Post-Skinnerian behaviorism at its best
925963
Do you think behaviorism is only about rats and simple behaviors? Really?! Then you should read a book - this book. This text provides a very clear articulation of how complex cognition and 'higher level thinking' as well as a whole slew of other issues can be understood with modern behaviorist approaches. It also clears up some uncertainties and awkwardness with Skinner's discussions of verbal behavior. This would make a perfect gift for the critical theorist, constructivist, or post-positivist in your life who would like to broaden and refine their methodological and epistemological understandings.
3308978
Sigmund Freud's "Beyond the Pleasure Principle" is  a key text, not only for psychologists, or literary theorists, but anyone who thinks about why our minds work the way they do.  If your mind is open to extreme possibilities, give this text a read.  It is short, barely 75 pages, but give yourself time to pore over and make notes, as Freud moves very quickly.
In "Beyond the Pleasure Principle," Freud seeks to discover the causes and effects of our drives.  To this end, he begins with the pleasure principle, which basically holds that the job of our 'mental apparatus' is to lower tension and move us towards pleasure and stability.  Working against the pleasure principle are our baser instincts, which must be repressed by a vigilant brain.  The pleasure principle can also be interrupted by the reality principle, which operates in moments when basic life functions are threatened - to wit, when maintaining life is more important than pleasure.
Examining the pleasure principle, Freud looks at scenarios which may shed light on mental processes that seem to challenge it.  These include repetition compulsion, wherein adults seem to fixate and reenact moments of trauma.  Seeking a more primal cause for repetition instinct, Freud analyses children's games.  Interestingly, the further Freud regresses, the more speculative and intense he gets - from childhood, Freud talks about the brain itself, moving back to simple multicellular organisms, unicellular organisms, and ultimately inorganic matter - all the time looking for an explanation of the origin of instincts themselves.
Freud's queries on instinct and repetition compulsion lead him to the darkest possible places - the revelation of the death instinct.  Freud posits that the repetition compulsion manifests itself in all conscious beings in the desire to return to the earliest state, total inactivity.  The remainder of his treatise is spent developing the conditions of the death instinct, and trying to find a way out of this shocking thesis.  Taking up Hesiodic Eros as symbolic of the life instinct, Freud attempts to argue out of the seemingly inescapable conclusion.
Freud's writing style is direct and fluid, but not necessarily straightforward.  If you're not paying attention, Freud can go over your head quickly.  For example, on page 50 of this standard edition, his line of argument dismisses Darwin, Marx, and Nietzsche in a matter of two paragraphs to astounding effect.  His language is highly figurative, drawing on philosophy, literature, biology, and anecdote to make and illustrate his points.  A critical text for anyone interested in psychoanalysis and its figurehead author.
262213
Unlike other scientific books related to psychology and behavioral genetics, Mr. Wright's book does not bog down in "techno-jargon".  He does a superb job at simplifying and codifying years of legitimate scienctific research regarding the genetic nudges of behavior.  Having spent years myself as a psychology graduate student combing the same research, Wright is on target.  The two most interesting aspects of his book is that he actually interviewed,face to face, prominent researchers in this field.  Moreover, Wright adeptly outlined the history behind this turbulent subject.  He put into words what I have observed for years; that some well-educated psychologists can be blinded to convincing scientific evidence.  It is courageous of Mr. Wright to actually name the researchers which might have ulterior motives not to examine the evidence with an objective eye.  In the end, "Born that Way", may not be the definitive book  on behavioral genetics.  However, it is an outstanding reference for people who wish to know more about where psychology has been and where it will soon be grounded. I certainly recommend this book to psychology students.
4880082
This book is very easy to read and understand.  I like the logical progression of the book and I think it is great to have for any introductory experimental analysis of behavior class.  I look forward to re-reading this textbook this fall for class.
381556
Pope has made a significant entry into the rational interpretation of the "unconsious" mechanism of hidden or repressed memory. As a behaviorist I found myself agreeing with his hypotheses and conclusions and discovered some clarity in my own thinking at the same time. I find his writing style to be clear, clever, and concise. I have chosen to place this book on my desk for all to see.
1967242
I learned a lot from the book. It's primarily about using medications for dogs with behavioral problems which are rooted in neurological or medical conditions. The author tries to be fair in how he presents his opinions, often noting when studies don't support his hypotheses. It's not meant to be an academic treatise, so it's a little short on actual research, but pretty well-supported for a general public book. He didn't oversell medication as the first treatment option. He emphasized behavioral intervention (better environment, better training, etc.) when and where appropriate. The cases were very interesting, involving all sorts of animals, not just pets. I learned a fair amount about the behavior of horses.

My only resistance was that he tends to think animals have more complex emotions than I think they do. I absolutely believe animals have the same primary and some secondary emotions as people (fear, anxiety, affection/bonding, joy, etc.). But, I don't think they feel guilt or other emotions that require sophisticated cognition. But, that played a relatively minor role in the book.

I would highly recommend this book to people with animals in their lives. I think it provides an important way to think of problematic animal behavior, and I think Veterinarians should be more familiar with medications for what are sometimes identified as "behavioral" problems.
4571057
Psychology has been a side interest of mine since 1970. Over the years I've read a number of books on anger, ALL of which I've considered to be poor! Carol's book stands out as a delightful exception.

Carol Tavris is a social psychologist. As such she has received considerable training in science (unlike clinical psychologists), and it shows. Her concepts have an empirical foundation, and are consistent with the teachings of cognitive behavior therapy - which happens to be by far the most successful type of psychotherapy.

She explains what's wrong (and why) with a number of popular notions about anger, some of which are even held by many clinical psychologists, such as "ventilation" and certain efforts at catharsis. She provides information on how to use anger constructively, and also on how to diminish anger without being aggressive or hostile. An excellent book!
338850
Mr. Tomasello sets out with remarkable clarity that humans are by nature cooperative beings, that motivatios for such behavior are intrinsic and not externally motivated, and that humans are wired for empathy. "There is very little evidence . . . that the altruism children display is a result of acculturation, parental intervention, or any other form of socialization."
  One particular facet of cooperation is that of humans providing needed information, education, to create a common conceptual ground from which cooperative behavior can take place.
 A revealing book with some pressing implications for contemporary social policy.
2023320
I came to this book after reading Berger and Luckmann's&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Social-Construction-of-Reality-A-Treatise-in-the-Sociology-of-Knowledge/dp/0385058985/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge</a>. In fact it would have been better to read this (introductory) book first and then Berger and Luckmann's (more sophisticated) book.

"Another system of social control that exerts its pressures towards the solitary figure in the center is that of morality, custom and manners. Only the most urgent-seeming (to the authorities, that is) aspects of this system are endowed with legal sanctions. This does not mean, however, that one can safely be immoral, eccentric or unmannered. At this point all the other instrumentalities of social control go into action. Immorality is punished by loss of one's job, eccentricity by the loss of one's chances of finding a new one, bad manners by remaining uninvited and uninvitable in the groups that respect what they consider to be good manners."

"In other words, institutions provide procedures through which human conduct is patterned, compelled to go, in grooves deemed desirable by society. And this trick is performed by making these grooves appear to the individual as the only possible ones."

"In the same way, society supplies our values, our logic and the store of information (or, for that matter, misinformation) that constitutes our 'knowledge.' Very few people, and even they only in regard to fragments of this world view, are in a position to re-evaluate what has thus been imposed on them. They actually feel no need for reappraisal because the world view into which they have been socialized appears self-evident to them. Since it is also so regarded by almost everyone they are likely to deal with in their own society, the world view is self-validating. Its 'proof' lies in the reiterated experience of other men who take it for granted also. To put this perspective of the sociology of knowledge into one succinct proposition: Reality is socially constructed."
2047117
Mark Taylor is the head of the religion department at Columbia University.  Therefore he is at the forefront of emerging postmodern thought in America; in response to the French philosophy which currently has taken center stage.  His university champions this movement and his position is extremely important for understanding how we are involving ourselves in this process in America.  Taylor's position is actually situated at the beginning and end chapters of the book.  The center section presents a chronological view of how this new school came into being.  So if you don't want the history lesson right away; you could read the first chapter and the last two chapters and just take in Taylor's position.  This is rewarding in  itself.  You get two books for the price of one.  Taylor's fundamental position is to challenge the theory of entropy ; that everything is unavoidably headed for dissolution and chaos.  He says the new science has found room for neg-entropy and that theology should adopt this neg-entropy theory also.  In this way, the self can approach the abyss of darkness and its repetition of sameness with a real anticipation of difference and its potential to "self-actualize into a sub-system of order.  The key here is that Taylor admits to "objective" self-organizing sub-systems; not just our subjective construction of those sub-systems.  Both go hand in hand.  The self is to construct a "complex adaptive network" type model of reality for positing which will function dialectically and be open to revision.  We make this move at those points in history where we find a moment of punctuated equilibrium; where a phase-shift in structure has created instability and a chance for a the "new" to emerge.  The self should continually be involved in  "learning"; how to understand the eschatology of the infinite. Taylor's model is consistent and graspable.  But; beware of his explanations and logic.  He creates  difficulty in accessability at times which takes some straining to get through.  He's not always clear or  "sure".  But it can be pictured eventually.  Just stick with it.  Not light reading, but I thought  it was rewarding And it's good to know where Columbia university stands in postmodern thought.  I'll go 5 stars with just a light warning about accessability.
368947
The author sets out to prove--successfully in my view--that drug treatment for conditions such as ADHD, OCD, depression, and anxiety are vastly inferior to behavioral therapy. Though many contend that chemical imbalances are responsible for producing these disorders, Stephen Ray Flora argues and presents credible evidence showing how cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), instead of pharmacological intervention, can correct such problems and lead people in the direction of human health with markedly lower relapse rates and with results that are lasting. Drugs do not fundamentally re-shape our worldview into a more constructive, healthier outlook. For instance, if we have an anxiety disorder that results from heights, public places, or public speaking, taking a medication will not fundamentally resolve those issues. Instead, through exposure-response therapy, people are forced to confront their fears and extinguish the unhealthy response to a particular environmental stimulus (such as a cliff, or a stage in front of many people).

Indeed, the manifestation of other psychological conditions can be examined through the lens of behaviorism. OCD is fueled by seeking relief from anxiety (negative reinforcement). Depression is perpetuated by avoiding activities that, in and of themselves, would resolve the depression itself (negative reinforcement). Though I do not wish to spoil the substance of the book by going into detail, Flora shows how environmental reinforcers can produce these conditions of mental illness and how they can be resolved. The author's scrutiny of ADHD and schizophrenia was also very enlightening.

This book is empowering for those seeking to take control of a particular condition they may have. Instead of outsourcing blame ("Oh, it's not my fault; it's the OCD") or reducing the complication to a simple resolution ("I just need a pill."), Flora provides an engaging and well-researched discourse of certain conditions and shows how the tools for overcoming these problems is readily accessible for anyone ready and willing to work. CBT and/or exposure-response therapy is many times more effective than drugs by actually correcting psychological problems, not masking them.

I believe our culture is too demanding of solutions in life that come quickly and in something as simple as a pill. We have become too eager to take medications despite the fact that psychiatry has only proven that there is a CORRELATION between brain chemistry imbalance and mental illness, *NOT* causation. The author jokes in the beginning of the book how the victor in a martial arts competition has a higher testosterone count (the 'chemical') than the person he defeated. Does that mean that the loser has some kind of "physical competition victory deficiency disorder?" Additionally, Jeffrey Schwartz has shown using PET scans how CBT and EX/RP (exposure-response therapy) can alter brain chemistry to healthier levels, without drugs.

To the skeptics and critics: Flora addresses the arguments presented in favor of drug intervention. The author will demonstrate how medications can even interfere with the effectiveness of CBT, not improve it. In fact, as you will read in the chapter on depression, if mental illness was a bona-fide chemical problem, why did more people improve with only placebos in one study vs. those who took actual medications (Duke University study)?

This was a very good read! I highly recommend it!
4355706
I have another work by Stephen Johnson, entitled "Humanizing the Narcissistic Style" and I find them both to be of a high academic standard.
Although published in 1985, there is nothing much new coming out of the field of "Object Relations/Ego Psychology", but this remains a seminal work in that area.  What I found most useful was his  typographical setting out of "Character Analysis" against the backdrop of Object Relations/Character Analytic Perspective/Ego Psychology  and Conflict Versus Deficits in Explaining Human Pathology (all sub-titles) re-visiting, if not re-defining core terminology.  Brilliant!
 He manages to integrate a number of major schools of therapeutic thinking - choosing techniques from a broad base to work on strengthening ego functioning.  According to the Jacket Sleeve of the book- "Each intervention fits within behavioral, affective or cognitive domain, change in all three domains being necessary for lasting chacterological change".
 Ambitious? yes!  Well researched? Indeed!
3200880
This book grounds many Buddhist precepts in Evolutionary Psychology. I had lot of transformative changes in my thought processes after reading this book. Our minds have evolved thoughts and feelings which are due to natural selection. Such thoughts are grounded in feelings and may be regarding acquisition, mate selection or jealousy. These thoughts and feelings are harmful. They are explained nowadays by the modular theory of mind in which various modules get activated in the brain subconsciously due to external stimuli. These has been proven by many experiments in psychology. By  not associating with these thoughts and feelings and letting them dissipate we refuse the concept of "self". This is also core to Buddhist precept called "non self" which ties to this finding. This is brought out very lucidly. The next chapter deals with the concept of "essence". Are things by nature good, bad or ugly? Is a buzz saw noise disturbing? The author illustrates through his own meditation experiences that you can argue that the nature of essence is not permanent or a property of the objective but a matter of psychological perception. He quotes numerous psychological theories including the fundamental attribution error. He then discusses the concept of "tanha" or "desire" and how it feeds on itself and is proven to be harmful psychologically. Further the author stresses that we need a ethical and moral theory along with benefits that accrue from discovering "non self" and "emptiness" via meditation. However, he claims that meditation will bring us close to truth and thus to morality and we will lose all the tribalism that besets modern people.

I enjoyed the book very much. The summary at the end are the core hypothesis on "non self", "dukkha", "tanha", "emptyness" and "conditioning"  that the author has put forward as having a basis in evolutionary psychology. His descriptions on meditation will be useful to both beginners and experts in actually understanding the "Why" behind the processes. The book includes the authors personal experiences and quotes from various Buddhist masters he has practiced which is quite entertaining and very in-depth analysis.

A must for anyone who wants to understand Buddhism and meditation scientifically.
934761
While reading this book, I felt like I was a student who signed up for a class called "Your Brain on Food" but instead was somehow switched into one called "Your Brain on Drugs." Not that this was a undesirable switch...just an unexpected one.

And, it's no coincidence that I felt like I was in class while reading this book--the author is, after all, a college professor. The book's presentation, style, and content are rather lecture-like, but, nonetheless effectively accomplish the author's mission of showing how: "anything you consume--the drugs you take, the foods you eat--can affect how your neurons behave, and subsequently, how you think and feel." (p. X)

In the beginning of the book, the author/professor presents a clear overview of basic neurochemistry, nicely summarizing the path of neurotransmitter production, release, reuptake, and inactivation. (I've actually marked this section to revisit again whenever I need a quick neurochemistry refresher.) The rest of the book focuses on how:
"Drugs and the contents of our diet can interact with any of these various processes and impair, or even sometimes enhance, the production of neurotransmitters, as well as impair their storage into synaptic vesicles, alter their release from neurons, modify their interaction with receptor proteins, slow their reuptake, and possibly even stop their enzymatic inactivation. Because your brain is the organ of the mind, drugs and food that do any of these things can have a profound influence on how you think, act, and feel." (pp. 14-15)

Sitting through this lecture, uh, I mean, reading this book, you'll learn the key responses associated with specific neurotransmitters, including: learning, memory, and attention with acetylcholine; arousal and euphoria with norepinephrine and dopamine; processing of sensory information and mood with serotonin; excitation and neuroplasticity with glutamate;  inhibition with GABA; and euphoria and pain reduction with opiates.

And, receiving the full benefits of being taught by a professor, you'll be entertained with stories of his students who have vividly demonstrated the effects of drugs on various neurotransmitter systems.  Let's see...there was the one student who became temporarily paralyzed after drinking alcohol at fraternity parties to the delight of others who would place his limbs in odd positions. And, then there was the student who would collect her boyfriend's urine after he used the stimulant mescaline, realizing she was able to experience the high, without the nasty GI side effects experienced when taken in its "pre-digested" from. And, then there was that other student who consumed an entire container of nutmeg dissolved in applesauce, but instead of being able to enjoy the sought-after aphrodisiac effects, he was stuck in the bathroom for the weekend. These stories might stick in your mind long after the more academic details of the drug-induced neurotransmitter responses have faded.

(True to lecture form, at the end of his teachings, the professor even provides you with a little quiz to see if you really were paying attention.)

Although the content and delivery of the book might not be what's expected, what it does provide is certainly worthwhile.
140697
This is my extra credit for learning class. First of all I thought It's would be boring. After the first sight Iooked the book i started laughing. It's really an interesting book. The women tried to change his husband behavior. Her example proved that positive reinforcement is really useful. Reward the behavior she likes and ignore the behavior She dose not like. Even just a thank make a huge different. And I will definitely recommend this approach to my mom. So that my parent may deal with a lots of problems without arguing. Also i think it's proved we did have lots of similar things with animal. Thats make sense why we did research on animal.
183863
Ever since his 1985 book "The Social Brain," Dr. Michael S. Gazzaniga has consistently been at the forefront in providing eminently readable descriptions of the unfolding discoveries in brain research and their relevance to understanding human behavior.

Now, 26 years later, "Who's in Charge? Free Will and the Science of the Brain," provides a capstone incorporating the most recent data from the cognitive sciences and examining how they impact both traditional understanding of determination and free will, and our more recent attempts to understand how the brain implements the mind.

To voice serious opinions about almost any human behavior it is necessary to be familiar with the scientific findings described so very well in this book, and to become aware of the varying ways these findings are being interpreted.

All who attempt to understand human behavior are in Mike Gazzaniga's debt.
1672109
Abraham Tesser did a fantastic job of assembling the top names in social psychology in 1994 to write this book. Scholars such as Susan Fiske, Daniel Gilbert, and Robert Cialdini wrote a chapter each on the core topics of social psychology. They also presented a lecture, and the complete 12-part lecture series is available on video.

The only problem is, this book gives a fantastic insight into where social psychology was a decade ago, but much research has since been conducted. This is such a pity, because there are few social psychology textbooks that are written for students in 3rd-year to graduate-level courses. Most social psychology books are directed to either introductory students, the general public, or academic audiences. This book filled a gap (catering for advanced students), but has now fallen a little behind the times. It gets five stars for what it was, and for the fact that most of its content is still relevant.