Cognitive Books - Page 4

Don't Believe Everything You Think: The 6 Basic Mistakes We Make in Thinking

Thomas E. Kida

Amazon Price: $13.59 List Price: $19.98 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Prometheus Books Amazon Marketplace: 45 new & used starting at $8.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 34 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Do you believe that you can consistently beat the stock market if you put in the effort? —that some people have extrasensory perception? —that crime and drug abuse in America are on the rise? Many people hold one or more of these beliefs although research shows that they are not true. And it’s no wonder since advertising and some among the media promote these and many more questionable notions. Although our creative problem-solving capacity is what has made humans the successful species we are, our brains are prone to certain kinds of errors that only careful critical thinking can correct. This enlightening book discusses how to recognize faulty thinking and develop the necessary skills to become a more effective problem solver. Author Thomas Kida identifies "the six-pack of problems" that leads many of us unconsciously to accept false ideas:

· We prefer stories to statistics.

· We seek to confirm, not to question, our ideas.

· We rarely appreciate the role of chance and coincidence in shaping events.

· We sometimes misperceive the world around us.

· We tend to oversimplify our thinking.

· Our memories are often inaccurate.

Kida vividly illustrates these tendencies with numerous examples that demonstrate how easily we can be fooled into believing something that isn’t true. In a complex society where success—in all facets of life—often requires the ability to evaluate the validity of many conflicting claims, the critical-thinking skills examined in this informative and engaging book will prove invaluable.

How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School

List Price: $39.95 By: Natl Academy Pr Amazon Marketplace: 20 new & used starting at $6.86

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> By Topic -> Learning

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

How People Learn 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

My academic advisor at the University of Washington's iSchool suggested I read this along with "Team-Based Learning". I never thought I could get so excited about a book on learning from the National Research Council! Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in research regarding neural processes, teaching /learning, psychology, and the natural desire to learn.

Thank you to the authors and contributors for this book! I can hardly wait to see what they find out next!

How people learn 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

If you are going to be a teacher, this is a great book to read. Detailed and easy to read, it helps prepare you for what to expect and what will be expected of you as a teacher. It makes it easy to understand how children learn and what are the best teaching strategies to use to teach them as individuals.

Editorial Review:

If education is to help students make sense of their surroundings and prepare them for the challenges of the technology-driven, internationally competitive world, it must be based on what we know about learning and teaching. This book offers valuable information to teachers, education policymakers and administrators, and curriculum developers - and to everyone who cares about effective learning.

The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently - and Why

Richard E. Nisbet

List Price: $35.10 By: Nicholas Brealey Publishing Ltd Amazon Marketplace: 4 new & used starting at $64.99

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Total reviews: 53 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

When Richard Nisbett showed an animated underwater scene to his American students, they zeroed in on a big fish swimming among smaller fish.Japanese subjects, on the other hand, made observations about the background environment...and the different "seeings" are a clue to profound underlying cognitive differences between Westerners and East Asians. As Professor Nisbett shows in The Geography of Thought people actually think - and even see - the world differently, because of differing ecologies, social structures, philosophies, and educational systems that date back to ancient Greece and China, and that have survived into the modern world. As a result, East Asian thought is "holistic" - drawn to the perceptual field as a whole, and to relations among objects and events within that field. By comparison to Western modes of reasoning, East Asian thought relies far less on categories, or on formal logic: it is fundamentally dialectic, seeking a "middle way" between opposing thoughts. By contrast, Westerners focus on salient objects or people, use attributes to assign them to categories, and apply rules of formal logic to understand their behavior.

Frames Of Mind: The Theory Of Multiple Intelligences

Howard Gardner

Amazon Price: $14.28 List Price: $21.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Basic Books Amazon Marketplace: 124 new & used starting at $2.98

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Nice start, but not an adequate theoretical model for intelligence and learning 2 out of 5 stars.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.

While it is an admirable attempt to create a more complex description of human intelligence than the traditional I.Q. measures, Gardner's theory is still pretty crude. He proposes that there are discrete types of intelligence that operate independently of each other--cognition is a lot messier than that, and if one thinks about it for awhile it is impossible to neatly separate different kinds of thinking.

Musicians, for instance, must perpetually employ "kinesthetic intelligence" as well as "musical intelligence" just to manipulate their instruments or voices. There is also frequent overlapping between "musical intelligence" and "linguistic intelligence"; the great tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, for example, stressed the importance of "playing the lyrics", or using the words of a composition to guide the way he played. Certainly for blues, folk and rap performers it is impossible to separate language from music. Conversely, great writers use musical elements such as rhythm, repetition and assonance in their work; the same elements are an integral part of spoken language, and it was the ability to use them so powerfully that made orators such as King and Roosevelt effective.

There are many other examples of how inextricably bound Gardner's proposed modes of thinking are. Einstein stated that in addition to being able to move numbers around and think abstractly, it was his ability to visualize concepts, to "think in pictures", that enabled him to develop his theories.

On the other hand, Gardner also oversimplifies the enormous complexity that involves each type of intelligence he lists. Visual processing, for example, takes place in so many different parts of the brain that one can hardly consider it a discrete operation. Language is also dizzyingly complex.

Rather than focusing entirely on the kinds of intelligence needed for specific disciplines--a horizontal model-- it might useful to consider a more vertical understanding of cognition. Explicit (conceptual/factual/critical) intelligence is quite distinct from implicit (procedural/intuitive) intelligence--they employ separate parts of the brain and require different approaches to learning. ultimately though, these are also interdependent processes that complement each other. Mathematics requires us to memorize multiplication and addition tables in a very mechanical, thoughtless way; only when this rote learning is fluid enough can we explore the more conceptually challenging aspects of that discipline.

Gardner also states that people who are gifted in one type of intelligence are usually not gifted in others; there is certainly no shortage of examples that contradict this notion. Leonardo is the most obvious one-- aside from his accomplishments as an artist and scientist, he virtually stopped painting between the ages of 20-25 because he was in such high demand as a musician! Michelangelo, Cellini, Rubens, Blake and Newton are a few other multi-talented giants throughout history who come to mind. More recently, there was an entire generation of rock stars who started off as visual artists during the sixties and seventies--Lennon, Bowie, Eno, Ferry, and Byrne were all gifted in more than one mode. It is true that very few people become GREAT in more than one field, but few people become GREAT at anything-- that does not mean they are not multi-talented.

My hunch is that the very opposite of Gardner's statement is true: most people who are gifted excel in more than one of his dimensions of intelligence. The human brain is a restless organ and, if encouraged, a creative child will voraciously explore and combine different kinds of thinking. There are examples, such as Mozart, of astonishing highly-specified talents but I think these are not the norm. Ultimately, it is the ability to think metaphorically and see relationships and structures that allows us to create important work in any discipline, even though we might be attracted to particular avenues of expression.

Finally, self-esteem, identity and other emotional factors are perhaps the most crucial elements in all learning--Gardner's approach to teaching creates the risk of prematurely labeling students as either gifted or limited in particular areas. many people are told at an early age that they are not good at math, art, writing, etc., and end up permanently stunted in their development. this is the classic "wizard of oz" scenario--we get a notion that we are dumb/heartless/cowardly and this becomes who we are until someone tells us otherwise. it is extremely important for teachers to make children aware of what a magnificent, versatile organ the human brain is and how great their potential is in many possible fields of endeavor.

Editorial Review:

More than 200,00 copies of earlier editions have been sold; this reissue includes a new introduction by the author to mark the twenty-first birthday of this remarkable book.

The Creative Entrepreneur: A DIY Visual Guidebook for Making Business Ideas Real

Lisa Sonora Beam

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Common sense that pops! 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I was skeptical. But, then I found that this book is a real motivator. Fun to read, fun to look at, but with a serious mission: how can business owners like me blend creativity and business success? The book goes on to answer that question.

Our small web company deals with the un-bending requirements of accounting/distribution systems with the softer, yet stronger, notions of creative presentation of products and company image. I am constantly looking for new inspiration, and this book has it.

I have already started my journal, and I have gleaned a couple of new ideas that I will use. I found it delightful to browse or to read chunks at one sitting, and it helped me look at my situation with a fresh point of view. I highly recommend it. I got a copy of the book for my son too.

Editorial Review:

The Creative Entrepreneur is a visual, results-oriented, step-by-step method of business development for creatives from all walks of life who want to turn their passions into viable business opportunities.

Whether you are and artist, designer, or small business owner, this book will empower you to renew and nurture your vision with the steps required to take an idea and make it real.

The Creative Entrepreneur offers a dynamic left brain/right brain approach to developing a business focus that evaluates underlying internal issues unique to creative types and shows how to practically address them.

You'll gain a combination of powerful business and strategic planning tools and learn how to use them like a pro. Related journal exercises further explore each concept in a visual and engaging way that appeals to how creative types think, learn and process information. Your journal becomes a companion and map for your creative business journey.

Old Masters and Young Geniuses: The Two Life Cycles of Artistic Creativity

David W. Galenson

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Princeton University Press Amazon Marketplace: 23 new & used starting at $11.03

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

When in their lives do great artists produce their greatest art? Do they strive for creative perfection throughout decades of painstaking and frustrating experimentation, or do they achieve it confidently and decisively, through meticulous planning that yields masterpieces early in their lives?

By examining the careers not only of great painters but also of important sculptors, poets, novelists, and movie directors, Old Masters and Young Geniuses offers a profound new understanding of artistic creativity. Using a wide range of evidence, David Galenson demonstrates that there are two fundamentally different approaches to innovation, and that each is associated with a distinct pattern of discovery over a lifetime.

Experimental innovators work by trial and error, and arrive at their major contributions gradually, late in life. In contrast, conceptual innovators make sudden breakthroughs by formulating new ideas, usually at an early age. Galenson shows why such artists as Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Cézanne, Jackson Pollock, Virginia Woolf, Robert Frost, and Alfred Hitchcock were experimental old masters, and why Vermeer, van Gogh, Picasso, Herman Melville, James Joyce, Sylvia Plath, and Orson Welles were conceptual young geniuses. He also explains how this changes our understanding of art and its past.

Experimental innovators seek, and conceptual innovators find. By illuminating the differences between them, this pioneering book provides vivid new insights into the mysterious processes of human creativity.

Self-Coaching: How to Heal Anxiety and Depression

Joseph J., Ph.D. Luciani

List Price: $14.95 By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $0.63

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Total reviews: 76 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"A groundbreaking, fast-paced, action-oriented new training program for dealing with mild to moderate anxiety and depression, Self-Coaching is a dramatic and fresh departure from traditional therapeutic approaches and a motivational training program." –Harold H. Bloomfield, M.D., New York Times bestselling author of Making Peace with Your Past and Healing Anxiety Naturally

"An excellent contribution to the self-help literature, Self-Coaching provides the reader with powerful tools to heal anxiety and depression. Dr. Luciani’s message is clear and important: You can be your own coach and take charge of your life. If you really want to help yourself, buy this book and use it."–Sam Menahem, Ph.D., author of When Therapy Isn’t Enough

A Powerful New Program to Beat Anxiety and Depression

You can feel better, starting right now! Whether you’re anxious or depressed, this innovative book will teach you how to change your way of thinking and improve your life. Using the revolutionary concept of Self-coaching, you’ll follow simple steps that will help you overcome the thought patterns that lead to anxiety and depression. As you achieve a positive outlook, you’ll learn how to maintain balance, clarity, and spontaneity each and every day at home, at work, and in all your relationships.

Self-Coaching will inspire, motivate, and liberate you. Dr. Luciani’s approach has been proven time and again by his patients. And now he can help you too! Self-Coaching will show you how to:

• Develop a fresh way of thinking, leading to a healthy, adaptive way of living
• Follow winning strategies so you can accomplish what you want in life
• Use the self-talk technique to coach yourself back to health

The Thinker's Toolkit: Fourteen Skills for Making Smarter Decisions in Business and in Life

Morgan D. Jones

List Price: $25.00 By: Crown Business Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $1.82

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great Textbook on Problem Solving 4 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

This is a great book for anyone who needs to make important decisions. I'm with a professional services (consulting) firm, and we're about to make this book mandatory text for all our consultants. It's that good!

Morgan Jones starts off describing that human beings are bad decision makers, but kid themselves about their ability to make good decisions. Then, the book describes 14 tools that can be used to make decision making more structured and error-free. Each tool is described through a story, and has plenty of exercises to try out the tool. It even has the "solutions" at the back to verify your approach.

The book has a few shortcomings. For starters, it does not describe which situations each tool is most useful for. The sample exercises present the facts together - something that is unlikely to be replicated in real life. It also does not classify decisions as being big or small - some decisions are too small to apply structured tools presented here, while some decisions are too big to depend solely on these tools.

This book is written like a textbook. To get full value from The Thinker's Toolkit, you'd have to really participate in the exercises actively. If you're planning to skim through the book, then I'd recommend you drop this book and instead read "Making Great Decisions in Business and Life" by Henderson & Hooper.

To sum up, it's a great textbook if you're a consultant or would like to teach structured problem solving. Bring out your pen and paper!

Editorial Review:

An invaluable resource for any manager or professional, this book offers a collection of proven, practical methods for simplifying any problem and making faster, better decisions every time.

Words and Rules (Science Masters S.)

Steven Pinker

By: Weidenfeld & Nicolson Amazon Marketplace: 23 new & used starting at $1.50

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Brilliant book inappropriately marketed 4 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

In Words and Rules, Pinker manages to condense and tie together an unbelievable amount of research. Reading this book carefully (i.e. really absorbing the densely packed information) and looking up some of its references is probably equivalent to a good undergraduate degree in linguistics.

Pinker has a knack for teasing apart all the different threads that make up a hugely complex subject, exploring each one with arguments and data from different academic currents, and then tying them up again so the reader can form a much better picture of the whole. And that's exactly what he does in this flawlessly well-written book.

The only problem with Words and Rules is its packaging: it's marketed as a popular science book for the general public, but unlike The Language Instinct and How the Mind Works, it can probably only be properly appreciated by either serious "language hobbyists" or linguists (I am both).

If you don't have a fairly good background, or at least a serious interest, in linguistics, you'll probably find this book too dense (at any rate, it's definitely not "light reading"). If you're a linguist (pure or applied), here's another real gem from Steven Pinker.

Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things

Donald A. Norman

List Price: $26.00 By: Basic Books Amazon Marketplace: 23 new & used starting at $4.41

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Total reviews: 30 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Did you ever wonder why cheap wine tastes better in fancy glasses? Why sales of Macintosh computers soared when Apple introduced the colorful iMac? New research on emotion and cognition has shown that attractive things really do work better, a fact fans of Don Norman's classic The Design of Everyday Things cannot afford to ignore.In recent years, the design community has focused on making products easier to use. But as Norman amply demonstrates in this fascinating and important new book, design experts have vastly underestimated the role of emotion on our experience of everyday objects.Emotional Design analyzes the profound influence of this deceptively simple idea, from our willingness to spend thousands of dollars on Gucci bags and Rolex watches to the impact of emotion on the everyday objects of tomorrow. In the future, will inanimate objects respond to human emotions? Is it possible to create emotional robots?Norman addresses these provocative questions--drawing on a wealth of examples and the latest scientific insights--in this bold exploration of the objects in our everyday world.