About Behaviorism

Book Description

The basic book about the controversial philosophy known as behaviorism, written by its leading exponent. Bibliography, index.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant.......2007-02-17

A letter to the editor (published in August 1990 in the Los Angeles Times, in response to Skinner's obituary) asked the following disturbing question:

For the all effort and money spent in research in psychology, has there been any progress whatsoever?

The letter-writer asked this question not only of the Skinnerian approach in psychology but of all approaches. He seemed to be rather knowledgable in psychology. (If I remember right, he granted that the effects of intermittent reinforcement may well be something non-obvious that the research has uncovered. His point was that there is not much more.)

I was disturbed by this allegation. However, I couldn't come up with
a smoking gun rebuttal (though my thoughts were along the lines of verbal behavior and programmed instruction.)

Rereading About Behaviorism last week, I feel that Chapter 2 of this book may be pointed to as an unassailable answer to the above question -- Skinner makes some points here that are true advances being made for the first time in the history of human thought. These are Skinner's views on what self-knowledge and introspection is, the special problems posed by them, and how we have "solved" them at least partially. Skinner's views on these may well undergo considerable revision in the future -- however, without his first statement, such an improvement would not have been possible.

According to Skinner, the responses involved in introspection and self-knowledge are nothing more than verbal reports to stimulations inside the body. (In other words, these are not some mysterious non-physical stuff. The mind-body problem is solved neatly.) Skinner points out that primitive nervous systems are involved in these reports (primitive because these nervous systems have evolved not for this purpose but for other purposes). He also points out that those teaching a child to report these accurately are at a loss since they cannot directly feel these stimulations. Skinner's other points are the following:

1. The basic law of effect is what stamps in behavior

2. Unquestionably, changes in the nervous system are involved when behavior is stamped in. However, these do not produce stimulations that the learner can sense, report, and thus know (since no such nervous system has evolved).

3. Thus introspection is useless in order to know when behavior change occurs. (Skinner is not denying the private world. He readily grants even the practial usefulness of it. However, his point is that behavior altering nervous system changes cannot be directly sensed.)

Unquestionably, all these are very difficult to understand. However, one needs to only compare these with what passes in general for psychological theory to appreciate how briliant Skinnerian theory is.

I hope that I have not misunderstood Skinner too badly.

A masterpiece.......2006-06-21

In Heinlein's classic novel Stranger in a Strange Land, he describes what he calls "fair witnesses," which are people trained to both observe and report what they observe as accurately, objectively, and logically as possible. For instance, ask a fair witness what the color is of the house to the east, and the fair witness will say, "The west wall of the house is blue." Why didn't the fair witness just say that the house is blue? Well, the fair witness cannot see the whole house; s/he can only see the west wall. Skinner, to me, is like the fair witness of psychology. In an interesting assignment, Skinner, after reinforcing successful approximations with food, had students watch a pigeon smoothly rotate counterclockwise and asked them to describe what they saw. They tended to write that the pigeon turned because it expected reinforcement, hoped it would get food, felt it would be rewarded, etc., instead of writing that food was given when the pigeon acted a certain way, or that the pigeon rotated until it was reinforced, etc. Skinner's point in writing about this is that his students failed to write down what they actually observed; they instead wrote about what they expected they themselves would have felt had they been in similar circumstances. Though such inferences are often legitimized by successful predictions and attributions in everyday experience with other people (as opposed to pigeons), and though such inferences are a valuable part of folk psychology, the very fact that such attributions are based on unobservables does pose an interesting dilemma for the methodologist concerned with precise measurement, quantification, control, manipulation, etc. Here, Skinner offers what is the best summary of his arguments. Behaviorism is NOT the science of behavior, but is rather the philosophy of the scientific analysis of behavior. It pertains to methodology, to what can be inferred from what can be observed. This is a landmark book, and all psychology students should have to read it.

Skinner ignores consciousness........2006-01-17

Skinner poses an interesting arguement, but it is confined the the operations of the mind. Unfortunately, western education boasts of the intellect and its various processes, while ignoring the most beautiful part of man, the consciousness. The consciousness is REAL not a concept to be tossed about in intellectual conversation, like many beleive. Take not my word on the topic but discover it for yourself. There are many books which address the workings of the consciousness, but I would personally recommend the writings of Samael Aun Weor. Start with Revolutionary Psychology or The Great Rebellion. While reading, be sincere with yourself, otherwise you are wasting your time. If persistent, one may discover the mysteries of the universe, including the other dimensions.

Interesting Book.......2005-09-25

Skinner is someone that one reading may not be enough, but his concepts are brilliant and it provided great discussion for my Behavior Therapy class.

Short, sweet guide to the radical behaviorist point of view.......2003-06-12

Written late in Skinner's life, this broadly-scoped statement of Skinner's philosophy is not only an outstanding, clear, and relatively nontechnical primer to Skinner's philosophy, but it is also one of the few places where Skinner undertook to defend his positions against critics, on exactly the same points that are still widely assumed to neatly dismiss not only Skinner, but all of his ideas - and sometimes the entire notion of behavioral science - in one specious swoop.

In mid-century, Skinner became strongly associated with the word 'behaviorism' (so much so that it is now common to see famous, well-published academics confusing him with Watson, the originator of the word 'behaviorism,' whose views and approach were fundamentally different.) Skinner's views are actually called "radical behaviorism" to distinguish them from others like Watsonian S-R behaviorism, Hull's neo-behaviorism, Tolman's purposive behaviorism, and so on. Radical behaviorism, as many prior behaviorisms, held that behavior was caused in ordinary natural ways, and hence that it could be studied just as scientifically as, say, biology was, with just as little unnecessary mystery. What made it 'radical,' however, was not really that it was more behaviorist than other behaviorism, but that it embraced the existence of only-privately-observed events, like one's thoughts and feelings, in such a way that they were also considered behavior. (cf. Skinner's quote, 'The skin is not so important as a boundary.')

Skinner's philosophy had other notable and idiosyncratic properties: Skinner held that behavior was profoundly controlled by the environment (read: that what we do is done with relation to the world - compare this to Pylyshyn's absurdly contrary claim that "human behavior is stimulus free," in other words that we are so stupid that we act without regard, e.g., to what time it is, what the judge just said, or how this restaurant was awful last time.) Skinner emphasized direct application of behavioral study to political problems, was a humanist who hated coercion and punishment, and - perhaps most famously - he was excessively picky about what words were used to describe behavior (going so far as to reject, on principle, virtually any use terminology smacking of 'mentalism,' - e.g., 'thought,' even though he took pains to point out his acceptance of private life). It is the persistent emphasis of environmental influence and the persistent suspicion of anything that smelled like 'mentalism' - appeal to spirits, res cogitae, homunculi, a vis viva, or a virtus dormitiva - that are now the most noted characteristics of Skinner's philosophy.

Skinner's own words will naturally be the most reliable representation of what he thought, and this is the best place to read those words. Whether or not you have any understanding of behavioral science or of Skinner's particular take on it, this book will give you the essential and relatively authoritative philosophical views contained in radical behaviorism - unpolluted by politically motivated revisionism. With an honest reading of an accurate source, one can evaluate each idea on its own merit, without needing to take sides pro or con in order to evaluate the basic plausibility of the many and strident competing claims about radical behaviorism.

Book Description

In this important book, the authors explore what answers mean in relation to how people understand the world around them and communicate with one another. They offer practical and theoretical insights that will prove invaluable when developing questionnaires.

Customer Reviews:

Renting-to-own.......2006-10-31

After checking this book out of my university's library multiple times, I realize it's time to buy it. It is a great resource. Everyone should read at least a couple chapters before designing a survey, and especially before using the results of survey to draw any conclusions. I wish I could send a copy of this book to everyone who writes those poll questions for Time and Newsweek. Along those lines, reading this book will make you a much more informed survey respondent and magazine reader, as well.

How do people answer our questions ?.......2000-04-04

The cognitive psychology behind questionnaire and interview development. One of the best reviews of the theory of asking questions. Represents years of expertise. Very recommended.

The notion of looking inside the question answering process is very important for folks writing and administering questionnaire surveys. This text doesn't so much tell you how to do surveys and interviews, as it gets you thinking about how you are interacting with your respondents.

For example, Sudman, et al. will get you thinking about surveys and interviews as a conversation - the norms and expectations that respondents will have of you and how they will interpret your questioning. Similarly, you will read about the four stage process that respondents go through in interpreting your questions, bringing up from memory the information they need to answer your questions, how they 'calculate' their answers, and then how they translate their ideas into an answer format.

Book Description

"The most significant survey of twin research to date . . . Excellent . . . Recommended."-Library Journal

Twins are nature's living laboratories. Through them we are able to uncover new information concerning the genetic and environmental factors affecting who we are. Studies using identical and fraternal twins hold the keys to understanding our intellectual abilities, personality traits, social attitudes, and behavior. In Entwined Lives, Dr. Nancy Segal brings together cutting-edge information with illustrative case histories of twins and their families. In addition to the fascinating stories of identical twins reared apart and reunited as adults, Dr. Segal provides insights into the unusual language patterns of twins, how twin studies affect legal decisions, the role of fertility treatments in twin and "twinlike" conceptions, and more. This groundbreaking book explores the ways in which twins enhance our knowledge of human behavioral and physical development, while shedding new light on the nature/nurture debate and on the burgeoning field of evolutionary psychology.

"I have been studying twins for nearly thirty years and yet I learned something new and intriguing from every chapter of Entwined Lives."-David Lykken, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota

Customer Reviews:

Interesting but very dense.......2007-10-07

This book has a lot of great information but it is very densely written. To me it seems more like a research/term paper than a book for the general public. While she does explain things in laymens terms, there is a LOT of data and facts thrown in that are tedious to read. Overall, I'd recommend the book if you are having multiples because it does bring up a lot of points to consider as your raise your kids. The biggest point for me was the differences in fraternal and identical twins and how they really are different and not all just "twins."

Interesting, Though Quite Dry at Times.......2006-05-29

There is a lot of information in this little book, although her conclusions from some of the research seem premature (especially because much of it has not been adequately replicated). At times Segal builds off of inconclusive or contradictory studies, deducing things that there is currently not enough evidence to support. Similarly, she makes the research seem groundbreaking, when the fact that genetics influences behavior has been common knowledge for quite some time. In general, however, I found the book easy to read, enlightening, and full of A LOT of valuable information on genetics, nature v. nurture, twins, and much other data based on twin studies. One simply needs to be able to separate her opinions and interpretations from the objective findings. My last criticism is that the book can sometimes be dry, although her occasional anecdotes make it much more pleasant. All in all, I recommend this book for all of the interesting facts and the thought-provoking implications.

So much fascinating information---needs editing to take it all in!.......2005-10-12

This is a book that is simply cram-packed with a huge hodge podge of information! Probably it has pretty much anything you would like to know about studies that have been done of twins---many, many ways in which they are alike or different, the types of twins (it's more than just identical or fraternal!), conjoined twins, twins raised apart, famous twins---it goes on and on and on! I loved reading so many pieces of information about a topic I am very interested in!

However, the book could have used much more editing, or maybe a co-author or ghost writer! It has the feel of someone saying that they need to be sure to put this piece in, and this piece, and oh, got to cram this one in too...sometimes without much of a transition or without necessary background information or follow-up information. Sometimes it also seemed like if the author was told anything she felt was interesting by the twins she studied, she wanted to quote them exactly on it, even when the quote didn't really make total sense without the whole conversation being there.

But these are quibbles---I just liked the information and the tone of the author so much I wish that the book was a bit more cohesive so even more people would get through it and gain the knowledge it holds! Worth a read for anyone fascinated by twins or genetics!

book review.......2005-09-18

the book was in great condition and it was shipped in a timely fashion. thanks!

Intertwined reading...based on lots of research........2005-07-22

Had this book been less technical and more anecdotal, I would have awarded the author, Nancy Segal, PhD a 5 star rating.
Alas - it is very dry due to her habit of citing research study after research study - then of course, a long explanation regarding percentages. whew * Lends to very dry reading indeed.
Not to ignore the fact that there are many interesting facts that Dr. Segal presents in her studious little book in regards to identical twins versus fraternal twins. The sad reality is that the identical twins grab the spotlight most of the time because of their uncanny similarities that really impress!
Identical twins are the closest thing to CLONES that the world can ever see, and for this - Dr. Segal discusses numerous arguements that support the claim.
She discussed many cases of identical twins...some raised in the same home, some raised in different homes. What I am so sorry that SHE DID NOT INCLUDE were the world-famous identical twins, Ronald and Richard Herrick.
They were the first persons ever to successfully undergo kidney donorship and transplantation in the world - - - way back in 1954. Richard was only 24 when glomerulonephritis placed him in kidney failure and he was weeks away from a certain death.
His doctors had warned the family to put his affairs in order, because he was doomed to die so prematurely.
But then they learned that Richard had an identical twin brother, Ronald. THey agreed to attempt the transplant and it worked!!! I would have loved to hear Segals' spin on this amazing story - it changed the medical world overnight!
She does compare lots of data on natural identical twins, identical twins spaced by years by artificial insemination, superfecated twins, step-twins, near-twins and also some discusson on identical triplets, quadruplets and quintuplets.
A small discussion is included for the famous Dilley septuplets.
There is a frightening chapter on conjoined twins and their sad stories.
OVerall this was a very excellent book and I learned alot from it. 334 pages of twin trivia and facinating facts are contained within. I highly recommend this reading, for those minds who do not mind a whole bunch of data and percentage discussions.

Why You Behave in Ways You Hate: And What You Can Do About It

Average customer rating:

Half way through
An amazing book
Thank you, Dr. Gootnick
This book has a very narrow focus.
Fantastic book

Why You Behave in Ways You Hate: And What You Can Do About It
Irwin, M.D. Gootnick
Manufacturer: Penmarin Books Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1883955084

Product Description

Have you ever met anyone who didn't have some behavior he or she couldn't stand? Why do we so often continue to behave in ways that make us unhappy? Why don't we learn from our mistakes? Why does willpower fail? Have you adopted the qualities that you hated in your parents? Do you wonder why? Many of the available self-help books give advice and present general ideas about the cause of our problems but do not provide in-depth insight into the reasons behind our behavior. They don't tell us why it is so difficult to follow their advice or our own desires and to overcome our problems. Why You Behave in Ways You Hate does. Dr. Gootnick explains why children blame themselves for their parents' faults and how this creates hidden, destructive mind-sets that cause the behaviors that plague us. In a clear, straightforward way, he shows you how to see past the psychological blinders that make it difficult for you to see how these mind-sets operate and then to take effective action. Seven charts identify specific behaviors and allow you to look up your personal problem and understand at a glance how it originated or how you may have responded to it. Using individual personality profiles of you and your family members, you will be able to analyze what happened in the past and to institute changes in your thinking and behavior. In addition, because Why You Behave in Ways You Hate is based on family dynamics, it is an invaluable asset for parents working on problems they may have with their children. It will help break the generational cycle of doing to your children what was done to you. Who is this book for? Its for anyone who has difficulty in achieving success in school or a career, who repeatedly get involved in bad relationships, or who have trouble extricating themselves from abusive relationships. It also appeals to parents who have problems with their children, to those who feel insecure, inadequate, or depressed without cause, and to individuals who have problems with addictions or weight control, or who sacrifice their own interests for others.

Customer Reviews:

Half way through.......2003-06-09

This book is excellent in that it shows you how your childhood can lock you in self-defeating behaviors. The charts are repetitive and the book is not well-organized. But the book is not at all dry as some reviewers here mentioned.

The major flaw in this book is actually in the second part of its title "and what you can do about it". The author offers no other actual solution than therapy. So the title is misleading and the book misses the major reason for it: the solution.
Yes, there are ways to solve these issues on your own and it can be explained in a book.
Harder cases can dealt with in a therapy, but most people could have got a major help from this book otherwise!

An amazing book.......2003-04-29

Most authors write 5 books on self-help that all say the same thing but with different titles.

This guy has written 1 book which I think is excellent. It is written quite dry, tends to repeat a lot of the same materials, could be better organized, and is a very difficult read. But let that not take away from the book's information. It is an extremely informative book that discusses you as an adult now and how incidents that occurred in your childhood made you turn out the way you are.

I consider myself a highly educated individual, and I must say that this book is an excellent resource. But don't expect it to be an easy read; I've had the book for 5 years and still haven't finished it.

Hopefully some day I will but it doesn't matter, because I plan on using it the rest of my life. I strongly suggest you give this book a look.

Thank you, Dr. Gootnick.......2002-12-28

Now I know why I do those things. I had always suspected those influences, but wasn't sure - not wanting to blame everything on my family. Thank you for a very enlightening and to the point read.

This book has a very narrow focus........2001-12-24

This book is so narrowly focused, it was of no use to me. A much better book for me was: Negaholics - How to Overcome Negativity and Turn Your Life Around. This may be an opinion which is closely linked to the fact that I'm a woman and Negaholics is written in a very "touchy-feely" style by a woman. The idea for both books is that bad experiences and/or toxic relationships in your childhood deeply affects the way you view yourself and all your relationships. Why You Behave in Ways You Hate really focuses on people who had toxic relationships with their parents. Negaholics does not focus on such specifics, but gives some really positive techniques to try to turn your negativism around.

Fantastic book.......2001-09-11

if you spend any amount of time wondering why you are the way you are, then you won't be sorry that you got this book, it is a wonderful book that will give you some amazing insights to who you are.

Average customer rating:

An excellent sample of a young but promising research area

Metacognition: Knowing about Knowing

Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Applied Metacognition

ASIN: 0262631695

Book Description

Metacognition offers an up-to-date compendium of major scientific issues involved in metacognition. The twelve original contributions provide a concise statement of theoretical and empirical research on self-reflective processes or knowing about what we know.

Self-reflective processes are often thought to be central to what we mean by consciousness and the personal self. Without such processes, one would presumably respond to stimuli in an automatized and environmentally bound manner -- that is, without the characteristic patterns of behavior and introspection that are manifested as plans, strategies, reflections, self-control, self-monitoring, and intelligence.

A Bradford Book

Customer Reviews:

An excellent sample of a young but promising research area.......2003-09-18

Cognitive psychology started to study the self-monitoring and self-control possibilities of the human mind in the 1970's. The topic configurated a promising research area in the 1990's. Metcalfe & Shimamura have selected for this book a representative sample of the field until 1994. The selection includes basic and applied research focused on memory monitoring, problem solving monitoring, metacognition development, and some classic methodological issues. A reedition would probably need to include a chapter on attributions monitoring, and a chapter on the philosophy of mind.
This book gives the best state-of-the-art until 1994. All the researchers on metacognition should read this selection carefully to avoid ill-structured studies.

The Truth About Freud's Technique: The Encounter With the Real (Psychoanalytic Crosscurrents)

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The Truth About Freud's Technique: The Encounter With the Real (Psychoanalytic Crosscurrents)
Michael Thompson
Manufacturer: NYU Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Ethic of Honesty: The Fundamental Rule of Psychoanalysis (Contemporary Psychoanalytic Studies 2)

ASIN: 0814782191
Release Date: 1995-07-01

Book Description

In this unusual and much-needed reappraisal of Freud's clinical technique, M. Guy Thompson challenges the conventional notion that psychoanalysis promotes relief from suffering and replaces it with a more radical assertion, that psychoanalysis seeks to mend our relationship with the real that has been fractured by our avoidance of the same. Thompson suggests that, while avoiding reality may help to relieve our experience of suffering, this short-term solution inevitably leads to a split in our existence.

M. Guy Thompson forcefully disagrees with the recent trend that dismisses Freud as an historical figure who is out of step with the times. He argues, instead, for a return to the forgotten Freud, a man inherently philosophical and rooted in a Greek preoccupation with the nature of truth, ethics, the purpose of life and our relationship with reality. Thompson's argument is situated in a stunning re-reading of Freud's technical papers, including a new evaluation of his analyses of Dora and the Rat Man in the context of Heidegger's understanding of truth.

In this remarkable examination of Freud's technical recommendations, M. Guy Thompson explains how psychoanalysis was originally designed to re-acquaint us with realities we had abandoned by encountering them in the contest of the analytic experience. This provocative examination of Freud's conception of psychoanalysis reveals a more personal Freud than we had previously supposed, one that is more humanistic and real.

Clever as a Fox: Animal Intelligence and What It Can Teach Us about Ourselves

Average customer rating:

OK, I get it. Can we move on ... please ... PLEASE
More about studying intelligence than animals
"My dog's smarter than your dog...he's part of our family too!"
A"Great Read" for a scientific overview
Frustratingly Interesting

Clever as a Fox: Animal Intelligence and What It Can Teach Us about Ourselves
Sonja I. Yoerg
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0674008707

Book Description

Dogs are smarter than cats, dolphins and chimps are more clever than both, and we who determine the rankings top the scale--or so we think. But are we thinking clearly? To appreciate the mental abilities of the owl and the pussycat, the tortoise and the hare, requires a commitment to unraveling the nature of intelligence--a tricky and controversial proposition that Sonja Yoerg sets out to explore in this learned, lucid, and entertaining book about our complicated, often erroneous notions about animal intelligence.

With forays into evolutionary biology, behavioral science, and comparative psychology, Clever as a Fox reveals the promise and pitfalls inherent in any attempt to assess animal intelligence. Along with the concepts we deploy to define and compare intelligence, Yoerg looks at the expectations and prejudices that cloud our judgment of the animal mind, perceptions shaped as much by Aesop and Disney as by direct observation of our fellow creatures. And because such perceptions are inextricably linked with judgments of value--ideas about animal mentality have much to do with which species end up on our laps and which on our plates--this deeply revealing look at how we think about animal intelligence should help us use our own intelligence more wisely.

Customer Reviews:

OK, I get it. Can we move on ... please ... PLEASE.......2007-07-02

This was a very unpleasant read. I expected a book that would advocate a viewpoint of animal intelligence. Instead, it was a poorly rendered, highly defensive critique of various research, in places approaching a rant.

I felt I was being pounded with examples that were not adequately organized nor presented in an interesting fashion. At various points, the author was dismissive about examples that I didn't feel she had established a basis for, leading me to wonder if the author was not indulging in her own unstated biases.

What I felt were good points were shorted, and occurred so far back in the book that they aren't worth enduring what comes before.

More about studying intelligence than animals.......2006-01-06

This book wasnt quite what I expected. One basic theme of the book, we can all agree on: that there are many problems and hurdles to jump over before we can clearly define intelligence. She believes that misconceptions about a chain of intelligence (that is: the order of insects, fishes, birds, dog, monkey leading up to humans)caused by the media and our own arrogance have inhibited the study of intelligence. When comparing different kinds of intelligence and which animals excel, she proves her point quite clearly. For example is a certain kind of spider (Portia) smarter than Fido??

I did read up on some new studies, which I had not known before despite the fact Ive read quite a few animal behavior studies myself. Please note that only part (half?) of the book may deal with animal intelligence studies. The rest deals with intelligence itself, the history of studying intelligence, and its complications.

I truthfully found the author to be rather snooty in her writing. For instance, she dismisses vegetarians as people who believe animals are like cute Beatrice Potter characters dressed as people. This is pretty condescending to me! Also for one who is challenging pre conceived notions about animal intelligence, she certainly has her own regarding the animals she eats. Still, I would reccomend the book if only to enlighten yourself on Yoerg's main point: We need to dismantle the Chain of Intelligence and take a good look at each animal's mental capacity without bias. Only then can we look at our own intelligence objectively.

"My dog's smarter than your dog...he's part of our family too!".......2005-11-26

"Clever As A Fox," Sonja Yoerg, VA, Bloomsbury, 2001 ISBN 1-58234-115-X, HC, 208 pg. plus 14 pg. Bibio., 6 pg. Index. 9 1/2" x 6 1/4"

Dr.Yoerg (PhD in bio-psych., Berkeley) has researched, written & lectured on behavioral dynamics of animals. The book's title is apropos to it's contents as she discourses in well-executed prose -- the "Chain of Being" relative to the 'scala naturae' of Man's perceived cognitive abilities of animals in great depth -- covering species we've come to know and love the best: dogs, cats, birds, pigs, but also frogs, fish, foxes, finches, and the mammal "Flipper" to mention a few.

The author has wonderful command of writing, using those splendid explanatives, idioms and speach idiosyncrasies which can make mundane observations exciting & memorable, and it is testimony to the insight she has into the instinct, intelligience & learning patterns of animals both within their clan, species and between species, & the treatise is sprinkled with worthy commentaries on anthropomorphism & historical perspectives on the ever-changing study of the domain of animal behavior & cognition as it may apply to humans. It is a pleasant read.

A"Great Read" for a scientific overview.......2001-08-20

I purchased Ms. Yoerg's book in San Diego (her hometown). Little did I know that I bought a signed copy! I felt the book was very interesting, and written with great wit. Ms. Yoerg knows her stuff, and has done extensive research in her field. I found her animal/insect comparisions informative, and quite funny (you'll know what I mean when you read about Portia, the spider). I am currently an undergraduate, and will be using her book for some of my research. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a good overview of animal behavior and intelligence.

Frustratingly Interesting.......2001-07-19

The author challenges a number of traditional assumptions about the nature of intelligence and about our ability to 'rate' the intelligence of various animals based on our preconceived notions of either 'great chain of being' thinking or on a Darwinian evolutionay model. Why, she asks, do we rate behaviors that appear equally sophisticated as indicative of different degrees of intelligence (or non-intelligent instinctual reactions) based not on the behaviors themselves but on the 'type' of animals that exhibit them. We are far more likely to give a primate credit for exhibiting problem solving ability than we are to a scrub jay even though both routinely perform very similar actions. In addition the author offers a wide variety of ancedotal evidence for intelligence among species that normally are not regarded as being among the sharpest knives in the drawer. She also quesitons the various defintions of 'intelligence' concluding that although we use the word and think we can understand it, none of us can really offer an adequate defintion. And it is herein that my frustration lies. Our author raises a lot of questions and debunks a lot of myths. But I am left, after reading the book, asking myself exactly what MORE do I know now about animal intelligence than I did before. Perhaps I should, like Socrates, be happy just to become more knowledgeable of my own ignorance, but, to be honest, I want to know more about what THIS author thinks are some answers to the very questions she's raised.

Hand and Mind: What Gestures Reveal about Thought

Average customer rating:

Provocative and groundbreaking
first reviewer gives a bad impression
Poorly written, no explanations

Hand and Mind: What Gestures Reveal about Thought
David McNeill
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0226561348

Amazon.com

Human thought is a kind of storytelling, the cognitive scientist Jerome Bruner has argued, an evolving narrative that we constantly and unconsciously construct in order to make sense of the world around us. One expression of that interior storytelling--namely language--was given to us, said the sardonic French philosopher Talleyrand, so that we can disguise those very thoughts, hide them from others behind a mask of words.

David McNeill suggests that another component of storytelling/thinking is a kind of parallel language, one that is far more revealing of what's going on inside our heads. That language is made up of gestures--those fingered jabs and sweeps into the air, locating us and our actors in the imaginary space of stories. When we relate what happened in a movie we've just seen, McNeill writes, we retrace the plot gesturally; our shrugs and symbols betray our opinions, and a skilled observer can literally read our minds from our movements.

Whereas most human languages have their grammars and dictionaries, McNeill continues, linguists have paid little attention to gestural language over the years. This may be, he suggests, because gestures are "idiosyncratic and not subject to a system of standards." They are, however, remarkably similar from person to person, and even from culture to culture. His endlessly interesting book hints at a new avenue of research, at new mysteries of the mind to explore. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

Using data from more than ten years of research, David McNeill shows that gestures do not simply form a part of what is said and meant but have an impact on thought itself. Hand and Mind persuasively argues that because gestures directly transfer mental images to visible forms, conveying ideas that language cannot always express, we must examine language and gesture together to unveil the operations of the mind.

Customer Reviews:

Provocative and groundbreaking.......2006-10-05

The second reviewer is correct. This is a landmark book by one of the pioneers in research on language, mind, and gesture.

first reviewer gives a bad impression.......2003-12-09

Yes, this book is a bit difficult, but it's not *supposed* to be for the lay person. It's a very clearly written exposition of over 10 years of psycholinguistic research by Professor McNeill (now he might call himself a Cognitive Linguist, I don't know for sure). I just couldn't let that one review stand alone because it is so sorely misguided and makes McNeill's work unappealing. Today gesture studies is a thriving discipline, and this book is probably THE MOST influential and cited work in the field. VERY IMPORTANT. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Poorly written, no explanations.......2002-03-21

I was very disappointed with this book, I really took a chance because I give weight to rates and reviews but no one had yet rated this book when I bought it.

Since I am the first person rating the book, I hate to do this.

This book is extremely difficult to understand, many difficult words that are not too often spoken in daily conversation are used so you better keep a dictionary handy. The author doesn't give any back ground in the subject of hands movements so you kind of dive right in with his "heavy currents" of writing so bring your life preserver.

Let me put it this way, when the author writes or explains things, he is writing from the assumption (this may be an assumption on my part also) that you already know about this topic and have been in the field of hand movements for quite sometime. If you have no background in this subject and you really want to learn about it, then you are going to have to read VERY s l o w l y, and re-read a lot.

It took me a week to get past chapter 1; I can finish a book usually in 3 days.

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