade Review"Mark Cain has written a beautifully lucid, thoughtful and authoritative introduction to central issues in the philosophy of cognitive science: highly recommended to students and all others who want to learn about this area." Tim Crane, Knightbridge Professor of Philosophy, University of CambridgeTable of Contents Table of Contents Chapter One: Cognitive Science and the Philosophy of Cognitive Science Chapter Two: Representation and Computation Chapter Three: Modularity Chapter Four: Concepts Chapter Five: Language Chapter Six: The Brain and Cognition Conclusion References Notes

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Book SynopsisPresents a discussion of how key concepts from cognitive science complicate our cultural interpretations of strange literary phenomena. This title discusses motifs of confused identity and of twins in drama, and science fiction's use of robots, cyborgs, and androids. It reveals the range of key concepts from science in literary interpretation.Trade ReviewThe book is stylistically well-written and features interesting readings of various texts. -- Marcus Hartner Zeitschrift fuer Anglistik und Amerikanistik 2009 The author gives herself a refreshingly modest assignment: to demonstrate that a certain cognitive predisposition has contributed to the development of, and continued interest in, specific literary motifs that occur across a wide variety of cultures. This is all that she tries to do, and she does it very well. Philosophy and Literature 2009 Zunshine renders the book accessible to the general reader. -- Aristie Trendel CerclesTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPart 1: "But what am I, then?": Chasing Personal Essences across National Literatures1. Ural Mountains–Rome–London2. Essentialism, Functionalism, and Cognitive Psychology3. Possible Evolutionary Origins of Essentialist Thinking4. "A bullet's a bullet's a bullet!"5. Talk to the Door Politely or Tickle It in Exactly the Right Place6. Resisting Essentialism7. The Ever-Receding "Essence" of Sosia8. Identical Twins and Theater9. How Is Mr. Darcy Different from Colin Firth?10. Looking for the Real Mademoiselle11. "Mahatma Gandhi: war!" "But he was a pacifist." "Right! War!"Part 2: Why Robots Go Astray, or The Cognitive Foundations of the Frankenstein Complex1. What Is the Frankenstein Complex?2. On Zygoons, Thricklers, and Kerpas3. Theory of Mind4. Theory of Mind and Categorization: Preliminary Implications5. Concepts That Resist Categorization6. . . . and the Stories They Make Possible7. The Stories That Can Be Told about a Talking Needle8. Asimov's "The Bicentennial Man"9. Cognitive Construction of "Undoubted Facts": "The Bicentennial Man" and the Logic of Essentialism10. Made to Rebel11. Why Phyllis Is Still a Robot12. . . . and Why Rei Toei Is Not13. More Human Than Thou (Piercy's He, She and It)14. Made to Pray15. Made to Serve. Made to Obey. Made to Break HeartsPart 3: Some Species of Nonsense1. How Nonsense Makes Sense in The Hunting of the Snark2. "Strings of Impossibilia" and What They Tell Us about the Value of Nonsense3. "Painters of the Unimaginable," or More aboutReally Strange ConceptsConclusion: Almost beyond FictionNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisPresents a discussion of how key concepts from cognitive science complicate our cultural interpretations of strange literary phenomena. This title discusses motifs of confused identity and of twins in drama, and science fiction's use of robots, cyborgs, and androids. It reveals the range of key concepts from science in literary interpretation.Trade ReviewThe book is stylistically well-written and features interesting readings of various texts. -- Marcus Hartner Zeitschrift fuer Anglistik und Amerikanistik 2009 The author gives herself a refreshingly modest assignment: to demonstrate that a certain cognitive predisposition has contributed to the development of, and continued interest in, specific literary motifs that occur across a wide variety of cultures. This is all that she tries to do, and she does it very well. Philosophy and Literature 2009 Zunshine renders the book accessible to the general reader. -- Aristie Trendel CerclesTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPart 1: "But what am I, then?": Chasing Personal Essences across National Literatures1. Ural Mountains–Rome–London2. Essentialism, Functionalism, and Cognitive Psychology3. Possible Evolutionary Origins of Essentialist Thinking4. "A bullet's a bullet's a bullet!"5. Talk to the Door Politely or Tickle It in Exactly the Right Place6. Resisting Essentialism7. The Ever-Receding "Essence" of Sosia8. Identical Twins and Theater9. How Is Mr. Darcy Different from Colin Firth?10. Looking for the Real Mademoiselle11. "Mahatma Gandhi: war!" "But he was a pacifist." "Right! War!"Part 2: Why Robots Go Astray, or The Cognitive Foundations of the Frankenstein Complex1. What Is the Frankenstein Complex?2. On Zygoons, Thricklers, and Kerpas3. Theory of Mind4. Theory of Mind and Categorization: Preliminary Implications5. Concepts That Resist Categorization6. . . . and the Stories They Make Possible7. The Stories That Can Be Told about a Talking Needle8. Asimov's "The Bicentennial Man"9. Cognitive Construction of "Undoubted Facts": "The Bicentennial Man" and the Logic of Essentialism10. Made to Rebel11. Why Phyllis Is Still a Robot12. . . . and Why Rei Toei Is Not13. More Human Than Thou (Piercy's He, She and It)14. Made to Pray15. Made to Serve. Made to Obey. Made to Break HeartsPart 3: Some Species of Nonsense1. How Nonsense Makes Sense in The Hunting of the Snark2. "Strings of Impossibilia" and What They Tell Us about the Value of Nonsense3. "Painters of the Unimaginable," or More aboutReally Strange ConceptsConclusion: Almost beyond FictionNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Human Programming is an imaginative and incisive account of how US culture—across decades, mediums, and institutions—has given form to dystopian fears of mind control as a way of buttressing a sense of the American self that is even more outlandish in its pretenses to autonomy. From Cold War politics to posthuman technologies, Selisker reconsiders who we think we are by looking closely at the forces that have told us what to do."—Mark Goble, University of California, Berkeley"Lucid and compellingly conceived, Human Programming contributes much to the growing body of scholarship on postwar American anxieties about human agency and social influence."—Timothy Melley, Miami University"The American rhetoric around brainwashing, Selisker shows, is inconsistent at the most basic level: it takes for granted that the programmed self is inauthentic, and that the real self is spontaneous and unlearned."—Los Angeles Review of Books"Scott Selisker offers readers a fascinating new history of American anxieties along the borderland between the machine and the human mind."—New Books Network"The scope of the book is impressive, and the author’s fusion of media forms and disciplinary approaches is creative and adept."—CHOICE"Selisker’s history of the human automaton is far reaching and firmly grounded in evidence. His work provides a meaningful contribution to the interactions between culture and political thought, and his research will be of interest to academics with a variety of different research interests. This book has expertly answered the ‘what’; ‘how’; ‘when’ and ‘where’ of human automaton, and has made strong inroads into the ‘why.’"—British Society for Literature and ScienceTable of ContentsContents Acknowledgments Introduction: Enemies of Freedom 1. Uniquely American Symptoms: Cold War Brainwashing and American Exceptionalism 2. Anti-institutional Automatons: New Left Reappropriations of Automatism 3. Human Programming: Computation, Emotion, and the Posthuman Other 4. Cult Programming: Extremism, Narrative, and the Social Science of Cults 5. Fundamentalist Automatons: Representing Terrorist Consciousness in the War on Terror Conclusion: Automatism and Agency Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThis book offers a history of the idea that human thought is structured like a language, from Plato and Aristotle up to the fourteenth century when William of Ockham gave it a new importance and developed it in a systematic way.Trade Review"Mental language was no twentieth-century philosophical invention, and Claude Panaccio's book, Mental Language: From Plato to William of Ockham, first published in French in 1999, remains the best guide to the many theories that were formulated in antiquity and the Middle Ages. There is no more complete or authoritative work on the subject. The book is philosophically astute and sophisticated, but eminently readable. A postscript brings the work completely up to date, with an exhaustive discussion of the copious literature that has appeared on the topic in the past fifteen years." -- -Richard Cross University of Notre DameTable of ContentsPreface Introduction Part I: The Sources 1. Plato to Aristotle The soul's dialogue with itself, -- The locus of logical relations, -- The composition of thought 2. Logos Endiathetos A Stoic notion?, -- Philo and allegorical exegesis, -- From Plutarch to Plotinus, -- John Damascene and his source 3. Verbum in Corde The battle against Gnosis, -- The emergence of Latin theology, -- Augustine: the development of a doctrine 4. Oratio mentalis The case of Porphyry, -- The testimony of Ammonius, -- The commentaries of Boethius, -- The passage through Islam Part II: Thirteenth-Century Controversies 5. Triple is the Word Anselm's Augustinianism, -- The play of triads, -- Sermo in mente 6. Act versus Idol The Thomistic synthesis, -- The first criticisms, -- Back to the things themselves 7. Concept and sign Signs in the intellect, -- John Duns Scotus and the question of the significate, -- The language of angels 8. What Is Logic About? Logic, composition and truth, -- Deep structure and logical form, -- The subject of the Perihermeneias, -- The elements of syllogism Part III: The Via Moderna 9. Ockham's Intervention The object of knowledge, -- The ontology of the intelligible, -- The semantics of concepts, -- Natural signification 10. Reactions The nature of mental language, -- The structure of mental language, -- Parisian nominalism Conclusion Postscript (2014) On the Ancient and Patristic Sources, -- On Augustine and Boethius, -- On Abelard and the twelfth century, -- On Aquinas and the thirteenth century, -- On Ockham and the Late Medieval Period, Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWe face radical new threats to our freedom of thought – here’s how to retain controlTrade Review'Excellent and beyond timely... [McCarthy-Jones] has identified a great challenge for our time - clarifying and asserting this right - and issued a clarion call to meet it.' —A. C. Grayling‘Impressive… wide-ranging… McCarthy-Jones offers a utopian vision of a "deep enlightenment" in which society is restructured, from its streets to its libraries, to improve conditions for free thought.’ —Literary Review

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Book SynopsisA “rock star” (New York Times) of the computing world provides a radical new work on the meaning of human consciousness.

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Book SynopsisThis Element supports the Computational Theory of Mind by its contribution to solving the mind-body problem, its ability to explain mental phenomena, and the success of computational modelling and artificial intelligence.Table of Contents1. Introduction; 2. Historical background; 3. Computing systems; 4. Computation in physical systems; 5. Why believe CTM; 6. Challenges to CTM; 7. Conclusions; References.

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Book SynopsisThis Element introduces contemporary theories of mental content. It considers recent developments in the debate, specifically the 'explanatory turn' and its implications for questions about representations in basic cognitive systems and the representational character of current empirical theories of cognition.Table of Contents1. Introduction; 2. Basic concepts and distinctions; 3. Mental content: main questions; 4. Theories of mental content I: naturalizing content; 5. Theories of mental content II: interpretationism and intentional stance theory; 6. Theories of mental content III: the phenomenal intentionality approach; 7. Skepticism about content: anti-representationalist approaches; 8. Recent developments; References.

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Book SynopsisThis Element addresses the potential contributions of neuroscience, and the brain sciences more generally, to criminal justice decision-making and policy. It distinguishes between three different areas and domains of investigation in neurolaw: assessment, intervention, and revision.

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