Prepare Your Hypothesis!
587139
My granddaughter loved it. The packaging was oddly lacking which was kind of nice. It looked like a real set of Petri dishes rather than a kids toy.
4588394
In The Eureka Factor, John Kounios and Mark Beeman say yes, you absolutely can - well, increase the changes of kindling that creative spark, anyway.  The chapters of this book lead inexorably to the conclusion wherein a "blueprint" for maximizing the chance for creative breakthroughs is given, as well as general guidelines for "shifting gears" into the hard work of post-breakthrough follow-up.  In the process, scientifically backed validation is given for practically every ancient traditional or trendy new-age strategy for getting to "Eureka":

- Alter your chemical state with intoxicants (but not too much, or too frequently)
- Clean up, de-clutter, and soften your space (natural blues and greens, not 5-alarm reds)
- Change up your routine
- Walk away and do something that makes you happy while ideas "percolate"
- But come right back and put the nose to the grindstone once you've had that "AHA" moment, lest you lose clarity

...etcetera.  There's not an awful lot here that hasn't already been explored, suggested, and demonstrated to have effectiveness through repeated practice by many successful creative people.  Still, knowing some of the underpinnings of the creative spark as they pertain to the authors' field of study isn't without value, if only because it takes success with these tactics from "well, maybe it's a fluke, because I wanted to believe it would work, or it's just individual to quirky me" uncertainty factor out of the equation.  Cognitive science is beginning to document that what "seems" to work for many in terms of making new connections that advance work in their careers or avocations actually comes down to "goosing" the brain in ways that are knowable and predictable.  (And I'd be more comfortable with all of this if it didn't sound like a decades-old commercial for Dianetics - but you won't find that kind of pseudo-science here, I promise.)

I'm not sure that this book is the cure for writer's block or whatever else is ailing the creative juices, but at the very least it's a reasonable and reasoned springboard for trying to work one's way out of a psychological rut.  I think I just had an epiphany that the authors will soon find themselves wealthier as many a writer, musician, researcher, engineer (etcetera etcetera) turn to this book in the hope of conjuring a better muse.  (Through science!)
226716
A genuine Brain-teaser (tormentor?) from The Great Courses! This is a "Course for the New Millenium", which delves fearlessly into any number of Modern shibboleths. Friedrich Nietzsche would be proud of you, Prof. Goldman. A great pity that it's not available in DVD format? Anyway, let us be thankful that it EXISTS!
2832351
What's up, Amazon? Neocat here! I'm an average YouTuber and a hippy-dippy, tree-hugging enviro-dude who came across Mr. Craven's exhaustive work on the debate over global climate destabilization while surfin' videos on the Tube one day. So it's a 'no duh' that I'm on the teach's side when it comes to the issue of what we're doing to the ecosystem by burnin' so much oil. However, Mr. Craven's work takes a new and pragmatic approach to this brou-haha that the activists and the deniers both can make great use of. And he shares it in a very simple and humorous way in his first paper-back publication called 'What's the Worst that could Happen?'

Rather than tell you what to believe, Mr. Craven offers a way in which you can come to your own conclusion about this hot topic just as he promises on the back of the book. What you get is a risk assessment grid with which you can draw out the pros and cons of taking action or not taking action against global warming and what was even better to me was the credibility spectrum - a diagram that helps to measure the credibility of experts and institutions on both sides of the argument. And Mr. Craven apparently is a perfectionist; he spent two years fueled on Red Bull and Ceasar's Pizza making sure that these tools do not inherently side with the activists. I'll at least say that if any deniers prove global warming wrong with these tools, I will stand corrected on that point - but you'll still have to prove the other eco-issues wrong as well for me to stop being an enviro-dude.

So Mr. Craven's book definitely gets two thumbs up from me. Indeed, there are other environmentalist causes that I stand for, but the teach makes the good point that if the worst of global climate destabilization is real, then it may be in the best interest of the human species to tackle this problem first before we address the others. I highly recommend activists and deniers both to get themselves a copy of this book. Peace!
3616452
I do love this book so much!

As one of the reviewers here notes, such is the power and methodology of the gud Herr Professor Hoppe that "...it is important to recognize that his argument cannot be proven or refuted on empirical grounds."

Wow! What an amazing theory. Sounds a bit like a kinda cult maybe or a religion?!?

Poor Loonytarians - wasting their money and getting REALLY ANGRY when their madness is challenged in a humourous way.

Watch out for the gud Herr Professor's forthcoming books "The Gravity Myth" and "Do you Really Need Oxygen?"
3919531
As I write about this heated debate/book, I have realized how each one of us will subjectively react to Graham Hancock's current book and the previous others. My subjective reaction we know is not the proof. The  answer to end this debate is simple, find the means to test the hypothesis  being put forth...That there was an ancient advanced civilization around  10,500 BC whose knowledge we all share through stories, myths and  structural evidence that employs some advanced astronomical  principles...
For a true Scientist, classifying Graham Hancock is not  important, testing his theories and the evidence he presents, however is  and to do so with an open mind. As a researcher Hancock has taken the time  to observe the same sites, texts and myths as have others in the past. He  is postulating different conclusions from what others have done..Not in  vaccuum either...He provides you with plenty of evidence, contextual  information and interpretation....more definitive than the  "Fingerprints of the Gods"... Others have interpreted  differently..He is willing to test it...Are there any takers?
The BBC  program's attempt to prove/disprove Graham Hancock's theories is not  sufficient. Debunk a theory proposed on physical evidence on a tv program?  We have not come so far in our scientific advancement by disproving a  hypothesis in that fashion...Why not consider the physical evidence and  evaluate/re-evaluate the evidence..Then subject the idea through the  rigourous of the scientific process...Let this be done with ideas put forth  by Graham Hancock and some of his collabarators...
If people disagree  with Graham Hancock, test the hypothesis...If we cannot test it, treat it  as fiction and read it and forget it...But let us not jump to  "scientific" conclusions by doing what Graham Hancock is accused  of doing...being unscientific...Either take the time to prove / disprove it  or just let it be....
And as a reader, keep your mind open when reading  this book. Personally I find Hancock's hypothesis very interesting and  believe that more research is needed..to prove or disprove..What exists as  evidence for the players in this debate is necessary but not completely  sufficient to prove their position beyond doubt..Why so?
Let us compare  the field of Physics with Cultural Anthropology. A famous Scientist made a  very definitive end-of-the-19th-Century declaration that Physics can  explain all physical phenomena save for a few, one of them being the  Photo-Electric effect. However, one Einstein was willing to think  differently and has changed our thinking about physical reality. His  discoveries have not finished off Physics, but re-energized it and given  the power to explain even more about the universe we live in and opened our  eyes to how life can truly be stranger than fiction. Was the opinion stated  by a prominent scientist and held by a majority of scientists of that time  really the truth and the whole truth? Far from it as it turns out. An  additional advantage with Physics is that, many of the hypothesis can be  confirmed through lab based experiments and observable physical phenomena.  These are repeatable or tend to repeat themselves and so can be re-tested  and theories can be revised. Let us also not forget that we are human. This  should actually be sufficient!
The orthodox hypothesis about rise of  civilizations and Graham Hancock's new hypothesis and other alternate  theories,however do not have such luxury. They are working with languages,  texts, myths and physical pieces of evidence that no one person can  completely claim to understand or explain. They may be able to recreate the  skies in 5000 BC and 10000 BC, but nothing like physics. So the researchers  in such a field should pay attention to all the data and whatever secondary  data they can lay their hands on. I have read quite a few articles by the  proponents of different theories.. Still I believe for reasons stated  above, a lot more rigorous research is needed...and I will look forward to  such research.
4044347
Carrier is helping me to organize and understand epistemic worries that, as a philosophy student, I have struggled with for years.  Bayes Theorem is about essentially showing how our various principles in rationality "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence", "Claims need to be testable and falsifiable", "Ockham's razor", "evidential fit is a necessary but not sufficient criterion for belief", actually all reduce to Bayes Theorem.  BT describes why these principles are rational, this is what makes it so revolutionary.  Once we start casting our reasoning using Bayes we can start making real progress on disagreements of all types, not just historical ones!
407622
Everyone should read this book!  You'll be stunned!  These guys know what they're talking about and they back it up with studies and facts that you can actually verify for yourself.
3183573
Although some of the theories are still in fledgling stages and research is thin, they are none the less compelling and exciting to read about. Then again, many of the other theories have been well researched, peer-reviewed and tested. The author(s) do a good job of pointing out the evidence, validity, and assumptions regarding each. The format is simple and intuitive, very well put together. This book is basically a primer for people interested in evolutionary psychology with some fascinating insight and entertaining bits of information thrown in. It's excellent and I seriously couldn't put it down. I read the book from cover to cover in less then three days.

Warning: This book is not PC. The author(s) make a well argued case for this up front.  Some of the material can be offensive to some people but the true message is the evidence of science, not our emotional reactions to it. If you can let go of your emotional attachments to a few social paradigms and review the evidence logically, you'll be OK. If not, this may not be the book for you. By the way, it does not confirm any particular racial biases or abilities, etc. Quite the opposite. It exposes that the cultural kit and the abilities we share are universal across all of humanity. So no, this is no eugenics revival or anything sad and unscientific like that.

The other issue I've noticed with certain readers is that they apply a very egotistical view to the theories. For example, I don't personally like blonds any more than brunettes. I am a statistical anomaly, just like many other people are. Simply because I don't share the majority view point of subjects tested the world over, does not mean that the results of the testing are invalid or that a trend significant enough to warrant some explaining does not exist. I keep hearing things like 'Hey, I don't like blonds! This is wrong!' Anyway, you can see the fallacy in that.

Take theories and hypotheses presented in this book for what they are based upon the research and evidence presented, not your gut reaction to the outcomes. Of course further rational explanations will evolve as further studies are taken and new evidence is uncovered. That's the nature of the scientific process!

Anyway, very fun read. I really enjoyed it.
4483237
Reminder: Sayings are called "sayings," cause they are usually true. So, you've heard this one...right? "When the student is ready, the teacher appears."

The same week that I committed to creating, producing and publishing a "TV Show" (as a Facebook community) for interviews called: "The Better Series," I received an email from Scott Goodson. (FULL DISCLOSURE: We exchanged books...I love doing this with other authors.)

I "just" finished reading it today, and I absolutely HAVE to share some of the things I learned from this great book. I'm scoring it a 5 as much for how well it's put together AND for the fact that I know that reading this book has changed my thinking. If you're facing an opportunity in the foreseeable future where you see change coming your way, Get This Book! I have 6 pages of notes in my journal, as well as a few pages marked up in the book. (FYI: the pages that JUMPED out to me were: 15, 18, 22, 33, 48, 56, 75, 77, 86, 90, 115, 125, 159, 190, 224.)

Can I share an example of how my thinking has changed? Ok, start here: Think about what the company you work with "does" for the community. (And, if you work for yourself, think about what YOU do for the community.) I define "the community" as the people I connect with in the day-to-day of my busy-ness. Ok, now that you have that, flip it around and ask: "What is the community worried about?"

This "flip" of focus has given me a solid idea on what I can do to change one of the marketing programs we're just about to launch on three continents!

Before you go, here are THREE reasons I recommend this book:

1. The case studies are FASCINATING. What Scott has done to share with us the actual, tactical, ground-level-and-up thinking and acting that went behind the movement-making that he was a part of is genius. Just reading the case studies has made me look at newspapers, movie advertisements, keynote speeches...almost everything a little bit differently. It's great to see what other people have done.

2. Talk about checklists... As I was reading, I started a list of what I can do to increase MY OWN company's engagement (our staff, our vendors, our clients...) in our purpose. As you read Uprising, keep a pen and notebook nearby, then...put into action what you do write down.

3. The "game changer" of the book came to me at page 125 (of the hardback version). There is a diagram (ok, he calls it a figure) titled, "Find the Truth in Your Brand." Then, Scott shares some fundamental questions that I'm making it a mission to answer. Here are two of them:

+ In what ways does your company actually affect people's lives?
+ What does the company believe in?

Finally, let me leave you with the part that got me wanting to read this in the first place; it was the last line of the Acknowledgments: "Here's to all the passionate souls out there who are sparking movements big and small and making a difference in the world."

That's YOU!
3775136
Excellent thought-provoking read. A rebuttal of much non-scientific hype foisted upon us by the media and ignorant masses with axes to grind, all wrapped in a fast-paced mystery. Well done, Michael!
765872
For a moment, after reading the mammoth reviews in the other "tipping point" categories, I suffered the thought, "What could I possibly add that would in any way help the reader of these reviews?" But then  it dawned on me that the book's sales performance is going to speak  loudest. So think about this now. Any author that proposes to teach and  write about the nature of epidemics had better have his message TIP!  The  best demonstration of the worthiness of a book on how epidemics are started  is if it sells in epidemic proportions.  As of this review, the February  2000 edition was ranked #18 on Amazon's sales.  That information ought to  be worth something!
Now catch on to my enthusiasm when I tell you that  this book is not a sham! Check out today's numbers and see for yourself.
The book is clearly a boon to any intellectual who not only enjoys  mental stimulation, but also deeply strives to understand the mechanics of  the major forces influencing daily life. With all of the fast and furious  changes taking place each and every day, population explosions, web  developments and so on, the ideas in this book can have the effect of  slowing down what is otherwise seen as the blurry "Wheel of  Progress." The wheel may always spin, faster and faster even, but  after reading "The Tipping Point", you'll be the one who can  still see the spokes. And perhaps, one of the few, who can influence an  epidemic....or two.
One last point that I have found absolutely  fascinating and which I have not heard mentioned anywhere else yet can be  found on the front cover of the book.....A MATCH. Do you realize what  effect that one little match can have on you? It's certainly not an  arbitrary device. It was placed there with the firm intention of making the  book more visually sticky. A simple little match. A match!
I hope this  helped.
2955583
I finished reading the book on January 21st, 2005, having received it on January 13th.  I had a tough time leaving it alone as I went through that rather busy week.  The book appealed to and challenged me that much.

I am impressed by the author's obvious intelligence, the breadth of his understanding of today's science and his logical presentation of a surprisingly comprehensive and difficult theory.  Kudos to Mark McCutcheon.

Further, I think it would be enormous good fun to be part of an effort that contributes to the testing, validation, clarification, correction, extension, establishment or discrediting of Mark McCutcheon's "Final Theory."  I sincerely hope that the rest of us can prove whether his efforts have been worthwhile.

Mark McCutcheon is an audacious author.  He is definitely not afraid to challenge the "sacred cows" of existing science and physics Standard Theory.  Do yourself a huge favor and DO NOT PERMIT YOURSELF to be one of the close minded, bigoted or self adulating people who will have difficulty being patient and open minded enough to read all the way through the book.  Such people will leap to a negative conclusion about the entirety of Mark's "Final Theory" based upon their not understanding or their misunderstanding and negative reaction to some point along the way.

I was tempted to do so, myself. But, as I continued to read I found that later information gave me good reason to be pleased that I had not dismissed the book out of hand.  Nevertheless, I found myself highlighting the places where I had issues, as I went.

Mark lays out his theory in a logical step-by-step manner with no overview or preview to give us a look ahead at what is coming (for valid and good reasons).  This works very well if you are patient, but otherwise you may be tempted to skim, look or jump ahead.  Trust me you will be well rewarded for patiently reading page by page.

Mark fully acknowledges the worth and the obvious workability of the existing Standard Theory in science and physics.  But, he challenges Standard Theory where it tells "how" and "what" but not "why."  His "Final Theory" gives his explanation of the "why" and in many cases that leads to a new explanation of the "how" and the "what."

A most refreshing intellect is housed within this author's brain.

As you would probably expect, my second reading of the book (currently in progress, since Jan 26, 2005) is proving to be even more interesting, challenging, focusing and clarifying.  In many cases the theory looks even better the second time around, but, also, the difficulties and questions stand out in more vivid relief.  For those who do as I am doing, reading the book again, I suspect we will find it easy to have focused discussions with intelligent content.
4536421
From my perspective, "Self-Theories," is incredible. Fascinating, absolutely fascinating!  I guarantee that if you are not familiar with Dr Carol Dweck's work you will have the equivalent of an epiphany when you read this.  It is hard to believe that these theories have escaped popular culture and remained hidden.

Carol Dweck would deny it, but she is a genius. The proof of her theories are borne out in these pages. The light-bulb part is that when you read them; it's a real "Ah-Ha!" moment.  It is something that we see glimpses of in ourselves but precious few have truly understood.  Things become clearer and clearer with each chapter.

The crux of it is that there are people, children and adults, which have an attitude of mastery or growth mindset.  These people shrug off failures, mistakes and difficulty with subjects and work at incremental growth. They develop their abilities.  The rest of us, have this belief in their abilities and an attitude that if you are gifted then things will come naturally.  These people have a tendency to dislike effort, struggles and incremental growth because they see it as a weakness.  For the growth mindset people they see the big picture and develop new strategies to overcome.

It is similar to the two different schools of economic theory; either you believe that economies are STATIC and there is only so much wealth to go around and so legislate to equalize wealth; or you believe economies are DYNAMIC and grow, therefore increasing wealth through successful strategies and encourage risk and experimentation.  The static would be equivalent to ability or scarcity mindset and the dynamic would be equivalent to the mastery or growth mindset.

The thing is, when you look at raising children we all want them to succeed at whatever they try.  Parents look for any sign that their child might be gifted and have some inborn ability that shines above their peers. But this is folly, because they praise the exact opposite of what they should.  They praise the child's ability and not their effort.  From this the child gets the message that, "I am good at this without effort, and people like me for it."  The problem arises when it is time to move on from their juvenile abilities and grow stronger and more able, but they hold back.  They hold back because they don't want to destroy their image of a "natural" they don't want to loose the praise they once had.  This turns out to be a death spiral for any real gifts they might have had.  Too bad too, all it takes is a slight change of the phrases used with young people.

Parents, teacher and coaches alike should read and re-read this work.  It is the clinical stuff but in my opinion it is better than Mindset.  Mindset is also excellent stuff but is more anecdotal and less about the cases and discovery in the studies.
4834583
Excellent! Recommended! Educate yourself by these Experts!
2708630
Exquisitely written and quite thought provoking. It is partly a refutation of Neo-Darwinism, and more importantly a necessary complement to that school of thought. It is a fresh wind of thinking, and it seeks to overturn the prevailing reductionist philosophy of Neo-Darwinism. It is both speculative and empirical. It is convincing. It deserves to be as widely known as Dawkins' "The Selfish Gene". Dawkins was Noble's thesis student, as a matter of fact. I urge you to buy and enjoy this book!
4714639
Thawed

This pamphlet has many excellent points going for it. It explains some of the major reasons why so many Americans reject the evidence for human-caused climate change (a political phenomena seen chiefly in the USA and Australia: people on the rest of the planet overwhelmingly accept the fact that humans have caused and are causing climate change, of which global warming is one component). The pamphlet also explains the scientific method, and why humanity can and should tentatively accept the conclusions of scientists.

The author pointed out that after scientists publish their conclusions derived by their studies, they beg and plead other scientists to disprove and to find flaws in those conclusions--- a requirement found in science, but never in religion or politics. Only after conclusions survive the relentless assault from peers within the specific science venue ("falsification" attempts), will the conclusions be tentatively accepted. (The author did not mention the fact that before scientists publish their conclusions, they work hard to refute those conclusions themselves.) This "peer review" process is not 100% successful in screening out errors, but it is the best process humanity has ever come up with so far for determining that which is false from that which is most likely correct.

Note I wrote "tentatively" and "most likely correct:" science deals with levels of confidence, and never certainty. Regarding the evidence for human-caused climate change, nearly 100% of the world's experts in the related science venues agree that humans have caused and are causing climate change, and that the change has been, is, and will be disastrous: but those conclusions are still accepted tentatively, in the extremely unlikely event that the conclusions are wrong.

When scientists want to know if a hypothesis is most likely true, they work very hard to disprove the hypothesis. They do not work to "prove" that it is true. Deniers of science, and in this case deniers of the evidence for human-caused climate change, refuse to accept the fact that the world's scientists have already tried extremely hard, for nearly 200 years, to disprove the physics involved in human-caused climate change: that falsification attempt has been going on since the 1820s, with Joseph Fourier!

If human-caused climate change had not happened and were not happening, the world's scientists would not all agree otherwise.

The pamphlet corrected debunked (not "refuted") many of the common claims made by deniers of the evidence for human-caused climate change.

For one example, the bizarre assertion that all of the world's climatologists forgot the fact that Earth has clouds: a claim I have seen made by several evidence-deniers.

For another example, the false assertion that scientists have not accounted for what is known as the "urban heat island effect:" thermometers near urban areas that are inaccurate due to improper location such as near buildings. The fact is that the effect has been measured, and globally the effect has been found to be negligible. The effect was measured to be negative (-0.19c) with the error bars being plus or minus 0.19c

This pamphlet is a good overview of the science involved. I'm not convinced the pamphlet was worth the three dollars I paid for it, since all of the facts inside are freely and readily available elsewhere.