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Book SynopsisSleep has hardly changed since Paleolithic humans snoozed soundly in their caves. While sabre-toothed tigers were their biggest night-time worry, today it's stress and social media that keep us awake, but the solutions are the same, and sleep therapist Dr Merijn van de Laar offers understanding and advice to have you sleeping better within weeks. How to get a better night's sleep in 3 weeks: Don't believe everything you read or hear about sleepLet go of the 8-hour ruleUse the simple sleep diary in the back of this book to record your sleep pattern over 3 weeksDiscover your personal sleep needsExamine your attitude towards lying awake at nightShorter total bed times might be betterFocus on the reason for lying awake rather than on the reason for not sleepingReduce stressKeep regular bedtimesFollow the rules of natureRespect your personal circadian rhythmDon't tempt the night-time ghosts Human sleep as we know it today evolved hundreds of thousands years ago, to suit a huntergatherer lifestyle. It's not always compatible with our modern lives, but remains an essential function, vital for our health, well-being and daytime functioning. In this groundbreaking new book, Dr Merijn van de Laar investigates the origins of sleep based on archaeological findings and anthropological studies in contemporary hunter-gatherers, looking at the major discrepancies between our primordial bodily needs and our current sleep-inhibiting behaviour. Cave dwellers lived in balance with the forces of nature. They had adapted perfectly to environmental influences such as light, temperature and seasonal variations. The way they ate and moved during the day must have had a positive effect on sleep quality. We need to look to their example, and adjust our eating, exercise, light, temperature and, last but not least: our expectations towards sleep. By taking on board the ancient wisdom of our ancestors, we will improve the quality of our sleep, the way our bodies were designed to do it.

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Book SynopsisReveals the mind boggling neuroscience connecting brain, body, mind, and society, by examining a range of brain disorders, in the tradition of Oliver Sacks.

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Book Synopsis''An original, provocative and fascinating new theory by one of the world''s leading neuroscientists about why the mind wanders - and when and why it''s good for you'' Daniel Gilbert''A gentle and humane book that should be read by everyone interested in the human mind and the human brain'' Andy ClarkOur brains are noisy. Certain regions are always grinding away at involuntary activities like daydreaming, worrying about the future and self-chatter, taking up to forty-seven percent of our waking time. This is mindwandering and while it can tug your attention away from the present and contribute to anxiety, cognitive neuroscientist Moshe Bar reveals that there is a method behind this apparent madness. Mindwandering is the first popular book to explore the multi-faceted phenomenon of our wandering minds and the cutting-edge new research behind it. Bar combines his decades of research to explain the benefits and the possible cost of mindwandering wTrade ReviewAn original, provocative, and fascinating new theory by one of the world’s leading neuroscientists about why the mind wanders – and how we can change its trajectory to make ourselves happier and more creative -- Daniel Gilbert, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and bestselling author of STUMBLING ON HAPPINESSBrains constantly balance the two states of tracing known paths and setting off on new adventures. Bar's revelatory, pioneering studies on this are finally available for everyone to enjoy, so we can optimally direct our states of mind to better align with the moment. A fascinating read that will bring your mind back home -- David Eagleman, New York Times bestselling author of INCOGNITO and LIVEWIREDMindwandering is the best thing that can happen to anyone. What is it? Why is it good? Let Moshe Bar take you by the hand and show you the exciting ways it liberates us from the tedium of the known world into the world of possibilities’ -- Michael S. Gazzaniga, Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and author of THE CONSCIOUSNESS INSTINCTHighly accessible and entertaining, alternately personal and analytic, this lovely and stimulating book will make you appreciate your mind, and Bar’s -- Susanna Siegel, Edgar Pierce Professor of Philosophy, Harvard UniversityIn this highly original, accessible, erudite, engaging and informative book, a distinguished neuroscientist highlights the role of mindwandering in solving problems, inducing happiness, and in teaching us to "bring the right mind to the right time" -- Nancy Etcoff, psychologist at Harvard University and author of SURVIVAL OF THE PRETTIESTMindwandering evinces the intimate relationship between curiosity and creativity, mindwandering and mindfulness, agency and association, sentience and selfhood. It does so using a compelling mixture of personal narratives and high-end cognitive (and clinical) neuroscience . . . An addictive and eclectic read, crafted with a gentle and telling humour -- Karl J. Friston, Scientific Director at the Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging and Professor at University College LondonIn this important, entertaining and instructive treatment, Moshe Bar takes us on a journey through contemporary neuroscience to show when, why, and exactly how a wandering mind can be good for us. Along the way, we learn why we should meditate, how to profit from imagined experiences and how we can make the most of our limited mental resources. A gentle and humane book that should be read by everyone interested in the human mind and the human brain -- Andy Clark, Professor of Cognitive Philosophy, University of Sussex, and author of SURFING UNCERTAINTY

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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 Synopsis[A] creative and original book on resilience through crises' DAVID MILIBAND [A] fascinating book is full of insights I highly recommend it' KATE RAWORTH, AUTHOR OF DOUGHNUT ECONOMICSFrom a leading international crisis management expert, a breakthrough book about performance under pressure that will change the way you think about stressWhen we experience too much stress, we often feel like shutting down and escaping the source: we downshift'. With too little stress, we become apathetic and disengaged. But what happens in the middle zone when we experience what psychologists call positive stress' and how can we use it to overcome extraordinary barriers and perform at our peak?From his role as a globally recognised change-maker at the likes of the United Nations, the International Red Cross and the World Bank, Ben Ramalingam has a unique vantage point from which to identify the key principles that can enable anyone to use stress as an opportunity for change. We learn how a switch in mentality helps musicians dazzle huge crowds against all odds; how astronauts focus on originality to overcome life-threatening incidents; and how discovering a sense of purpose allows emergency health workers and aid experts to deal with unprecedented crises.Through a sweep of fascinating interviews, in-depth research and inspiring human stories, Upshift provides us with an everyday toolkit that can help to improve our work, relationships and mindset, and places us on the road to success. Taking readers on an epic journey from early humans' survival of the Ice Age to how modern social movements emerge and propagate in the digital world, Upshift is a reminder that creative solutions to complex problems will always exist as long as we're ready to innovate.Trade Review Next Big Idea Club, Must Read 2023 Non-Obvious Books Top 100 Business Books 2023 ‘Ben Ramalingam has brought all of his considerable passion and experience to write this creative and original book on resilience through crises. I will be looking for Upshifters from now on!’ David Miliband ‘How can we experience stressful situations not as a threat to avoid, but as a challenge to rise to? This fascinating book is full of insights from Ben Ramalingam's rich personal and professional experience of responding to crisis. I highly recommend it’ Kate Raworth, author of Doughnut Economics ‘A fascinating and inspiring read for everyone who aspires to harness creativity in the face of extreme constraints – which in today’s runaway world is every single one of us’ Jaideep Prabhu, author of Frugal Innovation ‘Upshift is an inspired book about those moments when operating on the edge of your comfort zones, when you discover not only who you really are but who you have the potential to be. It's essential for you – and for those around you’ Mike Adamson, Chief Executive Officer, British Red Cross ‘A thoughtful and insightful journey through the reality of crises and the power and value of our mindsets.’ Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, Chief Fire Officer ‘A reassuring guide to empowerment’ Kirkus

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Book SynopsisThe Oxford Handbook of Human Memory provides an authoritative overview of the science of human memory, its application to clinical disorders, and its broader implications for learning and memory in real-world contexts. Bringing together experts in the field, the Handbook integrates behavioral, neural, and computational evidence with current theories of how we learn and remember. Organized into two volumes and eleven sections, chapters cover foundational concepts, laws, and methods to study human memory; forms and attributes of memory; encoding and retrieval processes; interference, inhibition, and consolidation; memory distortion, inference, and prediction; individual differences and memory development; memory disorders and therapies; learning and memory in educational settings; and the role of memory in society. An authoritative and comprehensive treatment, The Oxford Handbook of Human Memory documents the current state of knowledge in the field and provides a roadmap for the next generation of memory scientists, established peers, and practitioners.

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Book Synopsis''The one meditation tactic that will get you through the toughest times'' Oprah DailyOvercome negative thoughts and develop a positive mindset this January with these meditation practices proven by neuroscientific research.In this modern digital age, many of us feel overwhelmed, panicked and short on time. The practice of meditation is an ancient and scientifically proven antidote to that frenzied feeling. Combining scientific expertise and spiritual wisdom, this is a practical guide on how it can help you feel calm and in control.With chapters on Breathing, Compassion and Worry, it is full of empirically proven and easy-to-follow exercises that will help you tackle mental obstacles, including issues such as self-doubt and negative thought patterns. This is a fresh perspective on meditation that will uplift and soothe your mind, whether you''re new to it or not.FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, DANIEL GOLEMAN ''The perfect guide for finding true inner peace'' Ruby WaxTrade ReviewThis beautiful and inspiring book, arising from the brilliance of two great minds, contains profound yet practical advice on meditation and its power to nourish the world * Gelong Thubten, author of A Monk’s Guide to Happiness *The one meditation tactic that will get you through the toughest times * Oprah Daily *The perfect guide for finding true inner peace * Ruby Wax, author of A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled *Practical, doable techniques for making two game-changing inner moves: getting out of your head, as well as taming your demons [...] all backed up by rigorous science * Dan Harris, author of 10% Happier *Highly recommend * Dan Harris, bestselling author of 10% Happier *An exciting new book that combines recent research into meditation with fresh, accessible, and profound teachings on the actual practice * Pema Chödrön, author of When Things Fall Apart *A rare blend of genuine, far-reaching meditative wisdom and the cutting-edge neuroscience that both explains and supports it. This book is an extraordinary collaboration and a great jewel that will benefit all who read it * Joseph Goldstein, author of Seeking the Heart of Wisdom *PRAISE FOR TSOKNYI RINPOCHE - He is a powerful and eloquent link between the great yogi practitioners of old Tibet and our bewildering twenty-first century. He's completely comfortable in both. And he makes us comfortable, too. * Richard Gere *Goleman offers hope for us all * The Times *[Why We Meditate] shows how we can regain our innate rhythm * Sainsbury's Magazine *Each chapter is a kind of antidote for the scepticism...read this book * New Scientist *

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Book SynopsisAccording to a leading cognitive scientist, we've been teaching reading wrong. The latest science reveals how we can do it right.In 2011, when an international survey reported that students in Shanghai dramatically outperformed American students in reading, math, and science, President Obama declared it a "Sputnik moment": a wake-up call about the dismal state of American education. Little has changed, however, since then: over half of our children still read at a basic level and few become highly proficient. Many American children and adults are not functionally literate, with serious consequences. Poor readers are more likely to drop out of the educational system and as adults are unable to fully participate in the workforce, adequately manage their own health care, or advance their children's education.In Language at the Speed of Sight, internationally renowned cognitive scientist Mark Seidenberg reveals the underexplored science of reading, which spans cognitive science, neurobiology, and linguistics. As Seidenberg shows, the disconnect between science and education is a major factor in America's chronic underachievement. How we teach reading places many children at risk of failure, discriminates against poorer kids, and discourages even those who could have become more successful readers. Children aren't taught basic print skills because educators cling to the disproved theory that good readers guess the words in texts, a strategy that encourages skimming instead of close reading. Interventions for children with reading disabilities are delayed because parents are mistakenly told their kids will catch up if they work harder. Learning to read is more difficult for children who speak a minority dialect in the home, but that is not reflected in classroom practices. By building on science's insights, we can improve how our children read, and take real steps toward solving the inequality that illiteracy breeds.Both an expert look at our relationship with the written word and a rousing call to action, Language at the Speed of Sight is essential for parents, educators, policy makers, and all others who want to understand why so many fail to read, and how to change that.

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Book SynopsisWhy does one smoker die of lung cancer but another live to 100? The answer is 'The Hidden Half' - those random, unknowable variables that mess up our attempts to comprehend the world.We humans are very clever creatures - but we're idiots about how clever we really are. In this entertaining and ingenious book, Blastland reveals how in our quest to make the world more understandable, we lose sight of how unexplainable it often is. The result - from GDP figures to medicine - is that experts know a lot less than they think. Filled with compelling stories from economics, genetics, business, and science, The Hidden Half is a warning that an explanation which works in one arena may not work in another. Entertaining and provocative, it will change how you view the world.Trade ReviewHighly original and challenging... Once you have read this book, you can't unread it. * Daniel Finkelstein, The Times *Fascinating and provocative. Blastland is one of the most original thinkers around. * Tim Harford - Financial Times columnist and author of The Undercover Economist *Elegantly written and mind-expanding, The Hidden Half will enthrall you with its storytelling while educating you with its scientific depth. * Daniel H. Pink - bestselling author of Drive *Brilliant. Blastland provides an explanation of the need for humility in the face of the inevitable limits to knowledge and our all-too-human temptation to tell stories about the world that go far beyond what the evidence will support. * Diane Coyle - Bennett Professor of Public Policy, Cambridge University *Fascinating... As John Wooden said, it's what you learn after you know it all that counts. * Andrew Gelman - author of Rich State Poor State Red State Blue State *Excellent. Blastland makes a compelling case that God is fond of playing dice with the cosmos-and the list of unpredictable things keeps growing, not shrinking. * Phillip Tetlock - bestselling author of Superforecasting *Beautifully written and often very funny. Anyone making decision that matter should enjoy this book and profit from its lessons. * Dame Frances Cairncross - Chair, Executive Committee of the Institute for Fiscal Studies *Thought-provoking. * UnHerd *Table of Contents0: Prologue 1: Bill is not Ben 2: I am not constant 3: Here is not there, now is not then 4: One path is not enough 5: The principle isn't practical 6: Big is not small 7: Big is not clear 8: The ignorant chicken 9: What to do 10: Postscript

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Book Synopsis‘Wendy Wood is the world’s foremost expert in the field, and this book is essential’ – Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of Grit.What if you could harness the extraordinary power of your unconscious mind, which already determines so much of what you do, to achieve your goals? Shockingly, we spend nearly half our day repeating things we've done in the past without thinking about them. How we respond to the people around us; the way we conduct ourselves in meetings; what we buy; when and how we exercise, eat and drink – a truly remarkable number of things we do every day, we do by habit.And yet, whenever we want to change something about ourselves, we rely on willpower alone. We hope that our determination and intention will be enough to effect positive change. And that is why almost all of us fail.Professor Wendy Wood is the world's foremost expert on habits. By drawing on three decades of original research, she explains the fascinating science of how we form habits and provides the key to unlocking our habitual mind in order to make the changes we seek.Combining a potent mix of neuroscience, case studies and experiments conducted in her lab, Good Habits, Bad Habits is a comprehensive, accessible and highly practical book that will change the way you think about almost every aspect of your life.Trade ReviewIf you’ve ever struggled to make or break a habit, this is the book you need to read. Wendy Wood is widely recognized as the authority on the science of habits -- Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take, and host of the TED podcast WorkLifeWendy Wood is the world’s foremost expert in the field, and this book is essential -- Angela Duckworth, author of GritEnlightening and insightful . . . Wood’s research and perspective on the malleability of habits will bring hope to any reader looking to create long-term behavioural change * Publishers Weekly *Wendy Wood . . . is the most thoughtful, innovative person who understands the role of habits in human behaviour . . . I can’t imagine a better person writing this book -- Dan ArielyThere is no one in all of psychology who could write a more compelling book on habits and behaviours -- James W. PennebakerNo one has studied how habits form and direct behaviour better than Professor Wendy Wood . . . She has described how to change negative habits into positive versions better than anybody. She's the researcher best able to write the next big book on the topic -- Robert Cialdini, author of Influence and Pre-SuasionFascinating and fun, this book will change a lot of lives . . . Wood brings state-of-the-art social science into contact with the most pressing issues in daily life. She’s a tremendous guide -- Cass R. Sunstein, Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard University, and author of How Change HappensA fascinating tour of the science of habits, and Wendy Wood is the consummate tour guide. One of the world’s leading habit researchers -- Professor Adam Alter, New York Times bestselling author of Drunk Tank Pink and IrresistibleA huge achievement. Wendy Wood manages to distil the science of habit formation, most of which emerges from her own lab, in a manner that is fascinating but also, above all, extremely useful for people looking to make positive change in their life -- David Kessler, New York Times bestselling author of The End of Overeating and CaptureMany authors have written about habits . . . but Wood is also a premier scientist in psychology, working on how habits affect and are affected by the human mind. Top tip: Willpower isn’t enough. But through her original research, Wood explains what does work * Washington Post *In Good Habits, Bad Habits . . . the social psychologist Wendy Wood refutes both [William] James’s determinism and glib exhortations to be proactive, and seeks to give the general reader more realistic ideas for how to break habits. Drawing on her work in the field, she sees the task of sustaining positive behaviors and quelling negative ones as involving an interplay of decisions and unconscious factors . . . Even people who score high on self-control questionnaires may owe their apparent virtue to situational factors rather than to sheer fortitude . . . This observation leads to the crux of her book’s thesis: the path to breaking bad habits lies not in resolve but in restructuring our environment in ways that sustain good behaviors. * The New Yorker *Table of ContentsUnit - Part I: How We Really Are Chapter - 1: Persistence and Change Chapter - 2: The Depths Beneath Chapter - 3: Introducing Your Second Self Chapter - 4: What About Knowledge? Chapter - 5: What About Self Control? Unit - Part II: The Three Bases of Habit Formation Chapter - 6: Context Chapter - 7: Repetition Chapter - 8: Reward Chapter - 9: Consistency is for Closers Chapter - 10: Total Control Unit - Part III: Special Cases, Big opportunities, and the World Around Us Chapter - 11: Jump Through Windows Chapter - 12: The Special Resilience of Habit Chapter - 13: Contexts of Addiction Chapter - 14: Happy with Habit Chapter - 15: You Are Not Alone Section - i: Epilogue Section - ii: How to Stop Looking at Your Phone So Often Section - iii: Notes Section - iii: Bibliography Acknowledgements - iv: Acknowledgements Index - v: Index

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Book SynopsisHow does your mind work? How does your brain give rise to your mind? These are questions that all of us have wondered about at some point in our lives, if only because everything that we know is experienced in our minds. They are also very hard questions to answer. After all, how can a mind understand itself? How can you understand something as complex as the tool that is being used to understand it? This book provides an introductory and self-contained description of some of the exciting answers to these questions that modern theories of mind and brain have recently proposed. Stephen Grossberg is broadly acknowledged to be the most important pioneer and current research leader who has, for the past 50 years, modelled how brains give rise to minds, notably how neural circuits in multiple brain regions interact together to generate psychological functions. This research has led to a unified understanding of how, where, and why our brains can consciously see, hear, feel, and know about the world, and effectively plan and act within it. The work embodies revolutionary Principia of Mind that clarify how autonomous adaptive intelligence is achieved. It provides mechanistic explanations of multiple mental disorders, including symptoms of Alzheimer''s disease, autism, amnesia, and sleep disorders; biological bases of morality and religion, including why our brains are biased towards the good so that values are not purely relative; perplexing aspects of the human condition, including why many decisions are irrational and self-defeating despite evolution''s selection of adaptive behaviors; and solutions to large-scale problems in machine learning, technology, and Artificial Intelligence that provide a blueprint for autonomously intelligent algorithms and robots. Because brains embody a universal developmental code, unifying insights also emerge about shared laws that are found in all living cellular tissues, from the most primitive to the most advanced, notably how the laws governing networks of interacting cells support developmental and learning processes in all species. The fundamental brain design principles of complementarity, uncertainty, and resonance that Grossberg has discovered also reflect laws of the physical world with which our brains ceaselessly interact, and which enable our brains to incrementally learn to understand those laws, thereby enabling humans to understand the world scientifically. Accessibly written, and lavishly illustrated, Conscious Mind/Resonant Brain is the magnum opus of one of the most influential scientists of the past 50 years, and will appeal to a broad readership across the sciences and humanities.Trade ReviewCan humans create technology that will mimic, or even surpass, biological intelligence? Questions such as these underlie the career of author Stephen Grossberg, a founder of the field of neural networks and creator of this magnum opus covering 60 years of research in neuroscience, psychology, and mathematics. * C. L. Iwema, CHOICE *The polymath Freeman Dyson once likened mathematicians to birds and frogs: 'Birds fly high in the air and survey broad vistas of mathematics out to the far horizon. They delight in concepts that unify our thinking and bring together diverse problems from different parts of the landscape. Frogs live in the mud below and see only the flowers that grow nearby. They delight in the details of particular objects, and they solve problems one at a time.' Grossberg's genius lies in embodying both, and in recognizing that "obvious hypotheses, with which no one would disagree, together imply conclusions about deep properties of brain organization." Can a deep understanding of boundaries and surfaces of simple, toy objects lead to the most profound insights into the nature of learning and attention? Can an understanding of how silence flows across time and alters the perception of words uttered before it, help explain consciousness itself? Grossberg shows how. * Sai Gaddam, Boston University *Conscious MIND and Resonant BRAIN is a tour de force on How the Brain Works. It's a masterpiece on brain science and neuro-computing that could only be created by Grossberg. * Leon Chua, University of California at Berkeley *After reading many papers by the author, I always wished that he would present them in a coherent whole. And here it is. A magnificent volume of great science from mind to brain and back, a condensed ars poetica of a great scientist. * György Buzsáki, New York University *Stephen Grossberg is one of the most original and influential theorists in contemporary cognitive science and computational neuroscience. In Conscious MIND Resonant BRAIN, he takes the reader on an eye-opening tour in which he addresses fundamental problems of mind and brain from his unique theoretical perspective. This is an important book that should be of interest to anyone who wonders how a brain can give rise to a mind. * Daniel L. Schacter, Harvard University *In this book Stephen Grossberg shares the wisdom and encyclopedic knowledge that he acquired over 50 years of research devoted to unravel the mysteries of the human brain. Stephen pioneered the field of theoretical neuroscience... It is the essence of overarching principles to be abstract and to sometimes defy intuition, but Stephen succeeds to convey the essential in a language that is readily accessible to the non- expert. He embeds the discussion of neuronal mechanisms in the rich framework of cognitive psychology and elegantly bridges the gap between scientific evidence and subjective experience. He takes the readers by the hand and lets them discover the often surprising philosophical, ethical and societal implications of neurobiological discoveries. For those who enjoy intellectual adventures and wish to explore the boundaries of the known this scholarly written book is a real treasure. * Wolf Singer, Max Plank Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt *How often do we have the chance to hold a true masterpiece? Grossberg's monumental accomplishments developed over multiple decades now written at an accessible level to a broader audience. What a true privilege! * Luis Pessoa, University of Maryland *Steve Grossberg is one of the most insightful and prolific writers on biological intelligence. This book is a masterful presentation of fundamental methods of modeling minds, brains and their interactions with the world, many of which are due to the author and his collaborators. The models are presented as mathematical systems, including computing and neural networks. The variables, parameters and functions represent biological and environmental concepts; mathematical conclusions are interpreted as predictions of biological behavior. In many cases these have been verified experimentally. There are illuminating and surprising connections to other disciplines, including art, music and economics. Highly recommended to a general audience. * Morris W. Hirsch, University of California at Berkeley *This comprehensive overview of Grossberg's contributions to our understanding of the mind and brain shows exactly how prescient he, and his colleagues, have been.Whatever one's specific interest, from visual illusions to mental illness, this book provides a principled treatment of it.The principles flow from Grossberg's early framing of many of the questions that have come to define computational neuroscience – including his early understanding of the centrality of expectations.Kudos to him for pulling it all together here. * Lynn Nadel, University of Arizona *What an ambitious, lucid, eye-opening and engaging book! By using the computational theories he developed, Grossberg attempts nothing less than to integrate our knowledge of how our mind works with our knowledge of how the brain works. The topics he covers range from perception to action, from emotion to memory, and from decision making to love, with consciousness and the mind-body problem figuring prominently throughout. The story he weaves, with many incisive, delightful illustrations, is compelling and accessible. The reader is rewarded with a novel appreciation of the human psyche and artificial intelligence, and is left with admiration for Grossberg's achievement. * Morris Moscovitch, University of Toronto *This book is not for the faint of heart. Stephen Grossberg has been a giant in the field of computational neuroscience for 60 years. In this book he presents his carefully developed, integrative neurobiological theory on how the nervous system generates our conscious lives. It is bold yet self-reflective and therein challenging to all students trying to figure out how the brain does its tricks. A must read. * Michael Gazzaniga, University of California at Santa Barbara *This book is first and foremost an account of a personal odyssey of one of the great and most prolific scientific minds of our time trying to understand itself. What we have here at last is a genuine attempt by the author to make his ideas accessible to most readers as "a simple story, without mathematics" (or at least with minimal math). The foundation of this story is the concept of "resonance" in neural systems. When resonance fails, this triggers adaptation. This book is largely a treatise on how the resonance concept can help us understand almost all aspects of sensation, perception, and higher cognition. Even without all the math, this book of 600 plus pages will take considerable dedication to assimilate, but I believe that any student of neuroscience interested in the brain as the basis of mind will find it well worth the effort. * Bruce McNaughton, University of California at Irvine *How a brain makes its mind is one of the most perplexing questions in science. In this book, you will find the most comprehensive account to date by a towering pioneer of brain theory of our time. * Deliang Wang, Ohio State University *Don't read Grossberg in the original—unless you are an adept. Start with this exceptional overview of the lifework of a brilliant cognitive neuroscientist; then, organized and inspired, turn to the journals. Grossberg identifies key phenomena that open windows into the functioning of the brain; identifies the key problems that the brain needs to solve relevant to them; constructs elegant modules that might both solve those problems and give rise to the phenomena noted, and finally assembles them into systems and makes new predictions. This is textbook scientific inquiry, executed by a virtuoso. The book would be a fine component of a seminar, with students selecting the problems and modules for a deeper dive, then explicating them to the class. * Peter Killeen, Arizona State University *An excellent and wide-ranging view of how the brain perceives the world for us by a pioneering brain theoretician. * Wolfram Schultz, University of Cambridge *Whenever you claim to be "the first to do" this or that in artificial intelligence, it is customary - and correct - to add "with the exception of Stephen Grossberg". Quite simply, Stephen is a living giant and foundational architect of the field. * Karl J. Friston, University College London *This is a breath-taking book authored by a giant pioneer of the brain and mind. * Shun-Ichi Amari, RIKEN Brain Science Institute *Professor Grossberg is a rara avis. In an age of increasing specialization, he has a remarkable, unparalleled, gift of seeing connections between seemingly unrelated ideas. And he writes about these with passion, but without compromising accuracy. * V. S. Ramachandran, University of California San Diego *Stephen Grossberg is a true genius, who has discovered and developed many of the most important concepts and theories about how our brains make our minds. His fundamental contributions to science for over 50 years are richly worthy of a Nobel Prize. * Leonid Perlovsky, Harvard University *Stephen Grossberg is a "big picture" thinker who has had a remarkably deep influence on many aspects of several fields. It's difficult to overstate the range of his vision and the depth of his thinking, and I expect this book to be required reading in many courses for years to come. * Stephen Kosslyn, Foundry College *Although a behavioral modeler and not a neuroscientist, I have followed Stephen Grossberg's research closely for many years, because I regard him as one of the very most creative and insightful neuroscience theorists that the field has seen. His book should be a must read for those wanting to understand how the brain produces mind. * Richard Shiffrin, Indiana University *The current volume charts the remarkable developments that have led Dr. Grossberg to a principled, unified theory of the link between brain and mind. Dr. Grossberg's insights are unparalleled in their breadth and detail, leading us to a scientific understanding of the most remarkable aspect of the mind, consciousness. * Michael Mozer, Google Brain, Mountain View, CA *Conscious Mind, Resonant Brain is the magnum opus of one of the giants of neural networks. The soaring ambition of this book reflects the career achievements of Grossberg's insatiable appetite for understanding how brains work. It is a must-read for those interested in all aspects of how the mind and brain function in health and disease. * Donald C. Wunsch II, University of Science and Technology *Grossberg has single-handedly elevated the psychophysics and psychology pioneered by Herman von Helmholtz and William James into a comprehensive mathematical theory of brain and behavior with profound implications and strong empirical support. * David Hestenes, Arizona State University *Table of ContentsPREFACE Biological intelligence in sickness, health, and technology Chapter 1. OVERVIEW From Complementary Computing and Adaptive Resonance to conscious awareness Chapter 2. HOW A BRAIN MAKES A MIND Physics and psychology split as brain theories were born Chapter 3. HOW A BRAIN SEES: CONSTRUCTING REALITY Visual reality as illusions that explain how we see art Chapter 4. HOW A BRAIN SEES: NEURAL MECHANISMS From boundary completion and surface filling-in to figure-ground perception Chapter 5. LEARNING TO ATTEND, RECOGNIZE, AND PREDICT THE WORLD From vigilant conscious awareness to autism, amnesia, and Alzheimer's disease Chapter 6. CONSCIOUS SEEING AND INVARIANT RECOGNITION Complementary cortical streams coordinate attention for seeing and recognition Chapter 7. HOW WE SEE A CHANGING WORLD How vision regulates object and scene persistence Chapter 8. HOW WE SEE AND RECOGNIZE OBJECT MOTION Visual form and motion perception obey complementary laws Chapter 9. TARGET TRACKING, NAVIGATION, AND DECISION-MAKING Visual tracking and navigation obey complementary laws Chapter 10. LAMINAR COMPUTING BY CEREBRAL CORTEX Towards a unified theory of biological and artificial intelligence Chapter 11. HOW WE SEE THE WORLD IN DEPTH From 3D vision to how 2D pictures induce 3D percepts Chapter 12. FROM SEEING AND REACHING TO HEARING AND SPEAKING Circular reaction, streaming, working memory, chunking, and number Chapter 13. FROM KNOWING TO FEELING How emotion regulates motivation, attention, decision, and action Chapter 14. HOW PREFRONTAL CORTEX WORKS Cognitive working memory, planning, and emotion conjointly achieve valued goals Chapter 15. ADAPTIVELY TIMED LEARNING How timed motivation regulates conscious learning and memory consolidation Chapter 16. LEARNING MAPS TO NAVIGATE SPACE From grid, place, and time cells to autonomous mobile agents Chapter 17. A UNIVERSAL DEVELOPMENTAL CODE Mental measurements embody universal laws of cell biology and physics

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Book SynopsisMin W. Jung offers a new understanding of the neural basis of innovation in terms of humans’ exceptional capacity for imagination and high-level abstraction.Trade ReviewAlthough memory, imagination, and planning are discrete concepts, this insightful book by Min W. Jung, an internationally respected researcher, demonstrates that the brain does not make such distinctions. Written in delightful prose, this volume will spark interest for the specialist and other curious minds alike. -- György Buzsáki, author of Rhythms of the Brain and The Brain from Inside OutIn this wide-ranging and scholarly book, Min W. Jung conveys many of the complexities of modern cognitive neuroscience in an accessible way for readers with minimal scientific background. While his particular focus is on how the human brain became so good at innovation, his broad interests make this book a treat no matter one's background. -- Lynn Nadel, Regents Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of ArizonaA Brain for Innovation is a highly approachable account of how the human brain’s ability to imagine with abstract concepts has been applied to demystify this same ability. After entertaining us with his skillful crisscrossing of neuroscience, AI, and philosophy, Jung also reminds us that imagination is a double-edged sword and must be used cautiously to save our future. -- Daeyeol Lee, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience and Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I: Hippocampus and Imagination1. Hippocampus: From Memory to Imagination2. False Memory3. Place Cells and Hippocampal ReplayPart II: The Neural Symphony of Imagination4. Neural Circuits of the Hippocampus5. Value-Based Decision-Making6. Remembering Rewarding Futures7. The Evolution of ImaginationPart III: The Neural Foundation of Abstraction8. Abstract Thinking and Neocortex9. Prefrontal Cortex10. The Human Revolution and Associated Brain Changes11. Deep Neural NetworkPart IV: Beyond Imagination and Abstraction12. Sharing Ideas and Knowledge through Language13. On Creativity14. The Future of InnovationEpilogueAppendix 1: Dentate GyrusAppendix 2: Value-Coding NeuronsNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisWhy our fascination with psychopaths is scientifically wrongheaded, and how the criminal justice system has misused the controversial science of psychopathy.Psychopathy is a widely acknowledged personality disorder associated with callous unemotional traits and antisocial behaviors. Psychopathic persons are described as dangerous predators incapable of empathy and moral intuition, and while they are believed to only make up around 1% of the general population, forensic experts claim they are disproportionately responsible for the majority of violent crimes. Today, psychopathy assessments are being widely used in the legal system to inform a variety of judicial decisions. In Psychopathy Unmasked, Rasmus Rosenberg Larsen provides a critical rebuttal of psychopathy and its legal use, scrutinizing central claims about the diagnosis that have traditionally served to justify its role in the criminal justice system.It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of offenders undergo a psychopathy assessment each year in North America. This book surveys and discusses contemporary developments in psychopathy research where studies have consistently shown that psychopathic persons, contrary to mainstream beliefs, are not meaningfully more dangerous than, or psychologically different from, ordinary non-psychopathic criminals. Based on these disqualifying findings, Larsen argues that we should end the use of psychopathy assessments in the legal system.

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Book SynopsisMichio Kaku, the international bestselling author of Physics of the Impossible, gives us a stunning and provocative vision of the future of the mindRecording memories, mind reading, videotaping our dreams, mind control, avatars, and telekinesis - no longer are these feats of the mind solely the province of overheated science fiction. As Michio Kaku reveals, with the latest advances in brain science and recent astonishing breakthroughs in technology, they already exist. In The Future of the Mind, the New York Times-bestselling author takes us on a stunning, provocative and exhilarating tour of the top laboratories around the world to meet the scientists who are already revolutionising the way we think about the brain - and ourselves.''Summons up the sheer wonder of science'' - Daily Telegraph''Compelling ... Kaku thinks with great breadth, and the vistas he presents us are worth the trip'' - New York Times Book ReviewTrade ReviewCompelling ... Kaku thinks with great breadth, and the vistas he presents us are worth the trip * New York Times Book Review *Summons up the sheer wonder of science * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisHow do brains make minds? Paul Thagard presents a unified, brain-based theory of cognition and emotion with applications to the most complex kinds of thinking, right up to consciousness and creativity. Neural mechanisms are used to explain mental operations for analogy, action, intention, language, and the self.Brain-Mind develops a brilliant account of mental operations using promising new ideas from theoretical neuroscience. Single neurons cannot do much by themselves, but groups of neurons work together to accomplish powerful kinds of mental representation, including concepts, images, and rules. Minds enable people to perceive, imagine, solve problems, understand, learn, speak, reason, create, and be emotional and conscious. Competing explanations of how the mind works have identified it as soul, computer, brain, dynamical system, or social construction. This book explains minds in terms of interacting mechanisms operating at multiple levels, including the social, mental, neural, and molecular. Unification comes from systematic application of Chris Eliasmith''s powerful Semantic Pointer Architecture, a highly original synthesis of neural network and symbolic ideas about how the mind works. This book belongs to a trio that includes Mind-Society: From Brains to Social Sciences and Professions and Natural Philosophy: From Social Brains to Knowledge, Reality, Morality, and Beauty. They can be read independently, but together they make up a Treatise on Mind and Society that provides a unified and comprehensive treatment of the cognitive sciences, social sciences, professions, and humanities.Trade ReviewWith his deep background in cognitive science and philosophy of mind, Thagard is able to sketch a bird's eye view of the mind-encompassing cognition, emotion, and consciousness-while staying grounded in a computational theory of neural organization." * Keith J. Holyoak, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles *Paul Thagard's Brain-Mind is an extremely ambitious attempt (largely successful, I believe), to provide a unified, neurally-based, account of how the Brain creates the Mind. Using Chris Eliasmith's Semantic Pointer Architecture and related ideas, Thagard shows how all the various aspects of the mind from lower level phenomena, such as Perception, to the highest levels of cognition, such as Language and the Self, can be realized in terms of a set of unifying principles based on the Semantic Pointer Architecture and its grounding in neural mechanisms. It provides a strong intellectual foundation for the even more ambitious other volumes (Mind-Society and Natural Philosophy) of his three-volume Treatise on Mind and Society. Thagard takes us on a mind-expanding journey." * Stephen Read, Mendel B. Silberberg Professor of Social Psychology, University of Southern California *A readable overview of the philosophy of cognitive science and its goal of establishing mechanistic or computational models of cognition and emotion." * Choice *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments 1. What are Minds? Why Minds Matter What are Minds? Cognitive Science Representations and Processes Mechanisms Looking Ahead Summary Notes to Chapter 1: Minds 2. How Brains Make Minds Why Brains Matter to Mind and Society Thinking with Cells Neurons Neural Groups Combining Neural Representations Semantic Pointers The Semantic Pointer Architecture Innateness versus Learning Summary and Discussion Appendix: Details and Comparisons Notes to Chapter 2: Brains 3. Perception and Imagery Why Perception and Imagery Matter to Mind and Society From Sensation to Perception to Imagery External Senses Internal Senses Imagery Mental Mechanisms for Imagery Neural Mechanisms for Imagery Uses of Imagery Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 3: Perception 4. Concepts Why Concepts Matter to Mind and Society Theories of Concepts Neural Mechanisms for Concepts Uses of Concepts Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 4: Concepts 5. Rules Why Rules Matter to Mind and Society Mental Mechanisms for Rules Neural Mechanisms for Rules Uses of Rules Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 5: Rules 6. Analogies Why Analogies Matter to Mind and Society Mental Mechanisms for Analogy Neural Mechanisms for Analogy Uses of Analogies Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 6: Analogies 7. Emotions Why Emotions Matter to Mind and Society Psychological Theories of Emotion Neural Mechanisms for Emotions Uses of Emotions How Emotions Change Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 7: Emotions 8. Consciousness Why Consciousness Matters to Mind and Society Psychological Theories of Consciousness Neural Mechanisms for Consciousness Uses of Consciousness Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 8: Consciousness 9. Action and Intention Why Actions Matter to Mind and Society Psychological Theories of Action, Intention, and Will Neural Mechanisms for Action and Intention Uses of Action and Intention The Will Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 9: Action 10. Language Why Language Matters to Mind and Society Syntax First: Chomsky Integrating Syntax, Semantics, and Phonology Meaning Conceptual Blending Metaphor Innateness and Language Learning Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 10: Language 11. Creativity Why Creativity Matters to Mind and Society What is Creativity? Images Concepts Rules Procedural Creativity Analogies and Metaphors Emotions Case Study: CRISPR/Cas9 Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 11: Creativity 12. The Self Why the Self Matters to Mind and Society What is the Self? Semantic Pointers for Self-Representation Semantic Pointer Mechanisms for Self-Effecting and Self-Changing Multilevel Systems Molecular Mechanisms Social Mechanisms Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 12: Self References Index

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Book SynopsisRanging across both standard philosophical territory and the landscape of cutting-edge cognitive science, Mindware: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Cognitive Science, Second Edition, is a vivid and engaging introduction to key issues, research, and opportunities in the field.Starting with the vision of mindware as software and debates between realists, instrumentalists, and eliminativists, Andy Clark takes students on a no-holds-barred journey through connectionism, dynamical systems, and real-world robotics before moving on to the frontiers of cognitive technologies, enactivism, predictive coding, and the extended mind. Throughout, he highlights challenging issues in an effort to engage students in active debate. Each chapter opens with a brief sketch of a major research tradition or perspective, followed by concise critical discussions dealing with key topics and problems.NEW TO THIS EDITION* Three new chapters (9-11) on cognitive extensions, enactivism, and the predictive brain, and a revised appendix on consciousness* Extensive revisions, additions, and updates throughout in light of new developments in the field* New text boxes and revised and expanded suggestions for further reading, including many electronic resources (summarized on the book''s Companion Website at www.oup/us/coogan)Trade Review"The first edition of Mindware was so clear and engagingly written that it immediately became the go-to textbook for the philosophy of cognitive science. It was also so far out on the cutting edge that it has remained relevant for more than a decade. This updated and significantly expanded second edition is a major upgrade. With it, Andy Clark has improved on what already was the best introduction to the discipline and, no doubt, mapped out the debates of the next decade."--Anthony Chemero, University of Cincinnati "As an introduction to the field, Mindware has no equal. It's one thing to transport traditional philosophical discussions into the realm of empirical research; it's another thing to do so in a way that students find accessible and engaging. This is a lively and assured guide, and Clark is an excellent tour guide."--Scott M. James, University of North Carolina WilmingtonTable of ContentsIntroduction: (Not) Like a Rock ; 1. Meat Machines: Mindware as Software ; 2. Symbol Systems ; 3. Patterns, Contents, and Causes ; 4. Connectionism ; 5. Perception, Action, and the Brain ; 6. Robots and Artificial Life ; 7. Dynamics ; 8. Cognitive Technology: Beyond the Naked Brain ; 9. Extended Minds? ; 10. Enacting Perceptual Experience ; 11. Prediction Machines ; Appendix I. Some Backdrop: Dualism, Behaviorism, and Beyond ; Appendix II . Consciousness and the Meta-Hard Problem

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Book SynopsisThe comprehensive guide to preventing Alzheimer''s and other thinking disorders, from the leading authority and bestselling author of The Complete Guide to Memory, Dr Richard Restak.According to the WHO, Alzheimer's ranks as the seventh leading cause of death globally. By 2050, or earlier in the absence of a breakthrough, the number of people aged 65 and older with Alzheimer's is projected to reach 12.7 million people.But the more you know about dementia, the more tools you'll have to prevent or delay its onset and the more thoughtfully you'll be able to understand and interact with loved ones living with the condition.In How to Prevent Dementia, top neurologist Dr Richard Restak arms us with practical advice for how to reduce the risk factors - from better sleep, diet, regular exercise and physical activity to the importance of maintaining social networks and intellectual stimulation, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of new mTrade Review[A] comprehensive compendium of everything we know about memory and how we might improve it * New Scientist *Our memory defines both who we are and who we think we are. Memory makes us human and explains why one of our greatest fears is the cruel loss of memory associated with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. In this wonderfully lucid and erudite book Richard Restak explains the varied nature of memory, how we can enhance our memory, why memory fails, and the action of aids, that may or may not, enhance our memory. I recommend this book as an essential read for anybody interested in knowing what it is to be human * Russell Foster, Professor of Circadian Neuroscience, University of Oxford and bestselling author of Life Time *Thought provoking .... Tips its hat at some very big ideas * The Times *Drawing on relevant scientific findings, as well as practical wisdom dating back to ancient times, Richard Restak has written a fine and comprehensive book about human memory. Whether you are a cognitive scientist, an interested student, a worried elder, or simply a curious reader, you are likely to marvel at and possibly enhance your mnemonic skills * Howard Gardner, Hobbs Research Professor of Cognition and Education, Harvard University *

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Book SynopsisFrom the influential author of Dynamics in Action, how the concepts of constraints provide a way to rethink relationships, opening the way to intentional, meaningful causation.Grounding her work in the problem of causation, Alicia Juarrero challenges previously held beliefs that only forceful impacts are causes. Constraints, she claims, bring about effects as well, and they enable the emergence of coherence. In Context Changes Everything, Juarrero shows that coherence is induced by enabling constraints, not forceful causes, and that the resulting coherence is then maintained by constitutive constraints. Constitutive constraints, in turn, become governing constraints that regulate and modulate the way coherent entities behave. Using the tools of complexity science, she offers a rigorously scientific understanding of identity, hierarchy, and top-down causation, and in so doing, presents a new way of thinking about the natural world. Juarrero

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Book SynopsisA novel account of the explanatory role of representation in both the cognitive sciences and commonsense practice that preserves the virtues without the defects of the prevailing two views about mental representation.Philosophers of mind tend to hold one of two broad views about mental representation: they are either robustly realist about mental representations, taking them to have determinate, objective content independent of attributors? explanatory interests and goals, or they embrace some form of anti-realism, holding that mental representations are at best useful fictions. Neither view is satisfactory. In Deflating Mental Representation, Frances Egan develops and defends a distinctive third way?a view she calls a deflationary account of mental representation?that both resolves philosophical worries about content and best fits actual practice in science and everyday life.According to Egan?s deflationary account, appeal to mental representation does indeed pick out causes of behavior, but the attribution of content to these causes is best understood as a pragmatically motivated gloss, justified in part by attributors? explanatory interests and goals. Content plays an explanatory role in the deflationary account, but one quite different than that assumed by robust representational realists. Egan also develops a novel account of perceptual experience as a kind of modeling of our inner lives by aspects of external reality and explains the role of appeal to representation in this process.

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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 SynopsisThis book offers practical advice for legal professionals to optimize cognitive fitness and protect their brain from the damaging effects of chronic stress. Drawing on the latest research in neuroscience and psychology, it provides actionable information to help readers thrive amidst the demands and stressors of the legal profession.

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Book SynopsisHate speech comprises any form of hateful or contemptuous expression that attacks, degrades, or vilifies people based on their social identities. This Element focuses on hate speech targeting social identities that are devalued by a society''s dominant groups, and that is likely to evoke, promote, or legitimize harms such violence, discrimination, and oppression. After detailing the ways in which hate speech is expressed (e.g., through derogatory labels, metaphors, offensive imagery), the production of hate speech is explored at theindividual level (e.g., prejudiced attitudes), group level (e.g., realistic intergroup threat), and societal level (e.g., hierarchy maintenance; free speech protections). A discussion of the effects of blatant and anonymous hate speech on targets (e.g., anxiety and depression) and nontargets (e.g., stereotype activation; desensitization; fomenting violence) follows. Finally, the effectiveness of mitigation efforts isexplored, including use of computer-based technologies, speech codes, confrontation, and counterspeech.

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Book SynopsisFeaturing interviews with over 60 expert artists from varied fields, this book tells the story of the creative artistic life. It covers early influences, becoming a professional, addressing business realities, and considering legacy, it contributes to the growing field of creativity studies spanning psychology, education, humanities, and the arts.

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Book SynopsisThis book studies how to improve problem-based and inquiry-based learning by incorporating cognitive maps.Problem-based learning and cognitive mapping are reviewed from the perspective of both learning sciences and cognitive sciences, including the underpinning theories of experiential learning, situated learning, collaborative learning, meaningful learning, externalized representations, and visual representations. The result is a comprehensive review and analysis of cognitive mapping-supported problem-based learning, with the topic discussed from cognitive, metacognitive, social, and motivational and emotional perspectives. Furthermore, the author presents a theory-driven design, implementation, and analysis of design-based research to improve problem-based learning using cognitive mapping.The book will provide implications for researchers and practitioners of learning sciences, psychology, instructional systems, and cognitive tools.

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Book SynopsisA milestone in the study of value in human life and thought, written by one of the world's preeminent living philosophers The Moral Powers: A Study of Human Nature is a philosophical investigation of the moral potentialities and sensibilities of human beings, of the meaning of human life, and of the place of death in life. It is an essay in philosophical anthropology: the study of the conceptual framework in terms of which we think about, speak about, and investigate homo sapiens as a social and cultural animal. This volume examines the diversity of values in human life and the place of moral value within the varieties of values. Its subject is the nature of good and evil and our propensity to virtue and vice. Acting as theculmination offive decadesof reflection onthephilosophy of mind, epistemology,ethics,and humannature, this volume: Concludes Hacker's acclaimed Human Nature tetralogy: Human Nature: The Categorial Framework, The ITable of ContentsProlegomenon xi 1. Philosophical anthropology and the investigation of value xi 2. The sinopia for a fresco xvi Acknowledgements xxiv Part I Of Good and Evil 1 Chapter 1 The Roots of Value and the Nature of Morality 3 1. The place of values in a world of facts 3 2. Varieties of goodness 8 3. The framework of moral goodness 17 4. Morality 24 5. Individual critical morality 30 Chapter 2 The Roots of Morality and the Nature of Moral Goodness 33 1. Moral goodness 33 2. The roots of moral value 38 3. Respect 46 4. The relative permanence of the virtues 58 5. Constants in human nature 61 Chapter 3 The Roots of Evil 65 1. The horror! 65 2. The grammar of evil: preliminary clarification 76 3. Philosophical problems: does evil exist? 83 4. Philosophical problems: can evil be explained? 89 Chapter 4 Explanations of Evil 101 1. The variety of explanations 101 2. Reasons and motives for doing evil 103 3. Can evil be a motive? 115 4. Knowledge of good and evil 121 5. Experimental psychology: Milgram’s and Browning’s explanations of evil‐doing 125 Chapter 5 Evil and the Death of the Soul 129 1. Body, mind, and soul 129 2. The death of the soul 138 3. Forgiveness and self‐forgiveness 143 4. Evil and the unforgivable 148 5. From soul to soul: trisecting an angle with compass and rule 152 Part II Of Freedom and Responsibility 155 Chapter 6 Fatalism and Determinism 157 1. Of fate and fortune 157 2. Fatalism 162 3. Nomological determinism 169 4. Flaws in reductive determinism 173 5. The random and the determined 177 Chapter 7 Neuroscientific Determinism, Freedom, and Responsibility 179 1. Neuroscientific determinism 179 2. Explanations of human behaviour: a recapitulation 182 3. Neuroscientific explanation and its limits 188 4. How possible, not why necessary 192 5. Varieties of responsibility 196 6. Elaboration 201 7. Irresistible impulse and temptation 203 Part III Of Pleasure and Happiness 207 Chapter 8 Pleasure and Enjoyment 209 1. Varieties of hedonism 209 2. Pleasure, enjoyment, and being pleased 212 3. Pleasure, pain, and the pleasures of sensation 219 4. Enjoyment and the pleasures of activities 224 5. Pleasure, desire, and satisfaction 229 6. Comparability and quantification 231 7. First‐person judgements of pleasure 235 8. The hedonic life 237 Chapter 9 Happiness 243 1. The linguistic terrain 243 2. A distinct idea of happiness 246 3. A clear idea of happiness 250 4. Preconditions of happiness 263 5. The epistemology of happiness 266 6. Two philosophical traditions 269 7. Happiness and morality 276 Chapter 10 The Science of Happiness 281 1. From eighteenth‐century crudity and back again 281 2. How happiness is understood by happiness scientists 286 3. Psychological and epistemological presuppositions of the science of happiness 290 4. Measuring happiness 294 5. Some results of the science of happiness 298 Part IV Of Meaning and Death 305 Chapter 11 The Need for Meaning 307 1. Meaning 307 2. The primacy of loss of meaning and the sense of meaninglessness 313 3. The roots of meaninglessness 316 4. Does life have a meaning? 326 5. Finding meaning in human life 329 Chapter 12 The Place of Death in Human Life 334 1. What is death? 334 2. An afterlife 338 3. The valuelessness of life 341 4. The value of life 344 5. Living for ever 349 6. Thanatophobia – the fear of death 353 Appendices Appendix 1: On Animal Beliefs and Animal Morality 361 1. Animal morality 361 2. Animal thinking, animal thoughts, and animal memory 364 3. Counter‐arguments and their rebuttal 367 4. Animal knowledge of other animals’ minds 378 5. Animal emotions 384 Appendix 2: Diabology: Satan, Lucifer, and the Devil in Western Thought 390 Appendix 3: Hannah Arendt and the Banality of Evil 398 Appendix 4: The Pictorial Representation of Pleasure in Western Art 407 Index 412

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Book SynopsisMachine learning, big data and AI are reshaping the human experience and forcing us to develop a new ethical intelligence. Peter Hershock offers a new way to think about attention, personal presence, and ethics as intelligent technology shatters previously foundational certainties and opens entirely new spaces of opportunity. Rather than turning exclusively to cognitive science and contemporary ethical theories, Hershock shows how classical Confucian and Socratic philosophies help to make visible what a history of choices about remaking ourselves through control biased technology has rendered invisible. But it is in Buddhist thought and practice that Hershock finds the tools for valuing and training our attention, resisting the colonization of consciousness, and engendering a more equitable and diversity-enhancing human-technology-world relationship. Focusing on who we need to be present as to avoid a future in which machines prevent us from either making or learning from our own misTrade ReviewThis book asks a very original research question: who do we need to be present as in order to respond to the predicament of artificial intelligence? This is not a self-help guide, but an invitation to an interpersonal, intercultural, and intergenerational pluralist deliberation about one the pressing challenges of our time. Compulsory reading for anyone who looks further than the usual discourses and is ready to improvise. * Mark Coeckelbergh, Professor of Philosophy of Media and Technology, University of Vienna, Austria *Hershock breaks new ground in linking Buddhist scholarship to contemporary predicaments occasioned by intelligent technology. Recommended for anyone working in technology ethics as a means of extending their perspective beyond the usual ethical frameworks. * Laura Specker Sullivan, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Fordham University, USA *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Artificial Intelligence: A Brief History 2. The Intelligence Revolution: A Work in Progress 3. Total Attention Capture and Control: A Future to Avoid 4. Anticipating an Ethics of Intelligence 5. Dimensions of Personal Resolve: Confucian Conduct, Socratic Reasoning, and Buddhist Consciousness 6. Humane Becoming: Cultivating Responsive Virtuosity 7. What Comes Next? Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThomas Lawson is Professor Emeritus at Western Michigan University, USA. He is also Honorary Professor and Research Scientist at the Institute of Cognition and Culture, Queen's University Belfast, UK.Trade ReviewE. Thomas Lawson is the grand elder of the Cognitive Science of Religion, who brought together and mentored a younger generation of scholars as the field became established and who has continued to inspire at least two more generations after that. This long-awaited book reveals how he did it and it will be of great interest to everyone engaged in the scientific study of the religion. * Professor Harvey Whitehouse, Chair of Social Anthropology, University of Oxford, UK *What better way to learn about this field than to listen to the stories and insightful musings of the field’s godfather and one of the first evangelists? This pithy volume gives readers a unique vantage of the intellectual motivations and innovations that birthed the cognitive science of religion. * Justin L. Barrett, President, Blueprint 1543, USA *Tom Lawson is one of the creators of the field of cognitive approaches to religious thought and behavior, and one of the main contributors to what is now an established discipline, with journals, meetings, and textbooks. Lawson was also a pioneer in the formal study of ritual behavior. The essays reflect the breadth and depth of his insights about the relations between human mental capacities and cultural variation. * Pascal Boyer, Professor of Individual and Collective Memory, Washington University in St. Louis, USA *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Toward Cognitive Science of Religion PART I: Theoretical Issues in the Cognitive Science of Religion 2. Magic Bullets and Complex Theories 3. The Wedding of Psychology, Ethnography, and History: Methodological Bigamy or Tripartite Free Love? 4. Cognitive Categories, Cultural Forms, and Ritual Structures 5. Evoked and Transmitted Culture PART II: Cognition and the Imagination 6. Cognitive Constraints on Imagining Other Worlds 7. The Explanation of Myth and Myth as Explanation 8. Psychological Perspectives on Agency 9. How to Create a Religion PART III: Cognition, Culture, and History 10. History in Science 11. The Cognitive Science of Religion and the Growth of Knowledge 12. Counterintuitive Notions and the Problem of Transmission: The Relevance of Cognitive Science for the Study of History 13. Experimental Adventures Conclusion Index

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Book SynopsisresearchED is an educator-led organisation with the goal of bridging the gap between research and practice. This accessible and punchy series, overseen by founder Tom Bennett, tackles the most important topics in education, with a range of experienced contributors exploring the latest evidence and research and how it can apply in a variety of classroom settings. In this edition, Kate Jones considers various principles from cognitive science that can be used to enhance teaching and learning, including cognitive load theory, dual coding theory, interleaving, retrieval practice and spaced practice. Kate has sourced contributions from teachers and researchers including Jade Pearce, Sarah Cottingham, Adam Boxer, Jonathan Firth, Paul A. Kirschner, Pedro De Bruyckere and Lekha Sharma. Kate Jones is a teacher and an experienced leader. She is the author of seven books and is senior associate for teaching and learning at Evidence Based Education.

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Book SynopsisThe human brain is an impossibly complex and delicate instrument - capable of extraordinary calculations, abundant creativity and linguistic dexterity. But the brain is not just the most brilliant of evolutionary wonders. It's also one of the most bizarre.This book shows a whole other side of how brains work - from the patient who is afraid to take a shower because she fears her body will slip down the drain to a man who is convinced, against all evidence, that he is a cat, and a woman who compulsively snacks on cigarette ashes.Entertaining though they are, these cases are more than just oddities. In attempting to understand them, neuroscientists have uncovered important details about how the brain works. BIZARRE will examine these details while explaining what neuroscience's most unusual patients have taught us about normal brain function -ideal both for readers seeking a better appreciation of the inner workings of the brain and those

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Book SynopsisA short but engaging exploration of the brain. In Brains, scientist Leif Ostergaard explores our most complicated and mysterious organ. From the dissection of Einstein's brain to research on how to map networks of neurons, Ostergaard deconstructs the different parts of the brain and provides an engaging overview of its essential functions. He explains how we store information in the synapses of neural networks and how these networks carry commands to our muscles and internal organs and receive sensory input from our skin, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Delving into the subconscious, we learn what our brains are doing while we daydream and how neurotransmitters play a role in addiction. In this fascinating book, Ostergaard reveals how this enigmatic organ is even more complex than we thought it was. In Reflections, a series copublished with Denmark's Aarhus University Press, scholars deliver 60-page reflections on key concepts. These books present unique insights on a wide range of toTable of ContentsThe Mind of a GeniusThe Subconscious BrainMapping the CerebrumThe Learning BrainLet Your Mind Soar

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Book SynopsisThis book will get you thinking about thinking.We understand more about the brain than ever before and we also have more tools than ever before to help us think. This book will show you how your brain works, how your mind works, why we all make certain mistakes in thinking and why that''s not always a bad thing. In order to understand how people behave, you need to understand how people think. And if you want to understand how people think, you need to have a basic understanding of cognitive psychology, cognitive science and cognitive neuroscience. This book explains cognition and the links between the brain, the mind and behaviour in a clear and straightforward way. Through interesting case studies and research examples, Minda shows how the brain is involved in mental activity, how memory works, how language affects thought, how good (and bad) decisions are made, and why we make predictable errors in our thinking. With practical applications for everyTrade ReviewThought-provoking . . . [Minda] knows the mind like the back of his hand . . . [How to Think] is a comprehensive account of thinking and behaviour that showcases the sheer brilliance of the human brain * Reaction *An approachable and engaging book about cognitive psychology for the curious lay reader ... I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in cognitive psychology or simply understanding human behaviour * The Psychologist *

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Book Synopsis What is economics’ missing link? Recent economic crises have had a devastating impact on society. Worryingly, they gravely risked a collapse of the financial system. These crises also painfully revealed economics’ blind spots. Crucially, economics is not an innocent bystander but central to the problem. In this pioneering book, Patrick Schotanus explains that economics’ mechanical worldview is the ontological error which leads to flawed thinking and faulty practices. The Market Mind Hypothesis (MMH) thus calls it "mechanical economics": it not only erroneously views but also dangerously treats the economy as a machine, the market as an automaton, and its agents as robots. Inspired by heterodox economic and leading cognitive thinkers, this book offers an alternative paradigm. Central to MMH’s psychophysical worldview is the fact that consumers, investors, and other participants are conscious beings and that their minds’ extension makes consciousness a reality in markets, exemplified by market mood. Specifically, denial of the complex mind~matter exchanges as the essence of markets means the extended mind~body problem is economics’ elephant in the room. The book argues that if mechanical economics is the answer, we have been asking the wrong questions. Moreover, we will not solve our economic predicaments by doubling down on the assumption of rationality, nor by identifying yet another behavioural bias. Instead, scholars and students of economics and finance as well as finance practitioners need to investigate—through cognitive economics—the deep links between markets and minds to better understand both. With a foreword by investment strategist Russell Napier, an intermezzo by neuroscientist and complexity pioneer Scott Kelso, and an afterword by 4E cognition philosopher Julian Kiverstein.

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Book SynopsisA short, accessible primer on human memory, its workings, feats, and flaws, by two leading psychological researchers.Why do we vividly recall a traumatic childhood event but forget where we left our keys five minutes ago? How can a scent take us back fifty years while a colleague’s name eludes us? In this compact introduction, two leading psychological researchers describe memory—how it works and why it sometimes doesn’t; how it can be tricked, trained, or improved; and what changes with time. In a manner as engaging as it is informative, Fergus Craik and Larry Jacoby explain the strengths and weaknesses of memory. They trace evolving ideas about memory’s function and present a down-to-earth account of modern views. Citing the latest research, they outline the processes for acquiring and retrieving memories and explore the distinction between conscious and unconscious processes. With insights into the workings of the brain, Craik and

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Book SynopsisDid you know that science has revealed what actions and circumstances make your brain learn more effectively?In this book, a scientist explains in a simple and very entertaining way how your brain learns and what you can do to take advantage of its full potential.Among other things, you will find out that:- Both people who are good at learning and those who are not can improve their performance if they use the right learning strategies: those that align with the way the brain learns best!- Most students do not know these strategies and those who spontaneously develop them gain a huge advantage without even realizing it.- Your brain is much more powerful than you realize in terms of its ability to learn. Every time you learn something, your brain changes its structure!When you learn about how the brain learns, you learn to learn!

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Book SynopsisEXERCISE YOUR BRAIN with 40 simple tips and exercises you can do at home and on the goBEAT BURNOUT and learn to cope with the stresses and strains of everyday lifeBACKED UP BY EXPERT NEUROSCIENCE from Dr Sabina Brennan, best-selling author of Beating Brain FogINCLUDES A BOOKLET with more information about the inner workings of the brain and how to make it work for you!LAURENCE KING PUBLISHING has been capturing imaginations and inspiring creativity in new and unexpected ways for over 30 years, with playful and eye-catching games, gifts and booksDiscover 40 activity, attitude and lifestyle changes to reshape your brain. Whether you''re feeling foggy, stressed, or just looking for a boost, pick out a card, perform the simple exercise and learn the science behind why it works. Featuring 40 cards with practical tips to shape your brain as well as a booklet with information about brain behaviour and brain c

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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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