Social, group or collective psychology Books

Book SynopsisLiya Yu develops a novel political framework that builds on neuroscientific discoveries to rethink the social contract. She advances a new neuropolitical language of persuasion that refrains from moralizing or shaming and instead appeals to shared neurobiological vulnerabilities.Trade ReviewEstablished systems are rarely challenged by big ideas in the way Yu does in this book. She takes on central concepts that ground our legal and political systems, holds them up to the light of neuroscience and psychology data, and discusses the implications for moving society forward. It is a wonderful example of interdisciplinary scholarship on the brain and society, and prudent reading given humanity’s current crises. -- Lasana Harris, University College LondonThis brilliant book will transform the way we think about identity, "race," and the innumerable and persistent conflicts that have been fed by false perceptions of difference between human beings. It is essential reading for everyone interested in resolving one of the central issues of our time. -- David C. Johnston, Columbia UniversityLiya Yu’s important book comes at a critical time when our increasingly divided world needs to better understand what brain and behavioral science powerfully tells us about being human. By revealing how our brains navigate our social world and process the experiences of fear, exclusion, and dehumanization, Liya offers us a path informed by science and evidence to create a better world where empathy, understanding, and belonging can be manifested and made real. -- Tim Phillips, founder and CEO of Beyond ConflictLiya Yu shows how neuroscience can provide a lingua franca to bridge the mental gap dividing racial, partisan, and ideological groups that are primed to dehumanize the other. Where banalities about tolerance no longer ring true, our 'disillusioned curiosity' can still lead us to understand the workings of our 'exclusionary brains.' -- Jack Snyder, Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Relations, Columbia UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction: Vulnerable Minds in Charlottesville1. A Battle Over Reality: Pitching the Social Contract Anew2. Unlocking the Black Box: Social Neuroscience’s Political Power3. Shared Vulnerabilities: We All Have Dehumanizing Brains4. Humanization Duties at Home: Neuropolitical Strategies for Liberal Democracies5. Humanization Duties Abroad: The Other in a Postcolonial WorldConclusion: Toward a Neuromaterialist Idea of Our Political SelvesAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisIs conflict caused by an inherently hostile human nature? Are efforts to promote peaceful co-existence fated to fail? Is the story of human history destined to play out a clash of civilizations?These are the questions framing contemporary debate over diversity, immigration and multiculturalism. The Social Brain provides an entirely new psychological perspective on this debate. It argues that diversity is critical to our very survival as a species; that contact with different cultures was, and is, the essential element that fuels our creativity, innovation and growth. It asserts that diversity was the key to our intellectual evolution and will be integral to helping us tackle the most pressing social, political and economic concerns of our time.The Social Brain ties the origins of the modern mind to the evolution of human society, and provides an entirely new insight into how we can harness the ingenuity and invention that reside within us alTrade ReviewWritten in a thought-provoking and entertaining style, The Social Brain reviews the scientific evidence behind our natural tendency to detect and react to social difference . . a must read for anybody interested in the psychology of intergroup conflict, intercultural relations, and the design of policies to manage social diversity.

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Book SynopsisThe real story behind the Tavistock Institute and its network, from a popular conspiracy expert The Tavistock Institute, in Sussex, England, describes itself as a nonprofit charity that applies social science to contemporary issues and problems. But this book posits that it is the world’s center for mass brainwashing and social engineering activities. It grew from a somewhat crude beginning at Wellington House into a sophisticated organization that was to shape the destiny of the entire planet, and in the process, change the paradigm of modern society. In this eye-opening work, both the Tavistock network and the methods of brainwashing and psychological warfare are uncovered. With connections to U.S. research institutes, think tanks, and the drug industry, the Tavistock has a large reach, and Tavistock Institute attempts to show that the conspiracy is real, who is behind it, what its final long term objectives are, and how we the people can stop them.

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Book SynopsisCulture comes in many forms. Cultural Psychology: Cross-Cultural and Multicultural Perspectives combines hard science with everyday issues to explore how the intangible forces of our cultural milieuincluding the power of race, religion, class, and genderpowerfully changes the way we want, think, and do the things that we do. It covers both cross-cultural differences and multicultural issues, incorporating both approaches to tackle modern issues of diversity and living in a diverse world. Combines both cross-cultural and multicultural approaches in a single comprehensive text. Includes chapters on the newest, most ground-breaking issues facing the study of culture: oUnpacks the origins of where culture comes from oDiscusses the history of culture and modern-day laboratory studiesoExplains how culture shapes the brain (and how the brain changes culture)oDescribes cultural change in the era of globalizationTable of ContentsPrologue Part I: CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY, OR THE QUESTION OF HOW WE DIFFER 1.Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality 2.Class 3.Religion 4.Gender 5.Region 6.Human Universals Part II: MULTI-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY, OR WHEN CULTURES COLLIDE 7.Intergroup Conflict: Stereotypes, Prejudice and Discrimination 8.Ingroup Derogation and Self-Stereotyping 9.Identity and Acculturation 10.Navigating Diversity: Multiculturalism versus Culture-blindness Part III: THE FUTURE OF CULTURE 11.Where Does Culture Come From? 12.Culture and the Brain: Frontiers in Cultural Neuroscience 13.Predicting the Future: Tracking Cultural Change Epilogue

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Book SynopsisLearn how to develop self-awareness and use it to become more fulfilled, confident, and successful.Most people feel like they know themselves pretty well. But what if you could know yourself just a little bit better—and with this small improvement, get a big payoff…not just in your career, but in your life?   Research shows that self-awareness—knowing who we are and how others see us—is the foundation for high performance, smart choices, and lasting relationships. There’s just one problem: most people don’t see themselves quite as clearly as they could.   Fortunately, reveals organizational psychologist Tasha Eurich, self-awareness is a surprisingly developable skill. Integrating hundreds of studies with her own research and work in the Fortune 500 world, she shows us what it really takes to better understand ourselves on the inside—and how to get others to tell us the honest truth about how we come across.   Through stories of people who have made dramatic gains in self-awareness, she offers surprising secrets, techniques and strategies to help you do the same—and how to use this insight to be more fulfilled, confident, and successful in life and in work.   In Insight, you'll learn:• The 7 types of self-knowledge that self-aware people possess.• The 2 biggest invisible roadblocks to self-awareness.• Why approaches like therapy and journaling don't always lead to true insight• How to stop your confidence-killing habits and learn to love who you are.• How to benefit from mindfulness without uttering a single mantra.• Why other people don’t tell you the truth about yourself—and how to find out what they really think.• How to deepen your insight into your passions, gifts, and the blind spots that could be holding you back.• How to hear critical feedback without losing your mojo.• Why the people with the most power can often be the least-self-aware, and how smart leaders avoid this trap.• The 3 building blocks for self-aware teams.• How to deal with delusional bosses, clients, and coworkers.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewDexter Dias is on the side of the angels, who turn out to be us, the people. He writes like an angel too. Uplifting and indispensable. -- Howard Cunnell, author of Fathers and SonsIn defining and describing his human types, he draws on lab experiments, the animal kingdom, and all the literature you might expect from a modern behaviourist. Yet the main body of the book, the bits that transfixed and stayed with me, stopped me sleeping but got me up in the morning, were the human stories that Dias has travelled the world to find. His interviewees are always people, the most vivid flesh and blood, never case studies. And yet that’s not what’s so extraordinary about it: storytellers are rare, but not vanishingly so... Dias’s work as a human rights lawyer gives him this instinctive, urgent belief that all injustices, all catastrophes, exploitations, acts of violence, all human misery can be taken on and overcome, somehow, if the right people try and there are enough of them. His combination of rigour, idealism and pragmatism makes fertile terrain out of the most appalling battlefields... I emerged from this book feeling better about almost everything. The ideas in The Ten Types of Human are a layperson’s opening into a fascinating academic field: but more than that, a mosaic of faces building into this extraordinary portrait of our species. -- Zoe Williams * Guardian *The Ten Types of Human is a fantastic piece of non-fiction, mixing astonishing real-life cases with the latest scientific research to provide a guide to who we really are. It’s inspiring and essential. -- Charles DuhiggThis book is the one. Dexter Dias has written a game changer. Think Sapiens and triple it. -- Julia Hobsbawm, author of Fully Connected

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Book SynopsisA scathingly funny, wildly erotic and fiercely imaginative story about food, sex and god from the Women''s Prize longlisted author of The Pisces A STYLIST, INDEPENDENT, THE WEEK AND RED HIGHLIGHT FOR 2021 ''Sexy and fun and a little weird ... This riot of carnal pleasure will make you laugh as well as gasp'' The Times''A revelation ... Melissa Broder has produced one of the strangest and sexiest novels of the new year ... Exhilarating'' Entertainment Weekly''A luscious, heartbreaking story of self-discovery through the relentless pursuit of desire. I couldn't get enough of this devastating and extremely sexy book'' Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other PartiesRachel is twenty-four, a lapsed Jew who has made calorie restriction her religion. By day, she maintains an illusion of control by way of obsessive food rituals. At night, she pedals nowhere on the elliptical machine. TheTrade ReviewEvery encounter is written with sumptuous detail, from glutting on nachos to intimate sex scenes (real and imagined), making for a simultaneously uncomfortable and revelatory read * Evening Standard *Melissa Broder’s exhilarating, bleakly funny Milk Fed is another study of female appetite … The most eroticised, tender and romanticised writing in this singular novel is of food’ * Sunday Times *Milk Fed is a rich, sensual comedy about the joys rather than the privations of the flesh, and with a large number of extremely filthy sex scenes… A funny, sexy, romance about transgressive desire and whipped cream * Daily Mail *Melissa Border's imagination, which gave us the story of a woman falling in love with a merman in The Pisces, returns with another wonderfully strange story * Esquire *[An] imaginative story about food, sex and God (yes, all three of those) * Red *Weird, funny and filthy … Milk, motherhood, food, faith, sex and desire are all tangled in a mess of archetypes, delivered with a sarky millennial spin. Milk Fed will be too much for some – too list-y, too vulgar, too solipsistic – but others will delight in its excesses * Sunday Telegraph *Deeply hilarious and embarrassingly relatable -- Samantha Irby, author of 'Wow, No Thank You'Milk Fed hits that sweet spot where pleasure and tension intersect, where the sumptuous exploration of sexuality and spirit meets the rigidities of culture and society. Strange and surreal, Broder's writing is a marvel of wit, heart, and thoughtful curiosity about the body and mind and how these things can overflow their boundaries to become utterly new -- Alexandra Kleeman, author of 'You Too Could Have a Body Like Mine'Sin as self-discovery, appetite as insight, transgression as transformation, Milk Fed is at once hilarious and heartbreaking; watching Broder's characters try to love themselves might just make you love yourself.... or at least hate yourself a little less -- Shalom Auslander, author of 'Mother for Dinner'Smart, funny, sexy, and hard to put down. In this fast-moving, deeply compelling novel, Melissa Broder combines an unexpected (and very hot) love story with a sharp-edged examination of body image, religion, and cultural identity -- Tom Perrotta, author of 'Mrs. Fletcher'Melissa Broder goes there and goes there again. Milk Fed is a hilarious and painfully accurate excavation of the female self-gaze, an erotic romp, a hyper witty satire of certain corridors of contemporary American culture and an unstoppable, wickedly seductive read -- Dana SpiottaPhysical hunger, sexual desire and spiritual longing merge in Broder’s funny meditation on appetites * Country & Town House *

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Book SynopsisA New York Times BestsellerAn audacious, irreverent investigation of human behavior—and a first look at a revolution in the making   Our personal data has been used to spy on us, hire and fire us, and sell us stuff we don’t need. In Dataclysm, Christian Rudder uses it to show us who we truly are.   For centuries, we’ve relied on polling or small-scale lab experiments to study human behavior. Today, a new approach is possible. As we live more of our lives online, researchers can finally observe us directly, in vast numbers, and without filters. Data scientists have become the new demographers.   In this daring and original book, Rudder explains how Facebook likes can predict, with surprising accuracy, a person’s sexual orientation and even intelligence; how attractive women receive exponentially more interview requests; and why you must have haters to be hot. He charts the rise and fall o

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Book SynopsisIn Invisible Influence, the New York Times bestselling author of Contagious explores the subtle influences that affect the decisions we make – from what we buy, to the careers we choose, to what we eat.   If you're like most people, you think your individual tastes and opinions drive your choices and behaviours. You wear a certain jacket because you liked how it looked. You picked a particular career because you found it interesting. The notion that our choices are driven by our own personal thoughts and opinions is patently obvious. Right? Wrong. Without our realizing it, other people's behaviour has a huge influence on everything we do at every moment of our lives, from the mundane to the momentous. Even strangers have an impact on our judgments and decisions: our attitudes toward a welfare policy shift if we're told it is supported by Democrats versus Republicans (even though the policy is the same). But social influence doesn't just lead us to do the same things as others. In some cases we imitate others around us. But in other cases we avoid particular choices or behaviours because other people are doing them. We stop listening to a band because they go mainstream. We skip buying the minivan because we don't want to look like a soccer mom.By understanding how social influence works, we can decide when to resist and when to embrace it – and learn how we can use this knowledge to exercise more control over our own behaviour. Trade Review"With great insight, Jonah Berger removes the cloak of invisibility from powerful sources of influence and resolves fascinating mysteries of human behavior." - Robert Cialdini, author of Influence“If you want to know what really influences your behavior, read Jonah Berger’s latest eye-opening book, packed with thought-provoking research, memorable stories, and powerful insights. A terrific read!”—William Ury, author of Getting to Yes with Yourself“As he did with Contagious, Jonah Berger takes us deep beneath the surface of things, with mesmerizing results. Invisible Influence is a book with the power to transform the way we see ourselves and our place in the world.”—Arianna Huffington, author of Thrive“Jonah Berger has done it again: Written a fascinating book that brims with ideas and tools for how to think about the world.” – Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit“From the very first page, this book will change the way you look at yourself—and others. Eye-opening and thoroughly engaging.”—Amy Cuddy, author of Presence“Whether you want to influence others, make smarter decisions, or just better understand the mystery that is human behavior, this book will show you how. A terrific, insightful read.”—Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos“Berger offers an engaging guide to the concept of social influence. Berger’s prose is consistently entertaining, applying science to real life in surprising ways and explaining research through narrative. His book fascinates because it opens up the moving parts of a mysterious machine, allowing readers to watch them in action.”—Publishers Weekly“Berger picks up where his Contagious: Why Things Catch On (2013) left off to explore why we desire what we do—and more, why we act as we do, politically, socially, economically, and emotionally… he does a good job of distilling scientific insights into easily understood object lessons on social psychology.”—Kirkus Reviews"Jonah continues to be one of the most innovative psychological researchers publishing today. His insights are not only thought provoking and counter-intuitive, he manages to express them in a practical and pragmatic way. I'll read anything he writes—and use it too."—Ryan Holiday, author of Trust Me I'm Lying and Growth Hacker Marketing.“Invisible Influence is that rare business book that’s both informative and enough fun to take to the beach.”—Anne Fisher, Fortune.com“Grab one or both of his books and read them through the lens of your own business. Just maybe you will become more effective at influencing your customers.”—Inc.com"This winding exploration of our collective psyche is fascinating..."—The Washington Post

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Book SynopsisArguably the most important contribution to social theory in fifty years, James Coleman's Foundations erects a unified conceptual structure, capable of describing and quantifying both stability and change in social systems. Elegantly reasoned, this rich theory also provides a foundation for linking individual, organizational, and societal behavior.Trade ReviewA masterwork. Epic in scope, it is clear, engaging, and forcefully argued. Traditional sociologists will be unable to ignore its bold new agenda for their discipline. And the book will have a lasting impact on economics, political science, psychology, and other disciplines concerned with human behavior...[It] is indeed a fitting capstone to the career of one of this century's most distinguished and creative sociologists. -- Robert H. Frank * Journal of Economic Literature *A landmark in the history of social theory, combining comprehensive scope with depth and precision of analysis...This is a work which builds upon and deepens virtually all of Coleman's extensive earlier sociological research...This lifetime corpus, culminating now in a theoretical synthesis, assures Coleman a place in the history of sociology on at least an equal level with Weber, Durkheim, and a few others: he is a master of sociological thought...This is a book for our time. Every social scientist will want to read and learn from it. -- Thomas J. Fararo * Social Science Quarterly *The most important book in social theory in a long time. Coleman demonstrates formally and with numerous examples that a rational choice model of behavior has enormous power in explaining social phenomena. This book will give sociology a strong push in a new direction. -- Gary S. Becker * Nobel Laureate, University of Chicago *Coleman's study...exhibits some magnificent achievements. The foremost of these is a sophisticated elaboration and extension of the research program of rational choice theory as it applies to corporate actors, both public and private...This is an ambitious, highly intelligent, intellectually honest, and morally uplifting book. If it is true that radical conservatives make the best sociologists, then Coleman certainly fits the bill. -- Robert J. Holton * Critical Review *Table of ContentsPreface 1. Metatheory: Explanation in Social Science Explanation of the Behavior of Social Systems Components of the Theory Conceptions of the Relations between Micro and Macro Levels Part I / Elementary Actions and Relations 2. Actors and Resources, Interest and Control The Elements Structures of Action Social Exchange Simple and Complex Relations 3. Rights to Act What Are Rights? How the Free-Rider Problem Is Reduced for Rights How Does New Information Bring About a Change in the Allocation of Rights? How Does a Right Change Hands? Who Are the Relevant Others? How Are Rights Partitioned, and How Might They Be? 4. Authority Relations The Right to Control One's Own Actions Vesting of Authority Conjoint and Disjoint Authority Relations Transfer of One Right or Two: Simple and Complex Authority Relations Limitations on Authority Slavery Authority without Intentional Exercise 5. Relations of Trust The Placement of Trust Actions of the Trustee Multiple Trustors and Public-Goods Problems Part II / Structures of Action 6. Systems of Social Exchange What Is Money? Media of Exchange in Social and Political Systems Exchanges within Systems 7. From Authority Relations to Authority Systems The Law of Agency Sympathy and Identification: Affine Agents Simple and Complex Authority Structures The Internal Morality of an Authority System 8. Systems of Trust and Their Dynamic Properties Mutual Trust Intermediaries in Trust Third-Party Trust Large Systems Involving Trust 9. Collective Behavior General Properties of Collective Behavior Escape Panics Bank and Stock Market Panics Acquisitive Crazes Contagious Beliefs Hostile and Expressive Crowds Fads and Fashions Influence Processes in Purchasing Decisions, Voting, and Public Opinion Specific Predictions about Collective Behavior 10. The Demand for Effective Norms Examples of Norms and Sanctions Distinctions among Norms The First Condition: Externalities of Actions and the Demand for a Norm What Constitutes Social Efficiency? Systems of Norms 11. The Realization of Effective Norms An Action-Rights Bank Social Relationships in Support of Sanctions Free Riding and Zeal Heroic versus Incremental Sanctioning How Are Sanctions Applied in Society? Emergence of Norms about Voting Internalization of Norms 12. Social Capital Human Capital and Social Capital Forms of Social Capital Relative Quantities of Social Capital The Public-Good Aspect of Social Capital The Creation, Maintenance, and Destruction of Social Capital Part III / Corporate Action 13. Constitutions and the Construction of Corporate Actors Norms and Constitutions Positive Social Theory Change in a Disjoint Constitution: American High Schools An Optimal Constitution Who Are the Elementary Actors? 14. The Problem of Social Choice Partitioning of Rights to Indivisible Goods Constitutional Issues in Partitioning Rights to Control Corporate Actions Intellectual Puzzles concerning Social Choice Emergent Processes and Institutions for Social Choice Ethical Theory: How to Determine the Right Action Executive Decision Making Community Decision Making and Conflict Characteristics of Noninstitutionalized Social Choice 15. From Individual Choice to Social Choice The Problem of Independence from irrelevant Alternatives Tournaments as Institutions for Social Choice Multi-Stage versus Single-Stage Processes for Social Choice The Nature of Rights in Social Choice 16. The Corporate Actor as a System of Action Weberian Bureaucracy in Theory and Practice The Format Organization as a Specification of Transactions Modes of Maintaining Viability in Formal Organizations Explicit and Implicit Constitutions Structures That Link Interest and Control General Principles for Optimizing the Corporate Actor's Internal Structure The Changing Conception of the Corporation 17. Rights and Corporate Actors Allocation of Corporate Rights and the Public-Goods Problem 451 Exercise and Exchange of Rights The Drift of Power toward Actors Having Usage Rights Withdrawal of Usage Rights through Voice and Exit 18. Revoking Authority Theories of Revolution Comparative Macrosocial Research: Inequality, Economic Development, and Repressiveness Ideology in Revolutions A Theoretical Framework of Revolution 19. The Self Problems Inherent in a Unitary Actor Functional Components of the Self The Dual Role of Interests Processes of Change inside the Actor Corporate Actors' Changes in Self Part IV / Modern Society 20. Natural Persons and the New Corporate Actors Individual Sovereignty Changing Conceptions of Sovereignty Emergence of Corporate Actors in Social Organization and Law Examples of Interactions of Natural Persons and Corporate Actors Types of Interactions Involving Corporate Actors and Persons Displacement of Nature by Human Constructions 21. Responsibility of Corporate Actors Responsible Actions of Natural Persons Social Origins of Corporate Responsibility Internal Changes and Corporate Responsibility Tax Laws and Social Norms Free-Rider Problems for Corporate Responsibility Corporate Responsibility in Sum What Conception of the Corporation Is Best for Natural Persons? 22. New Generations in the New Social Structure The Conflict between the Family and the Corporation Distribution of Income to Children in the New Social Structure Consequences of the New Social Structure for Social Capital The Direct Impact of the Two Social Structures on the Next Generation 23. The Relation of Sociology to Social Action in the New Social Structure The Social Role of Social Theory The World of Action and the World of the Discipline The Structure of Society and the Nature of Applied Social Research Applied Social Research and the Theory of Action What Should Applied Social Research Be Like? What Research Is Missing? 24. The New Social Structure and the New Social Science The Replacement of Primordial Social Capital Independent Viability, Global Viability, and Distribution in the New Social Structure Modes of Organizing Action Nation-States versus Multinational Corporations, or Voice versus Exit The New Social Science Part V / The Mathematics of Social Action 25. The Linear System of Action Two-Person Exchange System with Divisible Goods Restrictions on the Utility Function Beyond a Two-Person System of Action The Competitive Equilibrium and the Linear System of Action Further Derivations and Use of the Model Economic and Psychological Properties of the Utility Function Open Systems Appendix: An Iterative Method tar Solving for r or v Given X and C 26. Empirical Applications Estimation of Value with Perfect-Market Assumptions Estimation of Value When There Are Two Resources and More Than Two Actors Estimation of Value When There Are More Than Two Resources Arbitrary Zero Points for Resources Sampling and the Importance of the Population and Resource Distributions Estimation of Interests 27. Extensions of the Theory A Perfect Social System Psychic Investment Dependence of Events Partitioned Systems of Action Losses in Exchange between Actors and between Resources 28. Trust in a Linear System of Action Introducing Mistrust into a System Lack of Complete Trust in Larger Systems 29. Power, the Micro-to-Macro Transition, and Interpersonal Comparison of Utility Interpersonal Comparison Cardinal Utility Power, through a Market and Otherwise 30. Externalities and Norms in a Linear System of Action When Will Actions Having Externalities Be Taken? The Coase Theorem Revisited Externalities and Level of Affluence What Is Meant by Efficiency? The Rationality of Norms 31. Indivisible Events, Corporate Actors, and Collective Decisions When Will Control of Events Be Collectivized? The Constitutional Stage The Postconstitutional Stage Social Choice by Various Decision Rules Conflict 32. Dynamics of the Linear System of Action Exchange with Two Actors and Two Resources Change in Resources Held by One Actor Movement of a Resource among Actors Logical Constraints on Transition Rates in Pairwise Exchange Systems A Description of the Path of Values: Walrasian Adjustment Dynamics of Systems with Social-Structural Barriers How Do Power of Actors and Values of Events Change? 33. Unstable and Transient Systems of Action Single-Contingency and Double-Contingency Collective Behavior Transfer of Control in Single-Contingency Panics Double-Contingency Panics Evolution of Strategies 34. The Internal Structure of Actors Event Outcomes as Actions of a Corporate Actor Corporate Outcomes and Public-Good Problems The Value of Resources and the Interests of a Corporate Actor Subjective and Objective Interests of a Corporate Actor The Internal Structure of Persons as Actors References Name Index Subject Index

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Book SynopsisStanley Milgram revolutionized our understanding of human nature with his classic research on obedience to authority – but the obedience experiments form just a small part of an extraordinary wealth of ground-breaking research that made him one of the most important social psychologists of our times. By the time the first edition of The Individual in a Social World appeared in 1977, Milgram had moved beyond obedience to other innovative research, such as the psychology of city life, the small world phenomenon (also known as ‘six degrees of separation’), mental maps of cities, the lost-letter technique, the familiar stranger, as well as a large-scale experiment on media influence, which is still unique to the present day. In 1992, a second, posthumous edition appeared containing additional articles which Milgram had written after the first edition. This third, expanded edition of The Individual in a Social World combines articles that appeared in both of the earlier editions as well as previously uncollected material. Among the latter is, for example, an article in which Milgram provides a perspective on the Jonestown massacre and then uses it as a stepping stone for a ringing affirmation of the power of situational determinants of behavior. Another article, ‘The Social Meaning of Fanaticism,’ is almost uncanny in its relevance to our times, despite the fact that it was written several decades ago, as is his take on the potential impact of the Internet in ‘Network Love’. Stanley Milgram possessed a relentless curiosity about the hidden workings of our social world, which he tried to make visible through his experiments and think pieces brought together in this unique, revealing and engaging book – a must-read for anyone interested in social psychology.Trade ReviewThis third expanded and definitive collection of essays by Stanley Milgram, the creator of the iconoclastic 'obedience experiments' and the originator of the concept of 'six degrees of separation'. Original, thought provoking and fascinating. Milgram was years ahead of his time, and this book should be read by every social scientist who is interested in behaviour beyond the laboratory. Richard Wiseman, author of Quirkology

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLERFrom one of our greatest voices in modern philosophy, author of The Course of Love, The Consolations of Philosophy, Religion for Atheists and The School of Life - Alain de Botton sets out to understand our universal fear of failure - and how we might change it''De Botton''s gift is to prompt us to think about how we live and how we might change things'' The Times We all worry about what others think of us. We all long to succeed and fear failure. We all suffer - to a greater or lesser degree, usually privately and with embarrassment - from status anxiety. Alain de Botton gives a name to this universal condition and sets out to investigate both its origins and possible solutions. He looks at history, philosophy, economics, art and politics - and reveals the many ingenious ways that great minds have overcome their worries. The result is a book that is not only entertaining andTrade ReviewDe Botton analyses modern society with great charm, learning and humour. His remedies come as a welcome relief when most books offering solutions to the stresses of life recommend the lotus position * Daily Mail *Measured, amused, compassionate . . . de Botton is a surefooted discoverer of the pungent but less well-known quote * Daily Telegraph *A purveyor of serious but playful manuals for living * GQ *Turned me into a fan, for its range, insight, wit and sheer usefulness * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisAn incisive exploration of why acts of mass annihilation take place and how people become mass killersTrade Review“A strong, wide-ranging contribution to the field of genocide studies, well worth reading.”—Ben Kiernan, author of Blood and Soil: A World History of Genocide and Extermination from Sparta to Darfur -- Ben Kiernan“Extraordinary . . . With a steady gaze, a cool head, and an incisive ability to express the most complex questions in simple and direct language, [Abram de Swaan] has produced a powerful and convincing account of the peculiar social and psychological conditions that give rise to mass murder.”—Stephen Budiansky, Wall Street Journal * Wall Street Journal *“The Killing Compartments is exceptionally clearly written, and the author eschews almost completely the jargon and pseudoscientific labelling of the obvious that is the bane of academic sociology. . . . Mr. de Swaan has dispelled many pernicious myths and offered much clarity and wisdom on a subject whose very enormity would overwhelm most who dared to venture into it.”—Stephen Budiansky, Wall Street Journal Europe -- Stephen Budiansky * Wall Street Journal European Edition *“Insightful . . . [and] compelling.”—Glenn C. Altschuler, Huffington Post -- Glenn C. Altschuler * Huffington Post *“De Swaan makes a persuasive case.”—Louisa Lombard, Pacific Standard -- Louisa Lombard * Pacific Standard *“A thoroughly researched, authoritative, and well-written study.”—Mark Arnold, Jewish Journal (Salem, Mass.) -- Mark Arnold * Jewish Journal *

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Book SynopsisOG Kush. Sour Diesel. Wax, shatter, and vapes. Marijuana has come a long way since its seedy days in the back parking lots of our culture. So has Howard S. Becker, the eminent sociologist, jazz musician, expert on deviant culture, and founding NORML board member. When he published Becoming a Marihuana User more than sixty years ago, hardly anyone paid attention-because few people smoked pot. Decades of Cheech and Chong films, Grateful Dead shows, and Cannabis Cups later, and it's clear-marijuana isn't just an established commodity, it's an entire culture. And that's just the thing-Becker totally called it: pot has everything to do with culture. It's not a blight on culture, but a culture itself-in fact, you'll see in this book the first use of the term users, rather than abusers or addicts. Come along on this short little study-now a famous timestamp in weed studies-and you will be astonished at how relevant it is to us today. Becker doesn't judge, but neither does he holler for legalization, tell you how to grow it in a hollowed-out dresser, or anything else like that for which there are plenty of other books you can buy. Instead, he looks at marijuana with a clear sociological lens-as a substance that some people enjoy, and that some others have decided none of us should. From there he asks: so how do people decide to get high, and what kind of experience do they have as a result of being part of the marijuana world? What he discovers will bother some, especially those who proselytize the irrefutably stunning effects of the latest strain: chemistry isn't everything-the important thing about pot is how we interact with it. We learn to be high. We learn to like it. And from there, we teach others, passing the pipe in a circle that begins to resemble a bona fide community, defined by shared norms, values, and definitions just like any other community. All throughout this book, you'll see the intimate moments when this transformation takes place. You'll see people doing it for the first time and those with considerable experience. You'll see the early signs of the truths that have come to define the marijuana experience: that you probably won't get high at first, that you have to hold the hit in, and that there are other people here who are going to smoke that, too.

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Book SynopsisCrowds and Power is a revolutionary work in which Elias Canetti finds a new way of looking at human history and psychology. Breathtaking in its range and erudition, it explores Shiite festivals and the English Civil war, the finger exercises of monkeys and the effects of inflation in Weimar Germany. In this study of the interplay of crowds, Canetti offers one of the most profound and startling portraits of the human condition.

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Book SynopsisCalled the fifth-most important sociological book of the 20th century by the International Sociological Association, this groundbreaking study of knowledge introduces the concept of social construction into the social sciences for the first time. In it, Berger and Luckmann reformulate the task of the sociological subdicipline that, since Max Scheler, has been known as the sociology of knowledge.

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Book SynopsisThe properties and function of human communication.

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Book SynopsisHuman Collaboration at Work delves into the dynamics of collaboration between two individuals, examining both the challenges and potential in creative relationships and offering a useful resource for all those working with others. The two-person relationship is one of the key building blocks in our understanding of organizational teams yet is largely understudied in the literature.This book brings the dyadic relationship to the fore and offers support for those engaging in collaborative relationships in the workplace and beyond. The author reframes challenges as opportunities for partners to leverage their differences and overcome potential conflicts. Through this lens, he provides a nuanced understanding of the interpersonal and contextual factors that influence collaboration.Supported by compelling real-life examples, including the authorâs own long-term working relationship with a colleague, this book is an essential guide for those in leadership roles, manag

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Book SynopsisJon Ronson is an award-winning writer and documentary maker. He is the author of many bestselling books, including Frank: The True Story that Inspired the Movie, Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries, The Psychopath Test, The Men Who Stare at Goats and Them: Adventures with Extremists. His first fictional screenplay, Frank, co-written with Peter Straughan, starred Michael Fassbender. He lives in London and New York City.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[T]hought provoking."--John R. Hibbing, Science "[T]his disturbing book may provoke debate, dismay and considerable anger."--Kirkus "[A]n unusually witty and engaging academic book."--Ethan Epstein, National Journal "[I]nteresting throughout."--Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution "The Hidden Agenda of the Political Mind is provocative and often persuasive... Weeden and Kurzban remind us that self-interest is a complicated concept."--Glenn C. Altschuler, Huffington Post "The book is a thoughtful reminder that politics is often simply a contest over finite resources in which different voters want opposing things."--John McDermott, Financial Times "Authors Weeden and Kurzban have written a well-researched ... analysis of the political mind... [T]he book satisfies the intellectual demands of researchers and general readers. Perfect for fans of Thomas Frank's What's the Matter with Kansas?"--Library Journal "Weeden and Kurzban's book is well worth a read."--Anthony Randazzo, Reason "Weeden and Kurzban's argument will trouble those who believe that politics is about more than trying to find ways to satisfy one's interests."--Choice "[O]ne of the most interesting books I have read on politics in quite a while... A fascinating book."--Daniel Finkelstein, The Times (London) "The book makes an interesting contribution to our understanding of political attitudes and is accessible to a wide audience interested in political science... The Hidden Agenda of the Political Mind answers an important question and provides new depth to many of the popular theories on opinion formation and partisan attachments... By showing how self-interest factors into our decision making in ways we do not even consciously understand and how political parties exploit that to their advantage and by doing so in a way that is accessible outside an academic audience, the authors will likely make a significant contribution to the general understanding of public opinion."--Chad Murphy, The Journal of Politics "An important contribution to a field dominated by group-oriented explanations."--Christopher Weber, Political Science QuarterlyTable of ContentsPart I: Political Minds Chapter 1: Agendas in Action 3 Chapter 2: Investigating Interests 26 Chapter 3: Machiavellian Minds 44 Part II: Political Issues Chapter 4: Fighting over Sex: Lifestyle Issues and Religion 69 Chapter 5: Rules of the Game: Group Identities and Human Capital 96 Chapter 6: Money Matters: Redistribution and Hard-Times Programs 123 Part III: Political Coalitions Chapter 7: The Many Shades of Red and Blue 145 Chapter 8: The Republican Coalition 160 Chapter 9: The Democratic Coalition 176 Part IV: Political Challenges Chapter 10: An Uncomfortable Take on Political Positions 195 Acknowledgments 217 Appendixes 219 Data Appendix for Chapter 2 219 Data Appendix for Part II 236 Data Appendix for Chapter 4 251 Data Appendix for Chapter 5 268 Data Appendix for Chapter 6 287 Data Appendix for Chapter 8 304 Data Appendix for Chapter 9 321 Notes 343 References 351 Index 359

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Book SynopsisMcNeil pursues the possibility that coordinated rhythmic movement—and the shared feelings it evokes—has been a powerful force in holding human groups together. As he has done for historical phenomena as diverse as warfare, plague, and the pursuit of power, he brings a dazzling breadth and depth of knowledge to his study.Trade ReviewIn his imaginative and provocative book...William H. McNeill develops an unconventional notion that, he observes, is 'simplicity itself.' He maintains that people who move together to the same beat tend to bond and thus that communal dance and drill alter human feelings. -- John Mueller * New York Times Book Review *Every now and then, a slender, graceful, unassuming little volume modestly proposes a radical rethinking of human history. Such a book is Keeping Together in Time...Important, witty, and thoroughly approachable, [it] could, perhaps, only be written by a scholar in retirement with a lifetime's interdisciplinary reading to ponder, the imagination to conceive unanswerable questions, and the courage, in this age of over-speculation, to speculate in areas where certainty is impossible. Its vision of dance as a shaper of evolution, a perpetually sustainable and sustaining resource, would crown anyone's career. -- Penelope Reed Doob * Toronto Globe and Mail *McNeill is one of our greatest living historians...As usual with McNeill, Keeping Together in Time contains a wonderfully broad survey of practices in other times and places. There are the Greeks, who invented the flute-accompanied phalanx, and the Romans, who invented calling cadence while marching. There are the Shakers, who combined worship and dancing, and the Mormons, who carefully separated the functions but who prospered at least as much on the strength of their dancing as their Sunday morning worship. -- David Warsh * Boston Sunday Globe *[A] wide-ranging and thought-provoking book...A mind-stretching exploration of the thesis that `keeping together in time'--army drill, village dances, and the like--consolidates group solidarity by making us feel good about ourselves and the group and thus was critical for social cohesion and group survival in the past. * Virginia Quarterly Review *[This book is] nothing less than a survey of the historical impact of shared rhythmic motion from the paleolithic to the present, an impact that [McNeill] finds surprisingly significant...McNeill moves beyond Durkheim in noting that in complex societies divided by social class muscular bonding may be the medium through which discontented and oppressed groups can gain the solidarity necessary for challenging the existing social order. -- Robert N. Bellah * Commonweal *The title of this fascinating essay contains a pun that sums up its thesis" keeping together in time, or coordinated rhythmic movement and the shared feelings it evokes, has kept human groups together throughout history. Most of McNeill's pioneering study is devoted to the history of communal dancing...[This] volume will appeal equally to scholars and to the general reader. -- Doyne Dawson * Military History *As with so many themes [like this one], whether in science or in symphonies, one wonders (in retrospect) why it has not been invented before...[T]he book is fascinating. -- K. Kortmulder * Acta Biotheoretica (The Netherlands) *This scholarly and creative exploration of the largely unresearched phenomenon of shared euphoria aroused by unison movement moves across the disciplines of dance, history, sociology, and psychology...Highly recommended. * Choice *Table of ContentsMuscular Bonding Human Evolution Small Communities Religious Ceremonies Politics and War Conclusion Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe true antidote to loneliness, this book will teach you the secret to building meaningful relationships and the importance of authentic connections in a lonely world. Is it possible to have hundreds of followers on social media but still feel isolated? To live in a city of millions of people but find yourself alone? No one really wants to admit it, but the answer is certainly 'yes'. So, let's talk about loneliness. Human connection specialist Simone Heng knows a lot about being lonely. She left an enviable career and social life to move back to her family home to care for her mother. All alone in a house filled with memories but devoid of people, she was faced with the realization that human connection is one of our most essential needs. There's a global loneliness epidemic. Every one of us has experienced feeling lonely, even if we don't realize it. The modern world has changed how we live and the 'village' environment with spontaneous connection has been replaced by remote work and contrived relationships. Most importantly, the old stereotypes of what loneliness looks like no longer hold true — in a world where technology has made us more 'connected' than ever before, people of all ages are feeling alone.Simone shares her journey to understanding the value of human connection and explains how to distinguish authentic relationships from fake substitutes. This definitive book on loneliness shows us how to build meaningful relationships with those that matter the most, forge new friendships, and create the genuine connections we all crave.

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Book SynopsisWritten by one of Japan's leading psychiatrists, this is a penetrating exploration of the Japanese character. It offers an analysis of the Japanese group ethic and of the origins of Japanese anti-individualism. A leading psychiatrist offers not only the most satisfying explanation of Japanese behaviour yet written, but a key to new understanding of all basic human needs.Trade Review"Sensitive, original, and penetrating." —Robert J. Lifton, M.D., Yale University"A major contribution to the science of human behavior in general and to psychotherapy in particular." —William P. Lebra. University of Hawaii"An extraordinary insight into the Japanese character." —S. I. Hayakawa"Perhaps the first book by a Japanese trained in psychiatry to have an impact on Western psychiatric thinking." —Ezra VogeI, Harvard University

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Book SynopsisA study of how materialism and consumerism undermine our quality of life.In The High Price of Materialism, Tim Kasser offers a scientific explanation of how our contemporary culture of consumerism and materialism affects our everyday happiness and psychological health. Other writers have shown that once we have sufficient food, shelter, and clothing, further material gains do little to improve our well-being. Kasser goes beyond these findings to investigate how people's materialistic desires relate to their well-being. He shows that people whose values center on the accumulation of wealth or material possessions face a greater risk of unhappiness, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and problems with intimacy—regardless of age, income, or culture. Drawing on a decade's worth of empirical data, Kasser examines what happens when we organize our lives around materialistic pursuits. He looks at the effects on our internal experience and inte

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Book SynopsisRevisiting the Classic Studiesis a series of texts that introduces readers to the studies in psychology that changed the way we think about core topics in the discipline today. It provokes students to ask more interesting and challenging questions about the field by encouraging a deeper level of engagementbothwiththe details of the studies themselves and with the nature of their contribution.Edited by leading scholars in their field and written by researchers at the cutting edge of these developments, the chapters in each text provide details of the original works and their theoretical and empirical impact, and then discuss the ways in which thinking and research has advanced in the years since the studies were conducted. Social Psychology: Revisiting the Classic Studiestraces 15 ground-breakingstudies by researchers such as Asch, Festinger, Milgram, Sherif, Tajfel and Zimbardo to re-examine and reflect on their findings and engage in a livelTrade Review"Like the very best guidebooks, the authors set the classic studies in context, helping the reader to understand why each study was conducted and how it was received by its contemporary audience. Just as important, they discuss the legacy of each study, showing how it opened up lines of theorizing and empirical research that have helped to create the vibrant and socially relevant discipline that we know today." -- Professor Anthony Manstead"Not only have I been able to delve deeper into experiments that I’ve studied before, but I was able to widen my knowledge to study other experiments in sufficient detail. The information provided throughout was highly detailed, clearly explained and well suited for its audience." -- Emily D’SouzaTable of ContentsAn Introduction to Classic Studies in Social Psychology - S. Alexander Haslam and Joanne R. Smith Social Facilitation and Social Loafing: Revisiting Triplett’s competition studies - Steven J. Karau and Kipling D. Williams Attitudes and Behavior: Revisiting LaPiere’s hospitality study - Joanne R. Smith and Deborah J. Terry Cognitive Dissonance: Revisiting Festinger’s end of the world study - Joel Cooper Norm Formation: Revisiting Sherif’s autokinetic illusion study - Dominic Abrams and John M. Levine Conformity: Revisiting Asch’s line-judgment studies - Jolanda Jetten and Matthew J. Hornsey Minority Influence: Revisiting Moscovici’s blue-green afterimage studies - Robin Martin and Miles Hewstone Obedience: Revisiting Milgram’s shock experiments - Stephen Reicher and S. Alexander Haslam Tyranny: Revisiting Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment - S. Alexander Haslam and Stephen Reicher Intergroup Relations and Conflict: Revisiting Sherif’s Boys’ Camp studies - Michael J. Platow and John A. Hunter Discrimination: Revisiting Tajfel’s minimal group studies - Russell Spears and Sabine Otten Group Decision Making: Revisiting Janis′s groupthink study - Dominic J. Packer and Nick D. Ungson Helping in Emergencies: Revisiting Latané and Darley’s bystander studies - Mark Levine Promoting Positive Intergroup Relations: Revisiting Aronson et al′s jigsaw classroom - John F. Dovidio Stereotype Formation: Revisiting Hamilton and Gifford’s illusory correlation studies - Craig McGarty Stereotypes and Performance: Revisiting Steele and Aronson′s stereotype threat studies - Craig McGarty

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Book SynopsisWhy are people nice to each other? What are the reasons for altrusim? Matt Ridley explains how the human mind has evolved a special instinct for social exchange, offering a lucid and persuasive argument about the paradox of human benevolence.

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Book SynopsisThis speaks directly to adults who wish to overcome their 'mother gap' through reflections, exercises, and explanations. Many people feel something was missing from their childhood and wonder why their mother didn't seem there for them. Though she may have physically cared, for many, there remains a sense of having been a 'motherless child.' It is then difficult to maintain a relationship with her as an adult.The Emotionally Absent Mother helps readers understand why their mother was so unable to provide what many others were able to.This expanded edition will describe how to:*Identify the impacts of emotional neglect and abuse *Assess options for your adult relationship with mother*Find the child inside of you and learn to mother that child *Take charge of your healing and learn to make up for what you missedThrough reflections, exercises, and clear explanations, psychotherapist Jasmin Lee Cori helps adult sons and daughters heal the wounds left by mothers who failed to provide the essential ingredients that every child needs. She traces perceived personal defects back to mothering deficits, relieving self-blame, and shows today's undermothered adults to cultivate the mothering they missed, thereby helping to secure a happier future - for themselves and their children.

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Book SynopsisIn Zero Degrees of Empathy: A New Theory of Human Cruelty and Kindness Simon Baron-Cohen takes fascinating and challenging new look at what exactly makes our behaviour uniquely human. How can we ever explain human cruelty? We have always struggled to understand why some people behave in the most evil way imaginable, while others are completely self-sacrificing. Is it possible that - rather than thinking in terms of ''good'' and ''evil'' - all of us instead lie somewhere on the empathy spectrum, and our position on that spectrum can be affected by both genes and our environments? Why do some people treat others as objects? Why is empathy our most precious resource? And does a lack of it always mean a negative outcome? From the Nazi concentration camps of World War Two to the playgrounds of today, Simon Baron-Cohen examines empathy, cruelty and understanding in a groundbreaking study of what it means to be human. ''Fascinating

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Book SynopsisExamines the attraction between abuser and victim which results in disorders and dangerous attractions on both sides, considering the typical personalities involved in patterns of neglect.

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Book SynopsisBuilding on the latest research in brain science, emotional intelligence, and organizational theory, an award-winning communication and organizational strategist answers questions about the true definition of empathy. This groundbreaking exploration into business productivity and office management offers both real-world insights and practical ways to build transformative empathy skills organization-wide. It shows how learning about and teaching empathy in the workplace can improve productivity, innovation, and profitability. The guide also provides an innovative framework to help leaders meet the six universal needs of the organization itself while also respecting those of individual employees and customers.Trade Review" The Empathy Factor at Work provides compelling evidence that empathy is a critical element for organizational success. It outlines a powerful process for creating empathic connections within individuals and among teams as well as with customers. Marie Miyashiro shows how to blend the heart and mind for superior performance at all levels of an organization." -Peggy Milford, former CEO, US West Business Resources

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