Book Description

In this groundbreaking book you will learn how to get demonstrably true answers to your questions, and know what true success is and how to create it. ... Read more

Reviews (88)

One of the most important books.
Reviewer Ruth Lyon was very skeptical of muscle testing, yet I have experienced its validity in many ways for over 25 years through its application by trained, qualified professionals who understand its correct use - mostly chiropractors. Her own skepticism makes her a poor judge of this method and therefore of Power Vs. Force.

This book is one of the most important I have ever read, illuminating the effect of all things on human behavior. Music, color, environment, enterainment, literature and more all have an influence on the people who experience them. Hawkins has done us a great service in this work, and we would do well to listen to him. He points out that even excellence in some area of life doesn't mean it is of a beneficial effect, such as a skilled musican playing what some call "death rock" music. The effect is what matters. Of particular value is his clarification of the relative calibrations of emotions and attitudes of consciousness, much of which is little understood by most. With this map we can make choices and progress in our lives. It is a map to sanity and value that is much needed in this world.

I know a someone who is well aquainted with the author, and he says he is indeed a brilliant man. Those who would be critical of him should look at their own qualifications to judge him or his methods. Power Vs. Force is a book not to be passed up.

By the way, the first three chapters are extreemely dry clinical material and are hard for most to read with interest. Skim them if you need to, and get into the meat in chapter 4.

Could've been great!
This book COULD have been great. For a moment at least, let's take the major premise of kinesiology testing at the author's word. If true, this would be a MAJOR breakthrough in man's ability to discern truth from fiction in the world. The author himself mentioned that he's undertaken millions of kinesiological tests over the past number of years. So, you would expect to find out all kinds of interesting "eye-opening" facts in the book, wouldn't you? Don't hold your breath. The author divulges a sum total of 30-40 test results throughout the entire book (mostly how historical persons such as Jesus and Hitler calibrated). If he's so confident in his system, why not publish a book of the 1000's of interesting facts that could be ascertained using this method (e.g. "Did O.J. do it?"). It would be the most interesting book ever written (again assuming the testing system is what the author claims it is). Instead, the author goes through chapter after chapter of telling you how the method COULD be used by the reader (e.g. to choose politicians, make company decisions, etc.).

One other MAJOR note...the mathematical assumptions in this book are absolutely atrocious, and frankly embarrassing for someone of Dr. Hawkins' reported credentials! For instance, the author claims that simply by reading this book, the average reader increased their calibration by 35 points. If you know the math behind the logarithmic scale the author uses, this means that the average reader increased his consciousness calibration by 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 times!!! You mean to tell me that by reading one 300-page book, I've increased my consciousness trillions and trillions of times over? C'mon Dr. Hawkins! Another example is how Dr. Hawkins laments how the average human "only" gains 5 calibration points over a lifetime. Only? 5 points is 10 to the 5th power, or 100,000. Wow I only wish I could increase my consciousness by a magnitude of 100,000X in my lifetime! A mere surface review of the book from a mathematical angle shows these HUGE flaws in the "scale"...which makes me highly skeptical of how accurate the author's entire methodology is!

With that said, I have conducted some very preliminary tests of the kinesiology method, with a good deal of success (O.J. did do it by the way, according to my testing, and Bach tested positive versus a negative for Slayer). I'll also give the author commendation on his general writings about what it takes for us all to improve ourselves. But I remain HIGHLY skeptical about the entire premise of the author's mathematics and the "scale" derived from that faulty math, and therefore give the book 3 stars out of 5.

Highly Recommended
Dr. Hawkins has presented the ultimate rendition of spiritual truth in this book. And it's no wonder we've never seen the truth presented in such clear language - our intellects are not geared toward understanding such things due to our social conditioning and the inherent fallibility of our power of perception. But don't fear, quiet reflection on the ideas presented in the book will open new windows of understanding to the reader.
This new understanding has had a powerful effect on my own life in the past 3 months. I now know that all is indeed well, and has always been so. Dr. Hawkins has opened the door for me, and I'm on my way to a new life. I highly recommend this book.

The mathematics in this book is a joke
If a doctor were to tell you that your backache was caused by "halitosis of the femural artery located in the sternum", you would know that he doesn't know what he is talking about. This is exactly what Dr. Hawkins does with mathematical terms.

Dr. Hawkins rates everything in the universe on a scale of 1 to 1000 based on how good or bad it is. To explain this scale he uses a lot of technical-sounding mathematical terms, but he uses those terms incorrectly- to the point of being gibberish. Since he knows his discussion would be above most readers' heads Dr. Hawkins can get awy with it.

He claims that the scale is "logarithmic" and base 10, but in his explanation of what a logarithm is, he confuses logarithmic functions with exponential functions and repeats this mistake throughout the book. Essentially,someone at level 201 has ten times the power of someone at 200, someone at 202 has 10 times the power of someone at 201 and so on.

This "logarithmic progression" is then completely contradicted by his chart which states how many people at one level counterbalance someone at another level. One of the statements on this chart is that "12 people at level 700 equals one avatar at 1000". On his "logarithmic"(actually exponential) scale it would take 10^300 people at level 700(that's a one with 300 zeros in front of it) to equal the power of one person at level 1000. Since when does 12= 10^300?

He uses the calculus term "critical point" and claims that his scale has a critical point at 200. In mathematics a critical point is the point where the derivative of a function equals zero. On a graph, it is the point where the tangent line is flat-the point where you are neither rising nor falling. What Dr. Hawkins didn't realize was that neither logarithmic functions nor exponential functions have critical points. Their derivatives are always positive. In this case, he just threw in a mathematical term without bothering to find out what it means.

He discusses chaos theory, because it is new and trendy, but he misses the point entirely. He seems to think that chaos theory implies that the world is more orderly and easily explained than previously thought, when in fact chaos theory implies just the opposite.He does this because he likes the word "attractor" which he overuses throughout the rest of the book

In other cases, bad math like this could be overlooked. He is after all a psychiatrist, not a mathematician. In this book, however, the technical terms are used to impress the readers with how scientific the system is, and the claim is that it is based on research. If you can understand what these mathematical terms actually mean, it becomes clear by the gibberish that he is just making this stuff up. If his "mathematical" system was revealed to him through muscle-testing (as opposed to outright fiction), then it shows just how unreliable this system is.

Perhaps the most blatently incompetent statement he makes is that a loving thought has the energy of " 10^-35 million megawatts"(I'm using the symbol ^ because this this font won't allow superscripts) and claims that the quantity is "so enormous as to be beyond the capacity of the human imagination to comprehend" The truth is that this quantity is so miniscule as to be beyond our capacity to comprehend. 10^35 million is a one with 35 million zeros in front of it- a huge number indeed, but 10^-35 million is 1/10^35 million -- a mind-bogglingly tiny fraction. If you were to multiply the mass of the entire galaxy by a fraction that tiny, you wouldn't even have enough mass for a single electron. If the minus sign was a typo, without it the energy level described would be great indeed -probably be along the order of the big bang and our heads would have exploded (and caused a supernova) a long time ago. In this case, he just threw together the most confusing notation he could think of, without a clue as to what it meant. He did this to make it appear scientific. He figured that his readers would be too dumb to know the difference. I don't think this can be written off as a mere honest mistake

Other laughable statements are that organically grown tobacco is actually healthy, and that taking one gram of vitamin C per day will counter all of the harmful effects of smoking.

He also states that adrenaline causes the muscles to go weak. Adrenaline is the stimulant hormone associated with the fight/flight response and its entire purpose is to give you EXTRA strength and energy in an emergency. As a doctor, he should know this

This book would be funny if it wasn't so scary.This man claims to be an MD and as far as I know still has a license.

If you have a degree in math, physics, engineering or something similar, this book can pretty entertaining. It is fun to pick apart,but as a source of truth it is worthless.

For me, a life-changer!
I rarely post reviews, but in this case I'm adding my voice to the mix because I value this book (and the other two in this trilogy) so highly. You'll note WIDELY disparate takes on the content and quality of this book, so the discerning shopper is aware that Dr. Hawkins' take on things is a tad controversial. If you're wondering whether to buy it, here are a few things to keep in mind: 1) if you're looking for a study and/or how-to on kinesiology exclusively from the scientific (or even humanist) point of view, this isn't the right book. The main thrust of this book is spiritual growth, and kinesiology is one tool Hawkins puts forth; 2) if you ARE a spiritual seeker, you already know that not every path is for everyone. This particular path is the only one in a lifetime of seeking that has resonated 100% for me. I feel I've found my teacher at last!! The reviewers here who regard this book as superficial or as a rehash of the same old stuff we've all heard a million times do not--forgive me--get it. I do NOT mean they are stupid or foolish. I mean that because it's not the right thing for them, they can't hear all the levels. If it's right for you, even in part, trust me--you won't find it superficial or redundant. ... Read more

Book Description

These are all classic examples of the passive-aggressive man. This personality syndrome -- in which hostility wears a mask of passivity -- is currently the number one source of men's problems in relationships and on the job. In Living with the Passive-Aggressive Man, Scott Wetzler draws upon numerous case histories from his own practice to explain how and why the passive-aggressive man thinks, feels, and acts the way he does. Dr. Wetzler also offers advice on:

• How to avoid playing victim, manager, or rescuer to the "P-A"
• How to get his anger and fear into the open
• How to help the "P-A" become a better lover, husband, and father
• How to survive passive-aggressive game playing on the job

Living with a man's passive aggression can be an emotional seesaw ride. But armed with this book, you can avoid the bumpy landings. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Should be required reading for every woman in America!
If you're on the dating scene and you've thought you were making progress with a relationship--only to have the guy start getting cold feet, or your formerly passionate husband has become incommunicative and disinterested, then you need to read Living with the Passive-Aggressive Man. All will become clear within 200 pages.

The passive-aggesive personality disorder in men is reaching epidemic proportions in this country, due to the fact that most American men over 30 were raised with one set of values (women should be submissive and stay at home) and are today supposed to live with another set of values (women are men's equal and should follow their own ideas). And then there are all the p/a's who inherited their problems from upbringing by troubled parents.

All I know is that every single one of my female friends has pondered "how can you possibly understand men?" Well, Scott Wetzler does, and explains their inexplicable p/a behavior. I thought it was interesting that the negative reviews of this book were all by men--no doubt guys who had had the book given to them because they had a problem, and as the book says, are incapable of taking responsibility for their actions!

I found it chilling that Dr. Wetzler described my husband as if he knew him personally. The problems that I had blamed myself for were all there: the abstinence, the emotional withdrawal, the subtle criticisms, the narcissim. What a huge relief to know that all this was not my fault!

Comprehensive and useful information. Could not put it down.
I am married to and have two children with a passive aggressive man. I have searched local bookstores for a book on the topic for 2 years. One night, in desperation, I searched Amazon for a book on the subject and thankfully, I found this book by Scott Wetzeler.

Scott Wetzler clearly outlines the personality of a passive aggressive and concise terms and offers comprehensive solutions in how to deal with this personality.

What I loved most about the book were the validating stories told by other women that have experienced the, frustration, humiliation and emotional abuse, while involved with a "PA". I read their words over and over again in partial disbeleif, that my exact feelings and discription of the behavior, were staring back at me in black and white.

I urge anyone (male or female) who is in a relationship with someone who sulks, does not respond to a direct question or insists they are not angry even though their actions tell you otherwise, to read this book. It will save your life, as it has mine.

THANK GOD... IT FINALLY MAKES SENSE
This is a must read for every woman. If I had read this book 5 years ago it's possible I could have avoided a very damaging on again, off again relationship with a PA man. Many of the scenarios and behaviors outlined in the book were exactly what I have allowed myself to live with for far too long. The author gives many suggestions on how to live with and adapt to the PA behavior. He also points out that there may come a time when you have no choice but to get out of the relationship in order to save yourself. In my experience with the PA man he is very immature, does not fight fair, does not know the meaning of unconditional love and is unwilling to change any aspect of himself. I had bought into the PA behavior completely. I found it very reassuring to read the words "it's not your fault". It is sad how much of ourselves we (the women who love the PA man) are expected to give up in order to try and make these relationships work. Truly successful relationships are made up of give and take, working through issues together, accepting the good times with the bad, communication and compromise. Life is too short to be spent with a man who takes more than he gives and leaves you feeling anything less than secure about your role in his life. I am very grateful to Scott Wetlzer for bringing the PA behavior to light in such an easy to read (and read again) book. His outline of the PA behavior helped me to accept that I have done all I can do and for me the only option left was to move on.

RISE ABOVE HIS RAISING - THE FUNCTIONAL DYSFUNCTIONAL
I strongly recommend this book for anyone seeking to find help for their therapy resistant partner who has mood disorders, any type of addiction, identity issues, self-esteem issues, reoccurring unresolved anger, troubling relationship, boundry and trust issues.

Excellent compliments to this book are: The Angry Heart: Overcoming Borderline and Addictive Disorders by Joseph Santoro and Ronald Cohen; The Narcissistic Family: Diagnosis and Treatment by Stephanie Donaldson-Pressman and Robert Pressman; Why Is It Always About You?: The Seven Deadly Sins of Narcissism by Sandy Hotchkiss and James Masterson; Emotional Blackmail: When People in Your Life Use Fear, Obligation and Guilt to Manipulate You by Susan Forward and Donna Frazier; Understanding the Borderline Mother: Helping Her Children Transcend the Intense, Unpredictable and Volatile Relationship by Christine Ann Lawson; Malignant Self Love: Narcissism Revisited by Sam Vaknin and Lidija Rangelovska (Editor); Children of the Self-Absorbed: A Grown-Up's Guide to Getting Over Narcissistic Parents by Nina Brown; Treating Attachment Disorders: From Theory to Therapy by Karl Heinz Brisch and Kenneth Kronenberg; Toxic Coworkers: How to Deal with Dysfunctional People on the Job by Alan Cavaiola and Neil Lavender; Bully in Sight: How to Predict, Resist, Challenge and Combat Workplace Bullies by Tim Field.

And if you want to pursue the subject even further, you may be interested in reading The Narcissistic / Borderline Couple: A Psychoanalytic Perspective On Marital Treatment; Addicted to Unhappiness: Free yourself from the moods and behaviors that undermine relationships, work and the life you want by Martha Heineman Pieper and William Pieper; Parenting with Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility by Jim Fay and Foster Cline.

Schlock!
From the reviews, many have given this book high marks because the anedotal evidence confirms their own experiences. This is undoubtedly true. Everyone can relate to some story in the book to a person they knew and say to themselves: "That person was passive-aggressive." The main criticism people seem to have is that the author singles out men when clearly women are capable of the same behavior. I can't argue with that. I think the omission of women provides some insight into the author and the political agenda he's trying to advance. This whole book might be an exercise into the author's own passive-aggressiveness against men. If you disagree, re-read the introduction. The author states that Men have failed (or refused?) to become a NEW MAN that feminism's rise has allowed the opportunity to emerge. Not only is this just pretentious and plays on people's stereotypes about men, but the author seems to be pandering to his audience. Moreover, the omission of women is essential to the political agenda the author is advancing: that an epidemic of passive-aggressiveness is in response to feminism. Any acknowledgment that women could be passive-aggressive would undermine this agenda.
But my fundamental criticism of this book is that it's worthless beyond the confirmation or comfort it brings to certain readers. Even this confirmation is fundamentally flawed. The book is entirely based on labeling the person as "passive-aggressive". Labeling is a classic cognitive distortion. It leaves out the fact that almost everyone has some passive-aggressive moments and other moments when they can be open and caring. [I think if you're honest with yourself you'll find out this applies to you too. Though admittedly, some people act more passive-aggressive than others.] Just labeling someone passive-aggressive is not only inaccurate but it's counter-productive. It will just elicit a negative response in the other person. It will turn them off. This may give the finger-pointer a false sense of superiority but does nothing to solve the behavior. And solving the behavior should be the whole point! The book is not based on any solid research, only the author's own observations. What evidence, besides the author's assertion, that there is an epidemic of male passive-aggressiveness? (This absence of evidence points to a basic problem in identifying "personality disorders" in psychotherapy. Are there double-blind studies that have determined whether the "passive-aggressive personality disorder" even exists? Sure passive-aggressive behavior exists but does it rise to the level of a personality disorder? I'm very skeptical) More importantly, the book offers no solutions beyond bringing the poor guy into therapy. You are better off buying one of the good cognitive-behavioral books available. Changing oneself or getting another person to change is hard work. You don't need to make it harder by name-calling and then not providing any solutions. ... Read more

Book Description

Sternberg's text balances accessible writing, practical applications and research scholarship, including biologically oriented information. It explores the basics of cognitive psychology through its coverage of cognitive neuroscience, attention and consciousness, perception, memory, knowledge representation, language, problem solving and creativity, decision making and reasoning, cognitive development, and intelligence. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent, Comprehensive Introduction
Covers all the main areas of Cognitive Psychology extremely well. It is very easy to read, despite being written in a scientific style. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jared Diamond states the theme of his book up-front: "How the human species changed, within a short time, from just another species of big mammal to a world conqueror; and how we acquired the capacity to reverse all that progress overnight." The Third Chimpanzee is, in many ways, a prequel to Diamond's prize-winning Guns, Germs, and Steel. While Guns examines "the fates of human societies," this work surveys the longer sweep of human evolution, from our origin as just another chimpanzee a few million years ago. Diamond writes:

It's obvious that humans are unlike all animals. It's also obvious that we're a species of big mammal down to the minutest details of our anatomy and our molecules. That contradiction is the most fascinating feature of the human species.

The chapters in The Third Chimpanzee on the oddities of human reproductive biology were later expanded in Why Is Sex Fun? Here, they're linked to Diamond's views of human psychology and history.

Diamond is officially a physiologist at UCLA medical school, but he's also one of the best birdwatchers in the world. The current scientific consensus that "primitive" humans created ecological catastrophes in the Pacific islands, Australia, and the New World owes a great deal to his fieldwork and insight. In Diamond's view, the current global ecological crisis isn't due to modern technology per se, but to basic weaknesses in human nature. But, he says, "I'm cautiously optimistic. If we will learn from our past that I have traced, our own future may yet prove brighter than that of the other two chimpanzees."--Mary Ellen Curtin ... Read more

Reviews (57)

A fascinating and important book...
After trying to read _Guns, Germs, and Steel_, I found this book, surprisingly, easier to get interested in and understand. Not that it's simpler or dumbed-down!

The book tries to answer the questions of what it means to be human, and how we are different from other life forms. This might sound like a cliché, but as Diamond delves into ethics, sex, history, evolution, and drug abuse, and comes out with his grim but guardedly optimistic conclusions, it seems apparent to me, at least, that what he is saying is of utmost importance to everyone in the world.

Having read the book _Ishmael_, by Daniel Quinn, a few years ago, I wonder if Diamond's thinking could actually be improved by being combined with Quinn's. Diamond suggests that, when prehistoric societies drove certain animals to extinction, they were acting out a human tendency to be destructive to our local environments that is simply horribly intensified today. Quinn suggests that some of those prehistoric societies were not particularly more destructive than other animals, and for the same reasons; while other, more civilized societies had the tendency to be destructive because of their cultures' inclinations, and passed this tendency on to us, their cultural descendants.

Of course, if Quinn is correct, our culture must be changed, a daunting task; while if Diamond is correct, the solution is unclear. He suggests that we may in fact be learning to change our behavior, in our own self-interest. I don't see much evidence of this offhand. (Although recent books by Paul Hawken and Ray C. Anderson suggest that business can be reformed in a way that's good both economically and ecologically; they're next on my reading list!) Quinn and Diamond alike offer a very cautious hope for our ecological future: that we may learn from the errors of the past and change our behavior accordingly.

But how easy it is to sit and type platitudes about the fate of all human life! Read the book; I'm going to reread it myself, in order to thoroughly take in its meaning. If anyone is interested in discussing these topics, please email me.

A Captivating Work
I read this book just after I finished GGS and at some aspects, I liked it even more than the much celebrated GGS.

At each chapter of the Third Chimpanzee we learn a totally new subject in the Jared Diamond style: a well-thought synthesis, a simple and organized presentation. Every other twenty pages was a new adventure for me.

Obviously, this might not be the case for other readers that are more acquainted with evolution readings, and obviously I need a lot to learn before I can decide their authenticity but I found his ideas on subjects like extraterrestrial life and evolution of drug abuse very original and provoking. I also found his narration of the issues of Indo-European Languages spreading, mate selection, animal art and genocide very moving and comprehensive.

A surprise for me was that this book tells the main concept of GGS thoroughly in just two chapters. Given the occasionally criticized redundancy and large volume of GGS, I might humbly suggest a prospective reader of Diamond who has limited time to read this book instead of GGS. For sure, GGS gives a much better and extensive treatise of the concept and it is also a must read book for anybody who wants to put a perspective to human history. Third Chimpanzee also gives a perspective to human psychology and I sincerely recommend it to anybody interested in these two subjects.

Thought-provoking
This is a very worthwhile read for anyone interested in how man differs and does not differ from the rest of the animal kingdom (particularly the great apes). Since the book is already over ten years old, it is a bit weak on new advances in genetics and does not seem to be up-to-date on the Clovis debate about the peopling of the Americas (new genetic data showing that the entrance was probably earlier than the assumed 12,000 years ago). However, the bulk of the book is a very mind-broadening, timeless view of homo sapiens and this species conquest of the entire planet. The history that Diamond portrays does not augur well for mankind: habitual destruction of the environment; mass extinctions of other species; increasingly limited genetic diversity in the human species; the propensity for genocide. In short, Diamond shows that man has a history of selfishly expanding its population to the detriment of the very environment upon which he depends and that this proclivity could someday spell the end of the species as our numbers continue to rise. Some sobering facts are offered here; and open minds should recognize them and heed them.

I only give the book four stars for two reasons:
1) As mentioned, the part on genetics is partially out of date and should be made current in a further edition.
2) Diamond has a number of annoying tendencies that are sometimes frustrating: I grew weary of his "Outer Space" perspectives (i.e., the paleontologist from Outer Space, the archaeologist from Outer Space, the biologist from Outer Space), as if the reader were incapable of standing back and gaining perspective on his own species without this trick. Also, he piqued my curiosity on a number of subjects that he promised to cover in detail later. When thse subjects finally came, there were often more questions than answers.

Absolutely FASCINATING!!!
Jared Diamond has to be one of my favorite authors. I could hardly put this book down! After reading "Guns, Germs and Steel," and "Why is Sex Fun?", "The Third Chimpanzee" has also proven to be yet another brilliant work by the author. He asks questions and looks at angles that are fascinating and provide almost endless food-for-thought. He approaches his subjects with open-mindedness and a true desire to uncover the truth.
Human evolution and early human history is a mysterious subject with much of the pieces missing, simply because of how long ago it happened and the lifestyle of those early humans. Yet it is such an important subject-- to understand WHAT homo sapiens really are, how we fit in with the other members of our family tree, how we got to be the way we are. Mr. Diamond applies his experience with hunter-gatherer New Guinian peoples to try to fill in these gaping holes. For thousands of years, all humans lived as hunter-gatherers, yet today it is a lifestyle that is becoming increasingly rare. He also provides insight into our physical evolution, sexual and reproductive evolution, the evolution of language and communication, and how our closest current relatives --the chimps and gorillas-- differ from and are similar to us. He also discusses what he terms "our Great Leap Forward"-- the point were we stopped being pre-human and started being (mentally and behaviorly) modern.
If you are at all interested in early human history and the "whys" and "hows" of many of our "human" characteristics, then this book is for you. You'll find Mr. Diamond's open, honest approach refreshing and easy to follow. Excellent book on understanding what it means to be human, and how we got that way.

An amazing puzzle of a book
Challenges the intellect and provokes deep thought. ... Read more

Book Description

The author of the hugely successful and perennially popular 203 Ways to Drive a Man Wild in Bed is back with an all-new, easy-to-use guide that elevates sexual proficiency and erotic ecstasy to an entirely new level.

“The secret lies not in comeliness or technique but in the fearlessness to reveal your truest female self,” writes Olivia St. Claire as she refines the art of driving him wild—this time focusing on advanced lovemaking techniques with the hottest tips ever. Olivia helps you identify your passion triggers, safely guides you to the edge of your sexual boundaries, and lets you in on everything you ever wanted to know about truly passionate lovemaking.

Frankly erotic, playfully sexy, and intelligently written, 302 Advanced Techniques for Driving a Man Wild in Bed is simple enough to consult at a moment’s notice, but sophisticated enough to leave him breathless at your newfound prowess.The inviting layout, the numbered tips, and the guidelines for the most erotic sex possible make it easy and fun for a willing couple to embark upon an amorous adventure—whenever and wherever the spirit moves them.

Users of this dazzling selection of sexual techniques will bring any man to his knees. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Groundbreaking yet easy
I loved Olivia's first two books because they're fun, sexy, and so easy to dip into when you need a quick tip or some inspiration. This new book is packed with completely new and wild suggestions for a sexy, romantic, or daring erotic encounter. And I really liked all the boxes with extra tips and hints, like The Art of the Quickie (which shows you how to make it hot and enjoyable for BOTH of you). It has lots more variety, novelty, and pure eroticism than most other sex books I've seen. Just reading it make me tingle!

Funny and Informative
"302 Ways, Advanced techniques..." is a thoroughly informative and humorous book. It has helped spice up my husband's and my sex life with practical tips and techniques. Reading it together has been a loads of fun. Thank you again Olivia St. Claire!

disappointing
I loved Olivia St. Claire's first two books. "203 ways to drive a man wild in bed", and its successor, "Unleashing the sex goddess within", were both groundbreaking. "203" taught women that sexy is in the mind, and "sex goddess" connected them to the eternal feminine mystery of women's sexuality. This new book, however, hasn't much that's novel to say. The philosophy is the same, and I've seen most of the tips she gives in this one in her other books or other people's books. However, it is very erotically written and if you haven't read her first two books, you might enjoy it greatly. Fans of her previous work (like me) will probably be disappointed. ... Read more

Book Description

This book comprehensively introduces the major psychological principles of behavior: operant conditioning, Pavlovian conditioning, social learning theory, and cognitive behaviorism. It closely links these basic abstract principles to relevant, concrete examples from everyday life—showing readers how each behavior principle operates in easily understood settings, and how to apply them in complex natural situations.Chapter topics cover behavior modification; primary and secondary reinforcers and punishers; differential reinforcement and shaping; modeling and observational learning; prompts and fading; rules; schedules; positive and negative control; and thinking, the self, and self-control. For individuals making the transition from adolescence into the various phases of adulthood—seeking a better understanding of their life, and ways to make it more positive. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent pragmatic reference
I've known John and Janice Baldwin for about 2 years now and have always admired their devout interest in 'practical applications' of sociological science to the real world -- and, most importantly, real people. This is the raison d'etre of their well-attended and well-received Human Sexuality courses at UCSB, as well as John's courses on pragmatism and *ethical* captalism. The Baldwins genuinely care about people-- this book helps bring sociology 'to the people' in their excellent tradition. Enjoy! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Remains as relevant today as when it came out
Used this text way back in graduate school and now use it to teach my own classes in applied behavior analysis. You won't find a more comprehensive introduction to the field of ABA: principles, research methods, techniques, applications, you name it. I still refer to it on a regular basis. Despite the promise otherwise by the authors, I hope they give us the next edition some day soon.

As good as it gets
This book provides the best text-book style introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis there is. The writing is straight-forward and well-organized. The only thing one could wish for is a second edition, but in the foreword it states they promised their families that there woulnd't be one :) That's ok, it provides all the groundwork one needs to read and understand the literature since then.

Undoubtedly, one of the bibles of ABA
I work as a behavioral consultant for children with autism and have read hundreds of ABA-related books -- good, bad, and ugly. I first came into contact with this one while getting my Masters in ABA from Columbia U. It was the foundation of several of my courses and definitely the source I return to most often in my consulting work. The book is expensive but well, well worth it. I highly recommend it. Here's a chapter list so that you can judge for yourself:

1. Definition & Characteristics of ABA... 2. Basic Concepts (behavior, respondent/operant conditioning, reinforcers, and three-term contingencies)... 3. Selecting & Defining Target Behavior... 4. Measuring & Recording Behavior... 5. Planning & Directing Observational Procedures... 6. Production & Interpretation of Graphic Data Displays... 7. Introduction to Analysis... 8. Reversal & Alternating Treatment Designs... 9. Multiple Baseline & Changing Criterion Designs... 10. Planning, Replicating & Evaluating Research in ABA... 11. Operant Reinforcement... 12. Schedules of Reinforcement... 13. Stimulus Control... 14. Behavioral Shaping... 15. Behavior Chains... 16. Imitation... 17. Extinction... 18. Decreasing Behavior with Differential Reinforcement... 19. Punishment by Contingent Presentation of a Stimulus... 20. Overcorrection... 21. Time Out from Positive Reinforcement... 22. Response Cost... 23. Contingency Contracting... 24. Token Economy... 25. Group-Oriented Contingencies... 26. Self-Management... 27. Promoting the Generality of Behavior Change... 28. Communicating the Results of Behavior Change Efforts...

-- (also includes references, glossary, and name and subject indices)

Excellent
This book is definitely a great reference book as well as an excellent text book. It is very specific and truly informational. I would recommend it to anyone thinking of going into ABA ... Read more

Book Description

While people have known for centuries that facial expressions can reveal what people are thinking and feeling, it is only recently that the face has been studied scientifically for what it can tell us about internal states, social behavior, and psychopathology.Today, due to the availability of sophisticated measuring systems, a wealth of new research on facial behavior has contributed enormously to our understanding of human psychology. The chapters in this volume represent the state-of-the-art in this critical field.They address such key issues as the dynamic and morphological differences between voluntary and involuntary expressions, the relationship between what people show on their facesand what they say they feel, and whether it is possible to use facial behavior to distinguish among psychiatric populations. The book also includes updated commentary by the authors on those works which may have appeared previously in the journal literature.As an essential reference for all those working in the field of facial analysis and expression, this volume will be indispensable for a wide range of professionals and students in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and behavioral medicine. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Emotion, Personality, Theraputic Outcomes, and More
I am a contributor to this book and know many of the other authors therein, but receive no
compensation from its sale. Having declared this possible conflict of interest, I can recommend
purchase of this book if you are interested in learning what can be discovered from the face
through measurement of facial muscular action in scientific research. Its approximately 500
pages contains 22 scientific articles, mostly published previously in journals, that report
research studies conducted in the late 1970s to the early 1990s, most towards this later date.
These articles cover a diverse range of topics, methods, and principles having to do with the
relationship between facial expression and emotion; clinical diagnosis, treatment, and outcome;
and other related issues. The editors's selection process, based on the use in the study of the
Facial Action Coding System (FACS, a method for measuring facial behavior), has included
competent research with above average interest, thoughtful reflection, theoretical and practical
relevance, and plain good sense that generally exceeds what you might find, for example, in your
typical social psychology journal. The authors of the articles work in many places around the
world and represent most of the people in the vanguard of the FACS movement and the new
approaches to studying behavior and emotion. This book is particularly helpful if you are new to
the study of facial behavior or have not been diligent in collecting the important articles using
facial measurement, which are published many different journals. The book provides an efficient
vehicle to catch up on the significant issues, findings, trends, and controversies in the areas
covered, including the quality and usefulness of the information provided by the face, the
relationship of facial expression to emotion, whether emotion is a coherent response system,
differences between genuine and false smiles, expression in pathological states, affect in the
psychotheraputic process, etc. The included works provide a solid foundation for understanding
how facial measurement contributes to investigating behavioral science problems. Even in the
unlikely event that you have previously read all the published works reprinted here, this volume
has value because each chapter has at least one afterward that expands on the original work in
revealing and useful ways that bring you up to date on the topic, and there is one thought
provoking article by Ekman et al. on the relation between facial behavior and psychiatric
outcomes that you will not find elsewhere. Also, the editors include their own new chapters
introducing, and finally, summarizing and integrating the works included. A table of contents,
forward by M. Brewster Smith, original source references, author list, and a lengthy subject
index are included. Take a look at the table of contents provided on this site to see more
details. The overall statement of this book is that the face contains important data about
concepts that are vital to diverse behavioral science issues. You will find that the perspective
of this book is different from several other books on facial expression currently in print. If
you are contemplating research on emotion, facial behavior, non-verbal behavior, and related
topics, this book is a helpful guide containing useful background; if you are currently planning
research in these fields, it is indispensible reading. ... Read more

Book Description

Mastering the art of problem solving takes more than proficiency with basic calculations; it requires understanding how people use information, recognizing the importance of ideology, learning the art of storytelling, and acknowledging the important distinction between facts and values. Intended for professors, managers, entrepreneurs, and students, this guide addresses these and other essential skills. With clear prose, quotations, and exercises for solving problems in the real world, this book serves as an ideal training manual for those who are new to or intimidated by quantitative analysis and an excellent refresher for those who have more experience but want to improve the quality of their data, the clarity of their graphics, and the cogency of their arguments. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

It's Invaluable and Fun!
Turning Numbers Into Knowledge deals with the fundamentals of analysis, research, and problem solving, not with their fashionable technical adornments. It is a tremendous resource for anyone wanting to critically review anything from costly, technical studies to everyday rhetorical argument.

The adjectives that came to my mind as I read Turning Numbers Into Knowledge were, "Engaging, comprehensive, down-to-Earth, well-researched, well-written, well-planned, well-documented, creative, helpful, entertaining, filled with useful resource material, user-friendly, personal, witty, and wise."

Whereas I had anticipated a ponderous technical tract, Turning Numbers Into Knowledge entertainingly deals with problem solving and analysis in its broadest context, including the often-ignored yet critical human elements. Because of its breadth, I can scarcely think of any scientist, social scientist, student, researcher, writer, or policy analyst who could not benefit from this book. Its lessons are brought home with cleverly chosen anecdotes and lucid examples. The reader is rewarded frequently with wonderful quotations and great cartoons.

What Koomey says about use of the Internet, web sites, and information dissemination over the Internet also has valuable implications for modern administrators, project managers, and executive directors whose organizational management responsibilities increasingly include management and dissemination of information.

As with other classics, I expect Turning Numbers Into Knowledge to be in print for a long time and would not be surprised to see students a generation from now relying on a future edition. Jon Koomey is a hard worker, clear thinker, and has produced an extraordinarily useful book that will help the practitioners of science, research, policy analysis, and journalism in the pursuit of truth.

Great treatise on critical thinking and organization
"Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving" should be required reading for anyone engaged in producing, reading, or analysing information. Based on the title one might assume that I mean numerical information, but that is not the case at all. The basic principles, such as how to sift through information and the importance of documentation of sources, are important parts of any information product. In fact, except for the sections on graphs, tables, normalizing data and a few others, the rest of the book (fully at least three quarters of it) is dedicated to determining what constitutes good information, good techniques, good analysis, good documentation, etc. This is a book on problem solving techniques and analysis of the information products of others.

Filled with useful tools and tips for problem solving under real-life situations it is one of the most useful books available. "Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving" is a masterful work in the area of critical analysis and a highly recommended read for anyone involved in creating or using information of any kind.

not for the technically minded
This is an entertaining and well written book on some of the do's and don'ts of data analysis. To quote from Dr. Beers review below, "The main emphasis is on the art of data interpretation." Indeed there are useful tools here for performing sanity checks and for asking critical questions about all sorts of data collections. ... The examples are, at best, sketchy and few in number. The anectodes are amusing but not terribly informative. I would have much preferred more concrete examples and further discussion on some technical matters. ....

TNIK: For scientists & non-scientists alike
I began to enjoy the book almost from the very beginning, the writing style is easy to follow, and its explanations are straight to the point.

Non-scientists & scientists alike will find useful:
1) the methods and ideas for analyzing and testing for plausibility the everyday information encountered in the media,
pointers to finding logical flaws in arguments, and common tricks used by presenters in order to be ambiguous or downright deceptive.
2) simple methods of keeping facts at your fingertips
3) the chapters on life improvement and work-efficiency which made this book pay for itself in a matter of days.
4) helpful links to the Internet and to other books.

Scientists and Engineers in particular will find useful
· The back-of-the-envelope numerical methods. Many sci/engs do not use them enough.
· The description of the scientific process, of which they are (often unconsciously) a part.
· Suggestions on efficient, non-sloppy data analysis. The examples on data analysis are somewhat geared to the field of Energy Analysis, but easy to understand and generalize; in the process I learnt something about that field.
· suggestions for clear, concise presentation of text and figures during presentation of results.

This is also a good book to lend to a student intern or new employee to teach them back of the envelope statistical methods, how to get organized, and good habits, both organizational and data-analysis wise.

Among the most influential books I've read
I was expecting a book about quantitative methods and advanced problem solving techniques. What I got, instead, was a book that didn't even discuss numbers until page 111 of a 221 page book, and it was lite on problem solving techniques. Although it was not what I expected it turned out to be one of those rare books that deeply influences and provides fresh perspectives. The book led me on a journey that broke the process of critical thinking into manageable steps. Among the things I learned were:

* Examine key factors, such as information, attention and action within the context of a cycle of actions that begins with goals, and moves through execution, how events in the external world influence the meeting of those goals, an evaluation and refinement of goals. Then the process starts anew.

* Structured methods for getting organized. The techniques given are simple, yet powerful.How to collect and critically analyze data and information, common fallacies and how to spot them. Two of my favorite parts that reinforce these are then single-page chart titled "What Scientists Say, and What They Mean", and Chapter 20 (Uncertainty Principle and the Mass Media).

* The straightforward process of numerical analysis, using relatively simple math techniques to make sense of numbers and turn them into knowledge, is priceless. What makes this part of the book valuable is that the author integrates the preceding chapters that lead you to a critical thinking mindset with common sense and techniques that are within the grasp of high school students. It looks easy, but is testimony to the author's exceptional ability to communicate and inspire.

Overall this book is one of my personal favorites and one that I recommend to colleagues. Another book that complements this one nicely is Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity by Jamshid Gharajedaghi. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (7)

Better Than 6 Months of Therapy (at least for me)
I'm an extremely rational and intelligent person.Over the course of my life, I've spent months and months in touchy-feely therapy being told to "be IN my emotions", which I will be the first to admit is better than being "out of my emotions", but never really gave me the "ah ha" I was looking for.

Dr. Ekman's book did. It was so nice to be able to learn the science behind emotions and how they work on many different levels.It was beyond nice to have a book rooted in science, rather than what some person thinks may be true about a subject.I have a totally different relationship with my emotions now and they seem almost like brand new toys that I get to play with all day long!

OK, I admit the writing style could be better, a few more tables and a more spartan use of the word 'I', but it wasn't hard to get past that and the content more than made up for it.This book has gone onto my life list of books everybody should read.

Interesting science, but poorly organized and written.
Who isn't captivated by the unspoken language of expression.Very few in science today would dispute that non-verbal expression contributes a signficant amount of "information rate transfer" in every human to human exchange.

That's why I ordered this book.I was curious to know how the mechanics of non-verbal expression (manifested in the face) generally worked.Paul Ekman has been at the forefront of this research since the mid-sixties.Before ordering, I spent some time at his site (of same name as the book) and was impressed enough to do what the site pushes you to do: order the book...

I was mildly dissapointed.While the book has plenty of interesting factoids, from the beginning it felt way overwritten.Almost like the author had a 24 page lesson plan and decided to stretch it out to 240 pages.In my opinion, there is allot of "fluff".Granted, some may be interested in reading 20 pages about the fact that emotions are nature (vs. nurture) across all cultures...well, that was hotly debated 20 years ago, now it's generally accepted as fact...move on.

The meat of my issue with the book is that it should have been a lesson plan.My favorite part of the book is at the end when there are 14 pages of faces with barely registered emotion on them that you have to discern the meaning in.I wanted that throughout the book.

If you have a particular fascination with this subject, I'd recommend ordering the CD's and using the interactive lesson plan.Skip the book.

Hope this was helpful.

Not a lot of useful information
I got this book after reading Malcolm Gladwell's lovely New Yorker piece on Paul Ekman.I was looking for an accessable introduction to FACS, Ekman's facial coding system, but this book wasn't it.Emotions Revealed is perhaps too accessable, with copious fluff and very little real content.

After an introduction to Ekmans work, the book is divided into chapters on each emotion.Each chapter is further subdivided into: 1) anecdotes about people feeling emotions (useless), 2) at most two pages on the facial expression associated with the emotion (the meat, if you will), 3) speculation on why you might feel the emotion (useless), and 4) suggestions on how to react if you see this emotion on others (situation dependant & therefore useless).

Ekman's strength is in the clinical study of facial expression, not in writing anecdotal psychobabble.Skip this book if you already know the gist of his work.

Get the training CDs as well!
The book is outstanding but you should definitely get the 2 TRAINING CDs on microexpressions, available from the website of the same name as the book.

WOW, Great Information for all professions
This is an exceptionally well written book with ideas that would benefit all professionals.There are several concepts in this book that I personally found interesting.I highly recommend this book to all that deal with adverse environments, which of course is all of us. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Moving and Troublesome
I read this years ago in an anthropology/sociology class in college, and I can say that it still carries as much weight today as it did then. Jay manages to weave entertaining narration with factual reporting, resulting in a moving work that points a critical finger at our society. I've actually met the author, and can say that he is an honest, engaging and professional writer. At no point did he milk the drama angle of this work, nor use it to further his own agenda. I noticed another reviewer called this book "socialist junk"; to this person I say: just because this work is a testament to some of the failures of America's precious capitalist model does not immediately make it socialist. Moreover, if socialism means having a conscience about racism and socioeconomic discrimination, then sign me up!

Socialist Junk
This book did a great job of showing how research can be distorted any way one desires. I was forced to read this text for a Social Anthropology class. The boys that MacLeod follows throughout his research fail because the just didn't try hard enough. The one boy who almost succeeds fails not because of social constraints but because he could not shed his tendancy towards poor behavior- such as having children at too young an age.
This book only reinforces the "poor me" mantra- "its Capitalism's fault, it creates poverty."

Coming from "ahem" less than savory roots myself, I can tell you that Capitalism's fostering of competition does nothing but good in society. Those who have the drive to succeed, do so (I'll be attending my first year of law school in the fall), and those that have no self dicipline don't succeed.

No amount of education can change that. While the boys followed in the text didn't have the greatest educational beginnings, one of them did make it to a community college and could have made it further, but blew it by getting a girl pregnant. That's not capitalism's fault - I think its more the fault of the "free love" culture. This book is a socialist's best friend - claiming that free markets don't really produce social mobility, and producing examples to "prove" it. Too bad the failures of these examples had nothing to do with capitalism - and everything to do with a lack of drive.

A study of the persistance of poverty in a housing project
This book provides a thorough account of the aspirations and expectations of two male peer groups residing in a public housing project. Both peer groups, although originating from similar class locations, have distinct aspirations resulting from their racial lived experiences. The peer group consisting mostly of young black men (The Brothers) supported the achievement ideology that we live in an open society. They viewed the hardships faced by previous generations was a result of racial discrimination barriers that (theoretically) cease to exist. They applied themselves in socially acceptable practices such as excelling in school and keeping out of trouble. In contrast, the peer group consisting of mostly young white men (Hallway Hangers) rejected the achievement ideology and had low aspirations of their position in the labor market. They realized through family and friends that their chances of getting out of the projects is slim leading most of the Hallway Hangers dropped out of school and smoked dope, among other illegal activities. Despite the disjuncture of both groups' levels of aspirations, both failed to get out of poverty. MacLeod hung out with both of these male peer groups in an effort to understand their daily meanings of the role of education and their future aspirations rather than relying exclusively on statistical data.

I give this book four stars because MacLeod failed to take into consideration the aspirations and expectations of young women. Instead he concentrated solely on the role of race and class. I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to understand how societal structures restrict and limit the actions of individuals. Furthermore this book challenges the myth that education creates a level playing field for all regardless of race or class (and gender too ~ although not addressed here).

Great Reading
This book shows the lives of two groups of teens living in poverty and low-income areas. This book gives their perspective of the acheivement ideology and how everyone just is not meant to climb the ladder of social mobility.

The American Achievement Ideology is False
This book explores the lives of two groups of inner-city teenagers. One group adamently believes in the achievement ideology, and the other group rejects it. Hence the title, the outcome for both groups is the same. I recommend this book to those who refuse to cast away their pre-conceived notions that those who live in poverty are lazy and stupid. This book is a painfully real account of the different ways in which society plays a detrimental role in the lives of the less fortunate, while allowing the upper class to place the blame on the victims themselves (in the name of the acheivement ideology). ... Read more

Book Description

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. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

A nice reference book...a cookbook for decision making
This book is a nice reference that captures the majority of problem solving techniques: a cookbook for decision making. The analytical techniques range from problem restatement to constructing an advanced utility matrix. It's useful in both daily life, business, and science.

Thinker's Toolkit also contains very useful examples and exercises. They immediately demonstrate to the reader where common decision making falls short.

On the down side, the book is a 'dry' read at times.

Good reference for problem analysis - Bush should read this
I found this book whilst searching for a framework for basic problem solving. This book provides 14 good techniques, the most important I believe are Causal Flow Diagram, Hypothesis Testing and Utility Matrix.

Actually I was triggered to buy this book is because the author was an ex-CIA. I guess when he left, he brought all his techniques with him in his head!

I wish the Bush Administration and Tony Blair should refer to this book (especially the Hypothesis Testing) when they have "irrefutable evidence" that Saddam Hussein has WMD in his cellar.

The reason I did not give him 5-stars is because it is all texts and tables which makes it a dry read.

A worthwhile read
Some of the material reminds me of operations research techniques. Gives you something hang your hat on as you think about a problem.

Mildly interesting. Horrible writing.
The books begins with a series of interesting stories on the psychology of decision-making. Once it gets into the Powerful Techniques it becomes trite, boring and difficult to read. Poorly explained ideas, and poorly worded exercise questions make the book unbearable.

For example, throughout the book the author provides different stories describing different problems (say, that a bakery's bread is coming out of the oven inexplicably burned) and then it asks you to state the problem. The problem is that the bread is burned! But what the author actually *means* to ask (which is clear only upon reading the sample answers he provides) is "What are the potential causes of the problem?" These are two very different questions, both of which are important. Problem solving is an exercise in symbolic logic. A book that has its roots firmly planted in symbolic logic cannot afford to suffer from poor editing and word choice.

Anyone that is reasonably adept in a technical field (engineering, software, et cetera) will find it interesting at first, but it quickly becomes boring and of questionable value. I give it one star - despite the fact that it may be valuable to some people - because I believe that authors who write poorly should not publish books on technical subjects.

Solid decision making made easy
Enjoyed the book immensely. Here, in amongst much 'release your genius' type stuff is something a little less salesmanship (on offer is just a toolkit and not the possibility of 'unleashing' your latent 'genius') and a good deal more of useable material.
In a business context the ability to establish a framework might not, at first, seem to be something missing - but after sitting through too many meetings where the criteria for establishing a decision is not known the ability to pick one of the tools from this book and get everyone thinking through the same process is worth more than the price alone. Less angst, better decisions. ... Read more

Book Description

Simplify your search for effective therapies with this comprehensive volume, filled with several different, yet often complementary approaches to treatment. Provides alternative, proven methods for treating problems such as truancy, disruptiveness, prejudice, anxiety, procrastination, substance abuse, and other common school behavior problems.

... Read more

Book Description

In this important theoretical treatise, Jean Lave, anthropologist, and Etienne Wenger,computer scientist, push forward the notion of situated learning--that learning is fundamentally a social process and not solely in the learner's head. The authors maintain that learning viewed as situated activity has as its central defining characteristic a process they call legitimate peripheral participation. Learners participate in communities of practitioners, moving toward full participation in the sociocultural practices of a community. Legitimate peripheral participation provides a way to speak about crucial relations between newcomers and oldtimers and about their activities, identities, artifacts, knowledge and practice.The communities discussed in the book are midwives, tailors, quartermasters, butchers, and recovering alcoholics, however, the process by which participants in those communities learn can be generalized to other social groups. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

situated learning
The book is easy to read, extremely interesting and gives a new perspective on learning. In this type of learning the learner models behavior of the teacher. Questions are not asked, behavior is not explained and all of the learning takes place as a result of observation and immitation of observed behavior.

You'll need a light-heart to bear the blacksmith's anvil.
I wonder if two people have ever had so much fun writing a book together as Jean Lave and Etiene Wenger. Lave's choice of a cover illustration supports my point: she found the artwork at a beer-fest while visiting friends and studying in Europe. Lave and Wenger are world reknowned scholars who would rather spend the afternoon in a butcher's kitchen than hobb-knobbing at the faculty lounge. With "Situated Learning," the reader is invited to follow Lave and Wenger as they ponder the consequences of doors, tables, timeclocks, work schedules, and union contracts on human development and potential.
After reading "Situated Learning," it is difficult to imagine the constellation of concepts that make up our modern thinking of what learning is without Lave and Wenger's contributions. Like the artwork on the book's cover, and the story of its origins, Lave and Wenger's analysis restoke the fires fueling the learning sciences. It is not an overstatement to say that this short, sometimes difficult to follow book, is responsible for a whole new generation of thinking and research on learning and its sociocultural consequences.
Their analytical objective was simple: dethrone the dominant conceptions of learning in the social sciences and everyday life. In their place, Lave and Wenger offer and illustrate a handful of concepts that students of learning across the social and applied sciences are now usings to inspire new insights on the origins of social ascension and strife.
I recommend that the reader, too, pick up this book with the intent of having some fun: let your inhibitions, and intellectual reservations, down for a couple of hours and enjoy the show as Lave and Wenger take off the Emporer's (modern psychology's, that is) clothes. Readers need to approach this book with a light-heart, as its simplicity and substance leave one feeling as if the dominant, 20th century schools of thought on learning have placed a blacksmith's anvil on the center of one's chest. Thank goodness Lave and Wenger have brought our attention to this matter.
Needless to say, I highly recommend the book. ... Read more

Book Description

A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist implodes the myth of the dumbed-down mom, offering startling scientific evidence that motherhood gives women unexpected mental advantages

Generations of mothers have been told-and believed-that having a baby means checking t