Book Description

Sensory Secrets drives home the importance of using information from all the senses to develop foundational skills necessary for growing, learning, decision making, and communication.It is a guide to promote successful learning and positive behavior in people of all ages.Sensory Secrets is a must for parents; pre-school, kindergarten, and elementary education teachers; homeschoolers; and anyone who wishes to expand their understanding of neurology, thereby increasing positive outcomes.Sensory Secrets is written in an easy to read style with examples, ideas, and strategies.The Foundational Skills Inventory is included as a tool to assist educators and empower parents while locating possible areas of need to facilitate learning.Parents need this book the day they bring their newborn home from the hospital. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Thumbs UP for Sensory Secrets
This book was fantastic! It was well written, easy to understand, and accurate. Catherine generated wonderful ideas for parent/child activities that can be immediately implemented to help change children's lives.

I will use the Foundational Skills Inventory in my practice and share it with other therapists. It is easy for parents, educators and other health professionals to use to highlight areas of concern, and to clearly communicate with the occupational therapist. I plan to order it in tablet form as soon as it becomes available.

A must read for OT students! I highly recommend this book!

Great tool for parents and professionals
Catherine's book is a great tool for learning about sensory integration. It is easy to read and understand. She offers many useful strategies for working with children with multiple problems. Her functional skills inventory is simple to use and can be a way of tracking progress of a student over time as skills are achieved. I highly recommend this book.

sensory secrets how to jump start learning in children
Of everything that I've read this is the best book. Its a fairly quick read. It's broken down into very specific catigories. It gives you warning signs. It tells you how to work on a problem with professionals. It shows you hundreds of ways to work on each specific sensory motor problem. It also helps you to evaluate your own child and explains how certain holes in the learning foundation could quickly lead to learning diviculties later on in life (early grade school). If you feel that there is a problem with your child and you can't put your finger on it - this is the book that will give you invaluable stepping stones.

Great "Intro" Book
I found this to be a wonderful book for parents just entering the world of Sensory Integration Dysfunction. I explains so many of the terms and theories used by Occupational Therapists. However, this truly is an introduction, and not very helpful to anyone who has been working with an OT for any length of time.

If you don't have this one, you're library is not complete!!
Great book, very very good!!! You must have this one for your resource shelves. Therapists need the inventory for use in practice. What a great communication tool for parents, teachers and others to communicate with therapists. It helps parents to 'talk therapy talk,' just by filling in the inventory. The sensory secret checklist is great too. If you put this one on top of your list, you will recommend it too. Easy reading, with life changing information!!! ... Read more

Book Description

Judgment pervades human experience.Do I have a strong enough case to go to trial?Will the Fed change interest rates?Can I trust this person? This book examines how people answer such questions.How do people cope with the complexities of the world economy, the uncertain behavior of friends and adversaries, or their own changing tastes and personalities?When are people's judgments prone to bias, and what is responsible for their biases?This book compiles psychologists' best attempts to answer these important questions. ... Read more

Book Description

This text's success has come in large part from its up-to-date coverage of important research and theories and offers the latest and most comprehensive overview of cognition on the market today. Recent developments in perception, imagery, problem solving, and creativity are highlighted along with advances in such areas as memory and language and expanded theoretical approaches.
* Up-to-date, carefully revised coverage of topics
* Clear, engaging writing with numerous examples: Students do not need to struggle to understand overly complex descriptions
* Extensive, useful pedagogical devices
* Application of cognitive psychology to other disciplines: Many applications relate to careers that students may intend to pursue, such as education, communication, business, consumer psychology, clinical psychology, social psychology, medicine, and law
* Margaret Matlin has a strong reputation for her research in cognitive psychology ... Read more

Book Description

Step-by-step guidelines to applying empirically supported cognitive behavior therapies

Cognitive Behavior Therapy brings together all the techniques of cognitive behavior therapy into one comprehensive volume. In more than sixty chapters, an international group of contributors offer complete information on the details of implementing empirically supported therapeutic techniques to treat a wide range of presenting problems, including smoking cessation, stress management, habit reversal, pain management, and many others.

This book assists you in properly and successfully delivering a large number of effective treatment techniques. The broad array of empirically supported techniques, thoroughly covered by leading experts in each discipline, provides a unique resource for thorough and proper administration of effective therapies for a wide range of clinical problems. A range of basic to more complex methods in cognitive behavior therapy is identified, including standard behavior therapy and cognitive therapy techniques, as well as up-to-date procedures such as acceptance strategies and mindfulness.

Complete with helpful tables clearly explaining, step by step, the implementation of each therapeutic technique, Cognitive Behavior Therapy is an essential tool for mental health practitioners and researchers working with these specialized therapies. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A very useful for clinical practice
This volume is one of the most complete and useful tools available for the application of cognitive-behavioral interventions. Instead of a dry academic text that is difficult to apply or a poorly grounded and loose set of guidelines, you get a scientifically grounded and precise set of interventions for a variety of different problems.

Any cognitve-behavioral clinician who does not have this volume will be missing something which may help them solve some of their most difficult problems.

As a clinical psychology professor, I use this with my students.

A good reference on CBT skills
The book serves a good reference for essential CBT skills, with easy-to-understand format and step-by-step illustrations. For experienced clinican with solid theortical background, it can serve as a quick reference and reminder for good tools available in our hands. ... Read more

Book Description

This guide to the WAIS-III and WMS-III tests is written to help clinical practitioners achieve efficient and accurate interpretations of test results. The only interpretive guide to be based on data obtained while standardizing the tests, this reference source provides new models for interpreting results, as well as practical information on the diagnostic validity, demographically corrected norms, and accuracy of the tests in measuring intelligence and memory.

The focus of information is to allow clinicians to reduce variance in the interpretations of scores, indicating how best to factor in socio-economic status of respondents, interpreting meaningful change in serial assessments, and scoring with alternate or omitted sub-tests. Also included in the book are chapters on accommodating clients with disabilities. The final chapter discusses frequently asked questions (with answers) on the use and interpretation of the tests, as well as practical issues to help make scoring time-efficient and accurate.

KEY FEATURES
* Only guide to be based on data obtained in the standardization of the tests
* Practical examples given to help guide interpretation of scores
* Focuses on information to make faster, more accurate scoring interpretations ... Read more

Book Description

A McGraw-Hill Advertising Classic

A Technique for Producing Ideas reveals a simple, sensible idea-generation methodology that has stood the test of time.

First presented to students in 1939, published in 1965, and now reissued for a new generation of advertising professionals and others looking to jump-start their creative juices, this powerful guide details a five-step process for gathering information, stimulating imagination, and recombining old elements into dramatic new ideas.

Reviews (6)

Just do "this"!
Creating idea must be the most difficult part not
only in great invention but also in business or daily
life.
This book offers us simple principles of
the way to creat idea step by step.
I thought that I could do it, it completely
makes sense when I read it long
time ago. It was the same opinion which I have
when I read it this time. It is clear that by implementing
the principles I can make progress to achievement even if I do
not hit upon idea immediately.
Then, all I need to do is "just do it". Whether
you can start gathering information or not would be
the watershed of utilizing this book.

Like and instruction manual for your brain...
How to Get Ideas and other books on the subject of creative thinking are mainly just elaborations on the core thoughts laid down by James Webb Young. This is a classic read; short, pointed, and truthful. If you are in the business, you will find your hunches confirmed in simple, memorable language. The other books on the subject are very rah-rah; this book just tells it like it is. Not a self-help book, more like an instruction manual for your brain.

a secret treasure you should only share with closest friends
without giving too much away, the "technique" is so darn commonsensical you will no doubt whack yourself on the head at the simplicity of it all

i have tried his technique and shared it with close friends and it has become (so far) a fail proof way of striking creative oil. won us a fair amount of new business.

another plus is the book so small and concise it fits in most purses and can be read cover-to-cover during your morning latte.

O'really..
The contents' probably great, but what happened to the cover of the book? Did Young & Bernbach over-squeezed their "creativities" and left the cover of this book out cold? Wake up guys...bright yellow is a definite NO-NO for a book cover...leave the "neons" for Las Vegas...!!

"A must have for any educational institution"
Very often I notice that the execution of an ad is translated as "Creativity." James Webb Young reminds us in his small book that ideas are the soul of any good ad. This book is a critical tool for any teacher who wishes to instruct his or her students in the same principle. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Arsenal For Attacking Flawed Presentations
A presentor is usually happy when people pose questions, as long as they are not critical questions. Most of the time the audience doesn't pose any questions because they simply don't know what questions to ask or how to formulate those questions.

The prinicipal points of this book:

Establishing the issue and the conclusion.
- Knowing and agreeing with the counterpart on the issue prevents us from veering off away from the subject of discussion. People like chaning the issue when they feel trapped.
- Listening to the person's conclusion about the mentioned issue which will indicate the person's opinion.

What are the reasons for their arguments on a certain suject?
- Reasoning takes many roads but often we don't know how to counter weak reasoning. Key words that give way to faulty reasoning with no substance to back up the argument.

Finding words that are ambiguous
- Counterparts discussing a subject, saying the same thing with several key words but some words have many meanings. Make sure you are talking about the same thing.

What are the value conflicts and assumptions?
- Value conflicts are explosive because of different political, religous and moral beliefs. A speaker who is devoutly religious will try and bring biblical arguments in to reasoning which for someobdy who is an athiest, would mean absolutely nothing.

How good is the evidence: Appeals to authority and testamonials.
- Probably one of the most abused factors in supporting an argument. How often have you heard, "Experts on the subject state 70% of medical doctors say x,y and z habits are great for your health". Don't forget to ask who the authority is. The more general authority and testamonials are the weaker the argument. The authors of many surveys make them biased. e.g. If scientific study has proven that smoking is good for your health and the author of the article is a lobbyist for the tobbaco industry, could it be possible that the author has something to gain from the study? If so ask what other authors or experts say about the subject. The so called industry specific gurus who give their testamonials are in most cases biased, because they have something to gain with the report.

Deceptive statistics are also factors that need to be examined closely. When a presentor starts talking about averages and percentages, ask which average and how large the sampeling was on people who took the survey. You would be surprised about how many presentors do not know anything about the facts they are presenting.

The author does not only wirte about critical thinking but has included many exercises to acitvate the reader to look for faulty reasoning and how to build up questions to counter evidence being presented. It is a great introduction text to critical thinking.

If You Are Intimidated by Critical Thinking, Try This!
"Critical thinking" can seem like an intimidating task (and that is a shame, because the world would be such a better place if more people could learn to think critically!). My guess is that this book was written for people with just such fears, and so I am grateful it exists. There are very few books that can introduce a beginner to the thrill of critical thinking in a way seems fairly uncomplicated, and yet that fosters progressive competency. Just as the "user friendly" title implies, each chapter is easy to understand. Concepts are broken down into basic parts. Application of principles is invited through a wealth of interesting and brief articles within each chapter. The book's concepts can be assessed with relevant questions, and diverse exercises which incorporate various learning styles. I have utilized this text for community college instruction since the book's first edition. What I love about this book is that its simplicity allows me to readily pull in related information without disrupting the flow (so even for a teacher, the book is very user friendly, and able to accommodate creative explorations). Chapters need not be assigned in sequence in order for the book to work. Even the lay-out says to a potential student, "Come and try critical thinking; it is not scary, and you will soon become better at it than you think!" (Believe me, in contast, many critical thinking books are dense, and their lay-out can subtly add another layer of resistance for the beginning critical thinker.) Every semester with this text, students catch the thrill of thinking for themselves. They see real life applications within every chapter, and that is what hooks them. Student feedback often indicates that the class (with this text as its core) has "opened up the world." Yes, the book is an excellent launching point to a systematic way of exploration. This way, once begun, eventually leads to everything (since all knowledge is connected). I do not know what it would be like to use this book in isolation. I have used it only in a class, where critical thinking skills can be "tried out" in the context of group interactions. My guess is that practicing good thinking would be harder (and less fun) without this kind of dialogue and exchange. In saying this, I don't mean to discourage individuals from trying this book. However, if you have a chance to use this book at the same time as others are using it, that is what I would recommend.

Maybe "user-friendly" makes it average...
It took my a while to read through the book... a sign of boring content... I would say the book is good for a beginner in this field, it provides many examples, which are easy to grasp, but which I found too basic for the more advanced reader... or which even constitute common sense.
It may be well suited to be covered in High School ... not much more to add (sorry).
While I haven't looked around, I am convinced there a better titles out there.

Teaching Students to THINK!
I first utilized this excellent book in undergraduate classes about a year ago.I enjoyed using it and it received accolades from the students, (once they realized that sometimes, thinking is WORK!)

It is "user-friendly", and the segments in each chapter are short but concise. There are numerous exercises after each section so that the student can put to immediate use, their newly acquired knowledge.

But I believe the highest praise came from the students that jokingly complained, "I can't think the same way anymore!" They had become "Critical Thinkers". And we can certainly use all of those that we can get! ... Read more

Book Description

Bolstered by national television exposure on Oprah and a cover story in the New York Times Magazine, the "down low"-a term used to refer to "straight" men who have sex with men-was thrust into the open in 2004. Keith Boykin, a former Clinton White House aide, goes beyond the hype with the first responsible, eye-opening look at the down low sensation. Unlike all previous accounts on the topic, Beyond the Down Low presents the DL not merely as a problem of gay and bisexual men living in the shadows, but more as an example of America's unwillingness to engage in critical but uncomfortable conversations about black sexuality. Boykin details how society has helped to create an environment where black gay and bisexual men feel compelled to lead double lives. Meanwhile, the dialogue that has taken place in the black community encourages an unhealthy battle of the sexes, ignores the complexity of the closet, demonizes bisexuality, disempowers women, and misdirects public resources and attention. This book is a timely and well researched answer to the question, "Why are so many black men on the DL?" More importantly, it is an essential tool to pry open the closet door in black America. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Mind in Society:The Development of Higher Psychological Proc
Although I just received the book today, I have scanned through it. The information will be beneficial to my study.
This book was ordered through Finest Books. They indicate in an enclosed letter that they are a new company. I am completely satified with the time frame in which the book was delivered, the packing, and the condition of the book. I feel completely confident that this company is not only reliable, but will benefit others with satisfaction guaranteed.
Thank you Finest Books.

Deborah K.

A MUST READ for parents, preschool through elem educators.
While the book is full of theory that might discourage someone from reading it, it has an absolutly fantastic practical implacation worth the effort! The second half of this book, "Educational Implications" discusses the Zone of Proximal Development. Learning about this "Zone" plus the discussion regarding how children learn to read and write, tells those of us who really want to help children learn, ways to set-up an environment and activities to do it!!
Don't let the theory scare you away, this is a MUST READ!

Socio-historical psychology
This is one of the earliest and still one of the best introductions to socio-historical psychology, the study of how individual human intelligence develops in interaction with people and the environment. In concert with many contemporary approaches in cognitive science today, Lev Vygotsky, A.R. Luria and A.N. Leontiev argued that human intelligence is characteristically mediated through objects and social activity. Humans think through tools. Talking to oneself, for example, is not an irrelevant activity. Putting one's actions into speech is a way of focusing one's consciousness on the problem. This kind of speech is not pointless, but rather a cognitive tool that gives one a greater awareness of one's own actions and makes it easier to modify these actions--a point that Vygotsky proved with research on how children solved problems. Much of human activity involves making use of tools, signs, and activities, the kinetic melodies of action and conceptualization that make us smart, and through which we are able to accomplish the uniquely human feats of complex intellectual action. This is an excellent place to begin studying Vygotsky and activity theory. If you like this you will also like A.R. Luria's *The Making of Mind*, and the classics *The Man With A Shattered World* and *The Mind of a Mnemonist*, the books that inspired Oliver Sacks' writing. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

State of the Art Picture
The Birth of the Mind is a really excellent book. Gary Marcus has unified data from more than 500 papers into the state of the art picture of the interactions of the genome and the brain. Well organized and clearly written, Birth leaves no doubt that genes play a crucial role in programming the development of the brain, and paints a Vermeer-like picture of the nature of the influence. In doing so he addresses head on the two main objections to this view. He explains how only 30000 genes can encode a huge and complex brain by showing how genes can have multiple roles and act in groups to perform complex functions. And he resolves the conflict between nature and nurture by showing that the genes code flexible circuits that continue to adapt in response to the environment.

Readers interested in The Birth of the Mind will also enjoy What is Thought?. What is Thought? looks not so much at how the brain wires up, but at the computations mind performs, seeing the genome as source code and the brain as an executable. Recent results in computer science then suggests answers to big "why" questions. What is Thought? suggests fundamental computational principles why the genome being so compact is integral to the computations the brain performs being meaningful, and why learning requires the genome to encode meaningful information into circuits that adapt, as well as why the genome encodes consciousness which has the qualities we experience.

Clearest account of the nature vs. nurture debate.
I very much enjoyed and learned from this new and innovative book, Birth of the Mind by Dr. Gary Marcus. Still, before I could write my own review I came across a professional review in one of Britain's most distinguished journals, Nature Neuroscience. I present it instead:

"About half of the estimated 30,000-odd genes in the human genome are expressed in the brain. Among these genes is hidden the explanation for our unique human cognitive abilities, and for many of the differences between individual people. Developmental neurobiology is the essential bridge for connecting genome to behavior, but despite its obvious importance, there has not yet been a popular book devoted to this subject.

"The Birth of the Mind is an ambitious attempt to fill this gap. The author, Gary Marcus, is a cognitive scientist, but he has learned a lot about developmental neurobiology and has written a concise and very readable introduction to the field. By drawing on related disciplines such as genetics, cognitive science and evolution, he provides an overview of how the interaction between genome and environment gives rise to the human brain and by extension the human mind.

"Marcus gives as clear an account as I have ever seen of the nature versus nurture 'debate' In fact, most biologists no longer regard this as a debate (genes and environment are both important), and the fact that it is still perceived as such by the public may reflect the lack of clear popular account, which this book now provides.

"He also dispels a more recent myth, namely that there is a ˜gene shortage™ that precludes genes from encoding complex behaviors. It is admittedly surprising that we have only 30,000 genes but 100 billion neurons, particularly given that the nematode C. elegans has nearly as many genes yet only 302 neurons. But as Marcus makes clear, genes are complex individually and give rise to even greater complexity by acting in combination; moreover, the truth is that we have no basis for surprise, absent a theory to explain how many genes are needed for a given degree of biological complexity"

"Einstein famously advised that everything should be made as simple as
possible, but no simpler. Marcus takes this to heart, and his book contains
many simplifications but few misrepresentations.

"... enjoyable to read [and written] with a light touch .... I have no
hesitation recommending it to students, scientists from other disciplines, or lay readers wanting to learn something about this fascinating and fast-developing field."

[Nature Neuroscience, April 2004, at p. 117, by Charles Jennings, Executive
Editor of the Nature Research Journals.]

Science writing at its best!
This is an extraordinary book. It brings the reader up to speed on the fascinating and important research that is uncovering how genes and the environment conspire to build brains of extraordinary complexity. The writing is crystal clear, the style is engaging, and Marcus makes the cutting edge science he's discussing accessible to any intelligent reader. This is science writing at its best. If you enjoy reading other great science writers like Pinker and Dawkins, you'll find this a great read!

Building plans and specifications for your mind?
If you are among those still arguing the "nature versus nurture" debate has been resolved, visit an English Lit class. The humanities continue skirting the notion that genes play a role in our mental life. It challenges our ideal of "free will". Marcus, in this matchless survey, argues that "what's good for the body is good for the mind". And few dispute that genes build bodies. The mind, like the body, has deep evolutionary roots. Even the simple organisms inhabiting the planet with us today show how brains develop. Increased complexity of body is reflected in brain structure. And the mind, he reminds us, resides in the brain.

Marcus explains his notion with a wealth of research, most of it very recent. He explains how similar our brain structure is to that of other animals and what that implies for behaviour. The mechanism of building brains is common to all animal life, even when the final product varies. Genes transmit signals - "recipes" - of structure and function for all parts of the body. Brains, he continually reminds us, are not that different from livers. Neurons proceed from points of origin, finding appropriate areas to reside and assume functional duties. From origin to operation they show flexibility and adaptability. In this, Marcus argues, it's clear the brain is no different than any other organ.

It is our brain's interaction with the rest of the body that sets us somewhat apart from the other animals. Language, the element we hold so dear in protecting our unique status, is given a thorough examination in this book. There are no "language genes", Marcus stresses, but there are identified genes, notably FOXP2, known to impact speech ability. He explains that looking for "genes for" something is futile. Genes interact in too convoluted a manner to expect simple associations between a few nucleotides and something as complicated as speech.

Marcus offers a novel term to counter those railing against the strawman "genetic determinism". Having explained how evolution has led to building brains, he declares them "prewired" but not "hardwired". "Prewired" means that basic functions are spelled out biologically, but don't limit our interaction with our environments. All brains permit flexibility by neurons interacting with each other as conditions vary. We can learn because we are prewired to learn. However, we've only begun the research where our brains are concerned.

Marcus presents this trove of information with amazing clarity. His topics aren't simple mechanisms or ideas, yet he conveys it all with graceful logic. He avoids "dumbing down" the science, yet nothing is lost in his presentation. His theme and supporting examples, buttressed by a glossary and extensive bibliography, are expressed in delightfully accessible prose. Some explanatory graphics depict various elements and mechanisms in furthering the reader's understanding. The underlying concept is "universality" and it's easy to see how his ideas apply to all animal life.

This is a valuable book, easily absorbed by students, professionals in many fields, including, in the final chapter, lawyers. The general public should be the primary market for this book since Marcus makes clear what has been learned may be applied in various ways, from "gene therapy" to "designer children". He doesn't avoid the hard issues in showing how recent science has closed off many myths while opening as many new options. Further research is needed, he argues, to avoid foolish mistakes. Those failing to read this book may make or allow those errors. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

The 'gosh, golly' guide to genes, brains and minds.
This book is reasonably enjoyable and informative. The topic is a difficult one, and I think the author is successful in providing a comprehensible overview of a large, complex, and incompletely understood scientific project.

My main criticism is that the author seems to be uncertain about the audience for whom he is writing. At times he is glib and humorous, using colloquialisms and expressions which will quickly date. At other times, understanding the text requires expert knowledge. For example you might quess in Figure 5.3 that Pcx and Ncx stand for Paleocortex and Neocortex, but can you be confident in Figure 7.2 that the orthogonal axes labelled 'M' and 'R' are actually medial and rostral? Having decided to copy illustrations from other sources, the author should have edited them fully, or left the explanatory codes untouched. ... Read more

Book Description

In this book, noted educators Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick define and describe 16 types of intelligent behavior that they call "habits of mind." These habits of mind can aid both students and adults in school and in everyday life as they encounter problems, dilemmas, and enigmas, the resolutions of which are not immediately apparent.

The habits are rooted in a modern view of intelligence that casts off traditional abilities-centered theories. Costa and Kallick maintain that a critical attribute of intelligence is not only having information but also knowing how to act on it. The habits of mind that contribute to this intelligence are:

- Persisting
- Managing impulsivity
- Listening with understanding and empathy
- Thinking flexibly
- Thinking about thinking (metacognition)
- Striving for accuracy
- Questioning and posing problems
- Applying past knowledge to new situations
- Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision
- Gathering data through all senses
- Creating, imagining, innovating
- Responding with wonderment and awe
- Taking responsible risks
- Finding humor
- Thinking interdependently
- Remaining open to continuous learning

"Discovering and Exploring Habits of Mind" is the first of a four-book series. Subsequent volumes will explore instructional strategies for teaching the habits at school and at home; assessment of the habits; and descriptions from schools, teachers, and administrators about how they have incorporated the habits of mind into their work.

Other contributors to Book 1 are Shari Tishman and Marian Leibowitz. David Perkins's Series Foreword introduces the four-book series, Habits of Mind: A Developmental Series. ... Read more

Book Description

With over four hundred new citations, Cognitive Neuroscience, Second Edition, embraces the latest findings in this cutting-edge field. A revised chapter two, "The Cellular and Molecular Basis of Cognition," introduces new analysis of the chemical systems that support cognition, outlines the modulation of neuronal transmission during development and disease, and increases coverage of the function of membrane receptors in neurochemistry. An entirely new chapter three, "Gross and Functional Anatomy of Cognition," provides a foundation for working through the functional analysis of cognitive systems in subsequent chapters. The Second Edition also includes extensive coverage of computational modeling, highlighting the ways in which modeling demonstrates the neural mechanisms of cognition. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Not an Introductory Text
I am currently studying this text in an introductory class. It seems to be a source of frustration to most of the course's students.

The text's overall organization is to compare studies of animals and humans, discuss how they differ from or support one another, and show how they may reveal underlying mechanisms for behavior. However, this structure is never made clear. To the beginning psych student, the text comes across as a jumbled mess of conflicting data and jargon. There is no glossary supplied, and as if that weren't enough, the index is not thorough.

Most of the faults with this book arise from poor editing rather than writing. It's clear that the authors are experts in their field; however, as experts, their writing is at too high of a level for the beginning student. If this book is intended for an introductory class, the editors should be more careful about clearly defining difficult terms and removing as much cognitive neuroscience lingo as possible. Further, although the graphics are nice to look at, many of their captions introduce new concepts not discussed in the text or fail to clarify what is depicted. As a side note, the editors should also look closely at the headings and subheadings: many are placed incorrectly and add little or no value to reading comprehension.

In short, this is a good text for someone who wants a broad review of a field they are already familiar with. It will need a second or third edition if it is to be appropriate for an introductory class.

Not for those without background
This book is not intended for the general reader, reader with cellular neuroscience background, but has a target audience of advanced undergraduate or graduate level students with relevant background. Also would be useful for the psychology professional without specific or with dated cognitive neuroscience background, or others intending a research or applied clinical career in the area. Appropriate background would necessarily be at least an undergraduate course in cognitive psychology, with additional help provided by biological psychology or a medical professional in neurology. Discussions of principles and mechanisms are at a "functional machinery" level and thus would not make sense to those without some previous training in those principles. It just isn't a basic text, thus, no glossary of basic terms is included. Yes, the material is both abstract and complex, but so is brain function, and we are just beginning to learn. There are very, very few textbooks that survey this area which only became a separate field of study sometime around 1986. Other reading material in the field consists entirely of professional level chapters in compiled and edited texts. The only other broad survey text that I know of is Marie Banich's book on the related area of Cognitive Neuropsychology.

Additions to this book
This book is more like a bunch of journals bound together. The authors introduce new words without previous qualifications. For example, in the chapter of binocular vision, they added spatial normalization and various other models, without telling what exactly they are! Also when I tried to find these terms in relatively basic texts I was unable to find them. Same was the case with internet.

It is definitly for advanced learner. (I am doing PhD in neuroscience and still finding it very difficult)To clarify zillions of issue I have to sit with my mentor. Although she is very nice but still the discussion needs a lot of time, which is difficult for her to take out in her busy schedule.

In short, this book is recommended if you are doing a specific research and want to know extremely minute details of the ideas, certainly not for a introductory or intermediate learner.

Best overall for Cogntive Neuroscience
I have used it in an upper division undergraduate psychology class, and in my students' rankings of textbooks, this book has consistently been ranked higher than any other text I've used.

The level is beyond a simple introductory psychology text, but is very appropriate for the upper division course.

The numerous full-color illustrations and photographs are especially helpful in illustrating key points.

It covers the full spectrum of the neural basis of cognition, from simple perception through the biology of emotion to the basis of consciousness (with very interesting case studies of brain damaged patients throughout).

Verbose and EXTREMELY boring
I am a fourth year neuroscience major and found this book to be extremely verbose and boring. The chapters are 50 pages long at least and the author continually digresses into random tangents so you're left bored and confused at the end of each chapter. Do NOT buy it unless you want to be even more confused in your course than necessary! ... Read more

Book Description

"In this comprehensive and insightful work, Dr. Sharon K. Farber provides an invaluable resource for the mental health professional who is struggling to understand self-harm and its origins. Using attachment theory to explain how addictive connections to pain and suffering develop, she discusses various kinds and functions of self-harm behavior." ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A high school teacher.
This is an impressive and fascinating book. As a high school teacher for well over 20 years, I picked it up because one hears so much nowadays about these disorders among adolescents.Since I have no specialized knowledge in this field (nor any personal issues here), I was apprehensive about my ability to read what I assumed would be highly technical material. To my delight, I found the writing style itself extremely clear, and the material deeply engrossing. I feel I've gained enormous understanding of an area that was not at all clear to me before, and, even better, new ways of thinking about people and myself in general. What a treat!

Lucid and insightful
This book is an academic exploration of some pretty heady topics, and although I have no experience in psychoanalysis, I found it to be a real page-turner. The writing is perfectly descriptive but Farber uses fascinating examples in order to avoid alienating the layperson. She is interested in what is so ordinary about certain impulses, and the cases in her book are not monsters. If you are interested in the mind and what makes us human, read this book. ... Read more

Book Description

In its fourth incarnation, Learning preserves its well-balanced academic rigor and accessibility. Klein continues to present a thorough coverage of both classic and current studies of animal and human research. Of particular interest are the recent findings of leading psychologists investigating animal learning. New pedagogical elements lead students through the logical processing of information. And the reorganization of chapter coverage and order allows instructors more options in planning their course. ... Read more

Book Description

Primate Behavioral Ecology, described as "an engaging, cutting-edge exposition," incorporates exciting new discoveries in its introduction to the field and its applications of behavioral ecology to primate conservation. Like no other on the market, this comprehensive book integrates the basics of evolutionary and ecological approaches and new noninvasive molecular and hormonal techniques to the study of primate behavior with up-to-date coverage of how different primates behave. Examples are drawn from the "classic" primate field studies and more recent studies on previously neglected species, illustrating the vast behavioral variation that we now know exists and the gaps in our knowledge that future studies will fill. For anyone interested in anthropology, psychology, biology, and zoology, specifically related to primate behavior. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good Survey Text
A good survey text of primate social ecology. Strier's work among new world primates makes this book better than most which are too heavily biased towards macaque and chimp studies. ... Read more

Book Description

Finally a book that fully illuminates the experience of low self-esteem(LSE): the fear and the anxiety, the self-doubts and self-criticism, thediscouragement and depression, the self-defeating behaviors, and theinsecurity in relationships and careers. If you have low self-esteem, orrealize a friend, family member or spouse does, this book is about youand for you-whether you are male or female.

As you read this fascinating book, you will realize that you are notalone-that others share similar struggles; you will also receiveinformation and direction about how to change this problem--how toovercome the effects of LSE that may presently be impeding your personalgrowth process and causing you unhappiness.One reader recentlycommented that she finally understood what her husband had been fightingwith for years.Though he had repeatedly told her he had lowself-esteem, she was sad to realize that she had never before understoodthe issues involved or the degree of pain he had suffered. (Aquestionnaire at the end of Chapter One will enable you to assess yourown degree of self-esteem. Exercises to help you begin your journeytoward healing are provided at the end of each chapter.)

An intriguing and powerful book, Breaking the Chain of Low Self-Esteemcontains many new insights about self-esteem never before documented. Asyou read, you will meet and likely empathize with "Jane", a woman whoselife has largely been shaped and controlled by her low self-esteem.Chapters begin with a relevant, interesting, and often emotional storyfrom Jane's life; additional examples of Jane's and others' battles withLSE are sprinkled throughout the book. Frequently close to tears whenthey read of Jane's situations, readers are quick to say they identifiedwith Jane. Many actually say, "That's me. I am Jane."

Breaking the Chain of Low Self-Esteem is an engaging, upbeat book thatwill empower you to face life with new courage and enthusiasm. Once youbegin, you won't want to lay it down. Reading it will motivate you toalter self-defeating behaviors, challenge you to overcome your fears,teach you to value yourself, inspire you to change your thinking, andenable you to make better choices in relationships and in other areas ofyour life. With the insights contained here you may be able to save yourpresent, ailing relationship or gain the awareness that it's not rightfor you.

Low self-esteem is a complex problem and difficult, though notimpossible, to overcome. The author, a psychologist with over 2 decadesof helping clients with this issue, strongly emphasizes that a thoroughunderstanding of how LSE develops and impacts one's life is necessary tomake lasting changes. Having seen hundreds of people do so in herpractice, she knows it is possible to alter one's LSE and to achievepeace and contentment in life. She stresses, however, that simpleaffirmations do not work-that there is no quick fix for low self-esteem.

Whether or not you suffer from LSE, you will be richly rewarded byreading this book. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

This Explains Everthing !
I was given the book "Breaking the Chains of Low Self-Esteem" by a very close friend, several months ago. I have never read anything that defined so clearly what is going on in my life. I thank God for Dr. Sorensen's insight into this wide reaching problem. I have recommended this book to my therapist in hopes that he will be able to help me solve this life controlling situation. I was especially fascinated by the information on "triggers". If you are depressed, can not seem to figure out what is going on in your life, have low self-esteem, or have tried everything else; this book is a must read. I found Dr Sorensen to be especially warm and helpful, she is someone who truly understands my plight.

AMAZING INSIGHTS ABOUT LOW SELF-ESTEEM
This is a truly amazing book and the best I've ever read on the subject of low self-esteem. Dr. Sorensen explains the inner experience of low self-esteem in a way I've never before heard and for the first time has helped me fully understand this pervasive problem called low self-esteem. Dr. Sorensen truly has a way with words and her compassionate explanations clearly spell out the process of low self-esteem and the way in which LSE ultimately leads people to sabotage their lives without being aware they are doing so. She has great exercises at the end of chapters and I found her sections that compare those with healthy self-esteem to those with low self-esteem to be especially interesting and helpful. THIS IS A WONDERFUL BOOK THAT EVERYONE SHOULD READ, whether for themselves or to better understand family and friends that suffer from LSE. IT'S HARD TO PUT THIS BOOK DOWN UNTIL YOU'VE READ IT COVER TO COVER.

absolutely the best self-help book I have ever read
This book is an absolute must-read for EVERYONE. For those with low self-esteem (LSE) it explains exactly what LSE is, how you got it, and what you can do about it. You will learn that you are not alone and that LSE is a common problem and that there are a lot of people who are suffering from the same pain, anger, and hurt that you are. I have LSE and I was completely amazed when I read this book. I thought that if men were from Mars and women were from Venus, that I must be from Pluto. I felt as if I was completely alone in the world and that nobody understood anything I was going through. I was shocked as I read through this book and realized how much the author truly understood LSE and exactly how it has been negatively affecting my life. As I read through the various examples in the book I was just floored by how accurately the examples mirrored so many things that have happened in my own life. This book will not only benefit those with LSE, but also people with healthy self-esteem because reading this book will enable you to spot the signs of LSE in others so that you can be better prepared to comfort and deal with the person who has LSE. This book talks about how LSE is far too often misdiagnosed as depression, social anxiety disorder, or some other mental problem. So many people who have LSE are misdiagnosed and consequently put on drugs which only mask the symptoms of the problem, rather than addressing the core problem directly. I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially those with LSE. The author has a very clear and easy to understand writing style and you will be amazed at the insight and understanding the author has in regards to LSE. If you're like me, once you read the first page you won't be able to put this book down. For those with LSE I also highly recommend getting the workbook that goes along as a companion to the book.

This book is slowly saving my life
I found this book on a whim at the book store. I've read several self-help books before so went with the attitude that I'd just get another one and continue my journey as to the whereabouts of just my everyday activities from that with myself to that in my present relationship both personal and business. This book should've said Dear Michelle. It lays out the information in a way that makes your life as an adult make sense as to how and why you think and act the ways you do. It clearly states that this is a process so don't expect results the next day. Unless your ready to really start to gain your life back to the fullest and do the required work--- wait till you are, because this requires much patience and truth within yourself....and who else looks at you in the mirror....YOURSELF. This book has been a blessing in my life and the author is an Angel from up above.
Thank you Dr. Sorensen

Wonderful book
Made me understand many things about myself. Very interesting section about "testing" others. Does a good job of making you aware of some inner problems, but doesn't give much help in the way of solving them. Hopefully awareness is half the battle! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good explanatory book
I used this book for my psychological statistics course last semester. Although I have had teachers in the past who explained things more adequately, this book did a really good job explaining things for the most part. I almost always use examples to learn how to apply knowledge, as working through a problem step by step seems to be the best teacher to me. Fortunately, this book has a lot of examples. And, as a bonus, these examples apply towards the social sciences so you can see how everything fits in with a topic you're actually interested in (let's face it, few are interested in math).

I had already taken a statistics course in high school, so my stats class last year was pretty much a review for me. However, I wound up actually learning more than I planned to because of this book.

Overall, I recommend the book for anybody learning statistics. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Quite valuable despite a bit of tilting at windmills
Smith, a cognitive psychologist, presents an informal interpretation of two disparate perspectives on human learning. On one extreme he presents the "classical view" in which learning is the natural, implicit, and unconscious byproduct of social contexts. On the other extreme he presents the "official theory" of learning that assumes learning is the result of effort, structure, repetition, and discipline.

This type of dichotomizing, while quite useful in highlighting the distinctions Smith is making, does tend to oversimplify the issues. In this case, he demonizes the official theory while divinizing the classical view. As a result, his tone of voice is a bit extreme, his conclusions faulty, and his suggestions for educational reform unrealistic.

Then why give this slim volume a four star rating? Educators need to be continually reminded, as they are here, that learning is not about recall of facts, but about the restructuring of the students' long-term memory. Long-term memory is arranged semantically. This means that new concepts must build on old ones in some kind of meaningful way. The catch for the educator is that the student is the one who gets to decide what is meaningful.

Education is not about recitation of facts, completion of tests, or skill development. Education is about connecting the student to meaningful content in a way that builds on the innate capacity to learn. It is not taught until the student owns it. Because Smith will settle for nothing less than this, I recommend the book.

Short, concise book on the right and wrong of learning
This excellent book on learning reemphasizes the mistakes that are being made as far as teaching children (and actually adults). In educational departments in universities, too often more importance is placed on rote learning and not on helping learning to be an enjoyable experience. I am afraid too many teachers are being churned out that feel the pressure to produce for standardized testing, without realizing that learning this same information can happen in such a way as to make it enjoyable, make sense, and be remembered for a lifetime. At this time, too many times students remember for only short-term recall, and then promptly lose the knowledge after the test. Learning is a continual and lifetime process, and Frank Smith reiterates the mistakes that teaching in the U.S. is making in emphasizing the wrong way to learn.

The information Smith gives is vitally important, and he makes several very quotable statements concerning learning and memory which I have used (citing him) in papers. The book is almost too short, and not as readable as I would have liked it. Nevertheless this is an absolute must read for educators, and for would-be teachers prior to entering their teaching jobs. It is also important for those going into educational research and educational testing to be aware of. We can and should expect children to learn, but we definitely are not approaching it the right way. This book can provide plenty of topics for discussions in education departments across the country. Testing should not be the ends, but rather the ability to learn over a lifetime and the ability to continue this process from indirect sources once out of the school system. Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh

Ammunition for the battle to restructure education
Frank Smith has given educators substantial arguments for resurrecting the need for change debate. Smith goes underneath the surface and exposes the governing ideas that shaped western learning environments. He nicely explains how the influence of the triple whammy of military, behaviorism, and testing all contributed to making the monolithic educational machine more blind and resistant to natural learning. I love the way he ties the forgetting into the equation, and forces us to reflect on our methodologies and goals. In essence, learning according to the "official" system simply is a matter of compliance for the students, and control for the teachers. This is good material for those teaching overseas.

I like the way he addressed how teachers may focus on measuring what is not learned and may fail to see what is actually learned. Instead of finding fault with the student, he comments on the deficiency of the institutionalized "official" policy that goes unquestioned. Simply marvelous. Smith includes objections to his ideas and answers them in a fair manner. The book is easy to read, nicely dotted with interesting educational insights, and does a superb job in contrasting the official view with the classical view of learning. His ideas are no nonsense and resonate with any teacher and student. While his analysis is quite helpful, his simple three step solution was too simple for me. Smith proposes we be more understanding, honest, and I wish he would have given more examples or data that demonstrate how the changes have affected other teachers and systems. I also wish he would have said more about rewarding the self-directed learner.

I found chapter 10 on online education to be a bit alarmist as he portrays the popular notion that technology may end up replacing teachers. I believe, however, that good teachers will always be needed and that good teachers know how to incorporate technology into their learning plans and not be threatened by it. Still, he has a valid point about cognitive science or educational programmers being the new gatekeepers of information. Definitely worth the money. I am recommending it to all of my colleagues as a professional reading group discussion book. Thank you, Dr. Smith.

Excellent read for students, parents, teachers and coaches.
I read this book as part of a graduate teaching class assignment. It was my first introduction to the works of Frank Smith and I must admit it is quite stimulating and thought-provoking. For those of us who have been trained that "memorization" is the key to academic success, this book will open your eyes to a different world of learning power. I would highly recommend it to all students, teachers, parents and coaches...anyone who wants to understand how they can improve their learning skills and teach others to do the same.

Engaging content -- helps you rethink your teaching methods
This book is an easy read -- but filled with engaging content that helps you rethink your teaching methodology. Frank Smith stresses that students learn what is modeled, not just content. He occasionally reassures us not to memorize the book's content, but to read with interest. Do we take away that interest from our students by making them memorize information?

Frank Smith talks about how we build up our own identity by "interacting with the significant people in our lives." He talks about the "clubs" we belong to -- those communities of influential people (both formal and informal).

"Work experience and learning," should be recognized as a significant educational experience. Many times the greatest learning experiences do not come from classroom "sit time." What can we do as educators to effectively link our classrooms to the world of work?

You'll be so glad to read about correct and incorrect spellings of words stored in our memory -- sometimes we aren't able to sort them out. I thought it was just me -- I was glad to know I wasn't the only one!

I have always heard that once something is placed in long-term memory, it's always there. It's also nice to know that just because it's securely stored away, it's not always easy to access it. Frank Smith talks about creating a trail to that stored information. One thought triggers another and so on. That's why brainstorming is such an effective way of pulling together all those concepts so safely packed away in our heads.

Frank Smith goes into the militaristic history of the educational system, and explains why we do certain things -- and challenges educators to understand and change some of that tradition. The language includes "drills" and "batteries of tests," which "perfectly illustrates the insidious infiltration of militaristic thinking in education." Kind of scary, but very interesting and sad as well.

Frank Smith doesn't just point out frailties in o! ur educational system, he offers possible solutions. This book should be read with an open mind -- it is very stimulating indeed. ... Read more

Book Description

Measuring Behaviour is a guide to the principles and methods of quantitative studies of behavior, with an emphasis on techniques of direct observation, recording, and analysis. In the new edition, all sections have been updated and revised, particularly those dealing with the technology of recording behavior, and there are new sections on regression and multivariate statistics.As with the first edition, the authors strive for brevity and clarity of presentation. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Concise, clear reference
This is a fantastic book for anyone interested in the study of human or non-human behavior in lab or field settings. The authors pack nothing but the vital basics in this guide. They cover topics such as research design (sample sizes) and data analysis (parametric vs. nonparametric stats). Reading this book is a great use of your time if you're considering research on animal behavior.

A perfect introduction
This book is a perfect introduction to the field of behavioral data collection. I purchased this book for my first behavioral study of captive primates and it was extremely helpful. If you have never conducted research in this area, this book is a must have. ... Read more