Book Description

This first edition successfully synthesizes research on learning and memory in a coherent and unbiased manner. Lieberman integrates cognitive and behavioral approaches to learning and memory to show how these two approaches are complementary, with associative and cognitive processes jointly shaping our behavior. Using a stimulating, integrative, and practical approach that presents rigorous concepts with exceptional clarity, Lieberman ensures that students aren't lost in a forest of facts. To help make the information come alive, he interweaves material on laboratory research and practical applications in every chapter, as well as thoroughly integrating the text with SNIFFY THE VIRTUAL RAT, Pro Version and COGLAB, to offer students unique, hands-on experience. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A huge disappointment
I had high expectations for this book because James Surowiecki's New Yorker column is usually so good. But THE WISDOM OF CROWDS is one of the most disappointing books I've read in years. (Indeed, I feel somewhat ripped off by having purchased it and devoted several hours to reading it.)

The main problem with this book is that despite Surowiecki's often breathless tone, nothing he says is new. Every point he makes has been made many times before by many other writers.

For instance, the key theme of his book is that groups can solve certain "cognition problems" better than individuals. No kidding. Ever hear the phrase "Two heads are better than one?" The thesis is so self-evident and widely-known that it comes with its own cliché! Yet Surowiecki devotes more than one-third of the book essentially to arguing that two people can solve a crossword puzzle faster than one person. Amazing, no?

What's more, Surowiecki's central point about the power of "collective intelligence" has long been a staple of business education. If you've ever taken an organizational behavior class, you've done the exercise where groups of varying sizes are stuck on a desert island with a dozen supplies -- and then each group must devise a solution for escaping the island using those supplies. Inevitably, the larger the group, the better the solution -- because larger groups reflect the accumulated experience and expertise of more people. (In other words, five heads are even better than two.) Want another example of how threadbare this idea is? Google the phrase "none of us is as smart as all of us" - and you'll discover that Surowiecki's supposedly "counterintuitive" notion has been talked about in business circles since Bill Gates was in short pants.

If that weren't bad enough, the rest of the book -- particularly Suriowiecki's discussion of "coordination," his second "stunning" insight--- is essentially a retread of arguments that have been made elsewhere for more than a decade. James Gleick made many of these points in CHAOS. Kevin Kelly said everything that Surowiecki says ten years ago in OUT OF CONTROL. Steven Johnson said it again four years ago in EMERGENCE. Howard Rheingold said lots of it last year in SMART MOBS.

And Surowiecki's third argument -- that sometimes cooperation is preferable to competition -- is even older. Charles Darwin told us this in the 19th century! Indeed, there's an entire branch of evolutionary psychology devoted to studying cooperation. Just read Robert Wright's THE MORAL ANIMAL if you want a more thorough and engaging account of this point.

If this book were an undergraduate term paper that summarized the self-evident and reviewed what others had already had said, I'd give it a B. But for book that costs 20 bucks from a writer who's obviously got some talent, I'd have to give THE WISDOM OF CROWDS an Incomplete. Please try again, James. But next time, try a lot harder.

Excellent
I'm a big fan of James Surowiecki's "Financial Page" column in The New Yorker. He's consistently able to come up with unusual takes on seemingly familiar topics, and he has a great knack for making business stories compelling and entertaining as well as understandable. But because it's only a page long, I sometimes come away from the column wanting more, and I always wondered how Surowiecki would do if he was able to develop his ideas and arguments more fully. Luckily, "The Wisdom of Crowds" lives up to all my expectations. It's wonderfully readable, full of terrific stories, funny, and its basic argument -- that groups, under certain conditions, can make better decisions than even the smartest individuals -- is counterintuitive without being willfully contrarian.

The roots of the argument obviously stem from the way markets work -- buyers and sellers find each other and reach efficient outcomes without anyone being in charge, while the stock market (at least some of the time) does as good a job as possible of setting prices. But what I really like is the way Surowiecki extends this argument way beyond business and markets, showing how collective wisdom can be seen (and can potentially be used) in a host of other situations, including the racetrack, on the Internet, and on city streets. He also does a good job of drawing out the possible implications of this for everything from the U.S. intelligence community to the way companies are run.

This is definitely a big-idea book, but the author is cautious in laying out his evidence, and is careful to show that groups, even if they're potentially wise, are often stupid and dangerous. The chapter on small groups in particular, which focuses on NASA's mismanagement of the Columbia mission, is powerful stuff, and useful to anyone interested in how to run a meeting well (or badly, for that matter). The least satisfying part of the book is the chapter on democracy, where Surowiecki shies away from pushing his conclusion to its logical end. But on the whole, this is just a wonderful book, elegant and enlightening.

If you're interested in this book, it's also worth checking out Paul Seabright's "The Company of Strangers" and Robert Wright's "Nonzero."

Relevant and surprising
Although the subtitle to THE WISDOM OF CROWDS is an awkward mouthful, it is at least accurate: the book does an exceptional job of illuminating a remarkably wide range of material from politics, everyday life, and the business world. Surowiecki's not offering a grand unified theory of everything, but in the course of investigating how and when groups and crowds are and are not intelligent, he takes you on an exhilarating ride. You can't go more than a couple of pages without coming across some interesting factual tidbit or clever anecdote. Just a short list of stuff Surowiecki writes about includes: crowds on city sidewalks, Navy men trying to find a lost submarine, the Nielsen ratings, Google, scientists trying to find the SARS virus, the stock market, game-show audiences, fashion stores, and the C.I.A. Thankfully, though, he understands that just stringing together stories isn't enough. Instead, he fits his examples into a strong argument that holds the book together. You can get a lot out of this book just by dipping into individual chapters, but reading it from beginning to end is a powerful experience.

One of the things about the book that hasn't been much remarked on is the light it sheds on the flaws in the way the U.S. intelligence community -- and, I would argue, the Bush administration -- approaches the problem of forecasting the future and making good decisions. The book's main subject is the wisdom of crowds, but Surowiecki spends a lot of time on how groups go wrong, and his discussion of how groups make bad decisions seems to me completely relevant to our current problems. When Surowiecki delves into groupthink, into the pressure that's exerted on lower-level employees to conform, and the perils of too little diversity of opinion, he's making a broader point about what good decisions require. But in the process, he clarified for me just why the current administration did such a bad job of figuring out whether Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and of planning for the postwar period. I was surprised, but it turns out this book has a lot to say about the state we're in right now.

Refreshingly optimistic
It seems naive to mention it, but one of the things I liked best about Surowiecki's take on the intelligence of groups is how optimistic it is. Most of what we hear about crowds and democracy and the potential of average people offers a dismal picture. But I came away from this book in a hopeful mood, and infused with a sense of real possibility. Surowiecki is convincing on the idea that the intelligence of Google, or bettors at the race track, or the audience in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" aren't peculiar anomalies, but are actually connected by the fact that they're tapping into collective wisdom. This makes me think that if we can figure out a way how to use group intelligence in a wider way -- inside companies, governments, whatever -- the decisions society as a whole makes can be improved.

Stylistically, the book is a delight. The sentences are crisp, and the stories are well-told. Occasionally, Surowiecki makes his ideas too involved and ends up in a digression. But I forgave this because it felt like the result of someone who thinks everything is interesting and wants the reader to feel the same. Wonderful stuff.

Engaging
Even after having read it, I'm still not sure what category I'd put THE WISDOM OF CROWDS in. It offers important insights into business, and helped me understand the way markets work. But it also has lots of fantastic and entertaining material about group psychology, and it's an interesting look at a host of questions about everyday life, ranging from the way crowds on a sidewalk move to traffic to the role of trust.

The book's real strength is its ability to take a complex question -- when are people in groups smart, and when are they foolish? -- and make it accessible and engaging, even to those of us without much background in the field. Surowiecki has a light touch with his ideas, and for me the book flew by (with the exception of a few pages about the NFL, which I had a hard time with). I feel as if I see the world now in a different way. ... Read more

Book Description

For hundreds of years verbal messages have been the primary means of explaining ideas to learners. Although verbal learning offers a powerful tool for humans, this book explores ways of going beyond the purely verbal. An alternative to purely verbal presentations is to use multimedia presentations in which people learn from both words and pictures--a situation the author calls multimedia learning. Multimedia encyclopedias have become the latest addition to students' reference tools, and the world wide web is full of messages that combine words and pictures. This book summarizes ten years of research aimed at realizing the promise of multimedia learning. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Will Change Your Teaching!
This is a fantastic book! It has a very nice discussion and a summary of the relevant research documenting that students learn best with multimedia presentations (pictures and words). The research results and guidelines for designing figures and computer-based materials will change the way you teach forever, or at least should! As a University Geology Professor, this book has truely been an inspiration to my teaching and writing. The only drawback is that it is a little repetitive, but not enough to detract from the great message contained within.

Good research and a good read
This is a very well presented description of Mayer's research on whether people learn better using multimedia (as opposed to just reading text). He describes the tests he and colleagues have performed to see how much learners are able to remember (retention) and how much learned information they can apply to new situations (transfer), and presents the results in manner that is relatively easy to understand (you have to know a little something about statistics, but not too much). The number of subjects tested is small, and Mayer is sure to point that out - but the basic research should lay groundwork for others to conduct similar tests on larger groups. The design principles Mayer puts forth (e.g. "contiguity") are very much in keeping with the general principles of good visual design (esposed by design notables such as Robin Williams (not the actor)). It's both a good read and good research. ... Read more

Book Description

Modern technology has now reached a point where improved safety can only be achieved through a better understanding of human error mechanisms.In its treatment of major accidents, the book spans the disciplinary gulf between psychological theory and those concerned with maintaining the reliabiblity of hazardous technologies. Much of the theoretical structure is new and original, and of particular importance is the identification of cognitive processes common to a wide variety of error types. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Best the third time through
This book is a very complete and well done review of the history and mechanisms of human error. I can't think of a better reference book. It takes some work to extract the knowledge from the rather concentrated material, but it is well worth it. I generally like an easier, novel-type read, but there are plenty of other books on human factors that provide that. This one shines in the very systematic and complete treatment of the subject. And the bibliography is excellent, because it facilitates the easy branching out into all of his sources. Speaking of people mentioned, I knew I would like it when he spoke highly of Donald Norman. He also mentions Perrow's 'Normal Accidents', which is an excellent book. Also the quote from Ernst Mach can lead into a fascinating side trail of discovery on that man. But mainly his dedication of the book to Jens Rasmussen sent me off on a trail of his work, which is quite prolific. I think this is academia at its best - building on the work of predecessors to help further development of tools and understanding on how to solve practical, real world problems.

Human Errors by James Resson
I'm Manassawee Lila, I'm Buyer form Johnson Control@Summit
Interiors Ltd. My team interesting in your books but I have some problem :-
I want to order your books for Human Errors by James Resson
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Best Resource for Latent Human Errors
This book is a must have resource for the serious failure analyst. I am responsible for root cause analysis of events at a nuclear power station and we have this as required reading for our root cause analysts.

Furthermore, my experience with other companies who specialize in failure analysis and nuclear industry oversight agencies indicates that the information presented in this book is widely used and respected. More than that - the information helps you to prevent events and solve recurring problems because you get to the latent organizational and human roots.

My copy has gotten dog-eared and has all kinds of notes in the margins. It's absolutely indespensible as a resource for any organization where a strong safety culture (for your employees and your customers) is a necessary part of your business.

Human Error - by James Reason
An excellent treatise on the subject of human error, written with a cognitive psychology approach. The treatment of the subject matter is more theoretical and less practice-oriented. The book begins with clear definitions, classifications and explanations on the different types of errors, quickly runs through the relevant literature and scientific studies and expands on the typology using Rasmussen's classification as a base. The author then goes on to describe his well-known Swiss Cheese model and provides an excellent overview of accident causation from a system-thinking perspective. He ends with a note on the methodological assessment of error risks which is perhaps more relevant to safety practitioners. The entire book is written in clear simple language that is easily understood, fascinating and intellectually stimulating, even to non-psychologists.

The fundamentals
Anyone with any interest in error reduction, or in the way humans interact with technology should start here. The psychological analysis of how and why we commit errors is fascinating, and influences the way one thinks about daily events. I find myself saying "Aha, that was a capture error," and "Damn! I've fallen for the fundamental attribution error again." The real lesson is that errors derive from the very nature of human behavior--the mechanisms which enable us to solve complex problems also make errors inevitable. This realization changes entirely one's concept of industrial accidents and medical mistakes. ... Read more

Book Description

It's a deadly triad: bullies who terrorize, bullied kids who are afraid to tell, bystanders who watch, participate, or look away, and adults who dismiss the incidents as a normal part of childhood. Drawing on her decades of work with youth, this practical book by bestselling parenting educator Barbara Coloroso explains:

• The three kinds of bullying; and the differences between boy and girl bullies
• Four abilities that protect your child from succumbing to bullying
• Seven steps to take if your child is a bully
• How to help the bullied child heal and effectively discipline the bully
• How to evaluate a school's antibullying policy and much more

Book Description

Reviews (9)

Great Introductory Resource
Cognitive therapy/cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is exploding in application to many clinical populations, however there is a need for a basic introduction to its principles. So far, this is the best text for this purpose. I use it in my class of doctoral clinical psychology students, and then have them pick one of the many other population-specific CBT texts. They find Beck to be easy reading, and it helps to talk about the simple cases described in Beck before moving to more complex cases.

Excellent reference
This is an excellent introductory source for anyone who is interested in learning Cognitive Therapy. I am a Master's level Professional Counselor in training, and therefore, needed to learn the basics of Cognitive Therapy. The book progresses from the basics of Cognitive Therapy to using advanced techniques. One of the greatest challenges for a Cognitive Therapist is to "teach" the client how to practice Cogntive techniques on their own. Dr. beck does a great job of explaining the rationale, as well as ways to empower the client to be their own therapist.

Excellent book for the literate patient
I was introduced to cognitive therapy by a therapist
who recommended David Burns's popular "Feeling Good
Handbook". That is certainly a good book to start with,
but I wanted to learn more so I went to a bookstore and
found this book by Judith Beck. It is actually a textbook
for therapists and is not addressed to patients at all.
Nevertheless I have found it very useful because it is
much more structured than Burns's books. I particularly
found her schema of automatic thoughts (also found in
Burns), intermediate beliefs and core beliefs (the latter
two not found in Burns) to be very helpful. My personal
conclusion is that Burns's less disciplined approach is
probably helpful for simpler kinds of problems, whereas
Beck's formalism is going to be more relevant once you
discover that you want or need to get down below the
surface. The strength of Burns's book is he provides
lots of exercises. Since Beck's book is a text for
the therapist, it does not have exercises for the
patient reading it as self help. If you are reasonably
dedicated you can (and must) create your own exercises.
If you think you can make that bridge from text to
self help, then this may be a good book for you.

[ By the way, I think that Burns's discussion of
communication techniques in his "Feeling Good Handbook"
is the single most useful treatment of that subject I
have found for the single person (he doesn't consider
how committed couples can work on their communication
issues together, but there are lots of couples books
for that).]

Missing the Target!
This is an excellent text on cognitive therapy. And it
should be good reading for the layman or laywoman as well
as mental health professionals. Unfortunately, the subject matter needs serious surgery. When we try to smear a
"rational" reference point over a reference point, we are
still left with the whole problem. A reference point!
People with mental problems (as if there is anyone without
"mental problems"), have too many reference points. As the
author explains to us, our pain is caused by "cognitive distortions." That we lost our job or our spouse is
highly undesirable. But it is not "terrible." We can still
go on. Life is still worth living. And so on. This is substituting
a sandwich full of nails for a sandwich full of paste.
We are still left with too many sandwiches and way too much
paste. His Holiness the Dali Lama is the head of the Tibetan
Buddhist Tradition of Gelukpa Buddhism. In these teachings,
it is stated that one did not lose either a job or our spouse.
These are just labels! And they are cognitive distortions
within themselves. In the former case, we were informed that
we would no longer be coming to a place and receiving money.
In the latter case, someone stopped breathing. By taking
out our Label Maker and creating new and apparently more
'rational' labels, we are saying that words are real. And
this is the entire problem with the neurotic and the psychotic (not including the fact that someone labeled them a "neurotic" or a "psychotic"). The cure is seeing through all labels.
Then we can relax and feel friendly in a harshly defined
universe. There is not one interpretation that we can make
of anything that can't be shown as invalid when we view
it from another angle. So why interpret phenemona as anything unless it serves a utilitarian purpose?

Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond
Judy Beck's Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond is an excellent text for graduate students and clinicians beginning to learn Aaron T. Beck's system of cognitive therapy. It is highly readable and includes lots of examples of dialogue between therapist and client. J. Beck also addresses common problems that arise in cognitive therapy, such as failure to do homework and suicidality. In addition, Dr. Beck includes a number of valuable forms to use in cognitive therapy. I've been using this book for practicum students for several years now and am very pleased with the results. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Useful materials to handle PTSD and Substance abuse
The dual diagnosis of PTSD with [substance abuse] addiction is always missed. The author has written a lot of useful materials and skills for the therapist to handle various aspects of the comorbid condition. ... Read more

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

The thirty-five chapters in this book describe various judgmental heuristics and the biases they produce, not only in laboratory experiments but in important social, medical, and political situations as well. Individual chapters discuss the representativeness and availability heuristics, problems in judging covariation and control, overconfidence, multistage inference, social perception, medical diagnosis, risk perception, and methods for correcting and improving judgments under uncertainty. About half of the chapters are edited versions of classic articles; the remaining chapters are newly written for this book. Most review multiple studies or entire subareas of research and application rather than describing single experimental studies. This book will be useful to a wide range of students and researchers, as well as to decision makers seeking to gain insight into their judgments and to improve them. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

my humble opinion
Of course, my humble opinion relative to Nobel award committee will hold little intrinsic value, other than a layman's interpretation and application.

An economist myself, I found this book very interesting and educational to read. Although the book is quite verbose, the fluidity and organization of the content facilitates a smooth read - not a bludgeoning of the mind.

I found this book particularly applicable to research in market behavior, systemic analysis (because this book outlines the individuals and how they act within the system); even policy development (uncertainty).

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in psychology, social psychology, economics, policy, and politics.

Regards,
Tyler Markowsky

This is the best book I've ever seen about probability.
I've never seen better explanations of how probabilities should be calculated. And the book is fascinating -- especially what the authors describe about the results of surveys designed to reveal the most common mistakes people make when estimating probabilities. ... Read more

Book Description

This cognitively-oriented book focuses on learning and instruction. The applications and implications of learning theories are explained and illustrated using excellent examples ranging from primary school instruction to corporate training. An important theme of the book is reflective practice, which is designed to foster a critical and reflective mode of thinking when considering any particular approach to learning and instruction. For anyone interested in learning and instruction from primary schools to corporate training. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Better than you think.
Just finishing my masters in secondary education, this is the book I find myself using as a reference most often. Just about everything is here in regards to the psychology of education from the elementry stuff like Behaviorism through a hoard of theorists like Piaget, Asubel, Brunner, etc. etc. etc. The contrast presented at the end of the book between Gagne and the constructivists makes the book feel particularly relevant.

Who knows, maybe it is just that so many of the other books for teachers seem lackluster (am I the only one who didn't find Wong particularly useful???), but Driscoll's book is one of the best reference books for teachers I've come across so far.

And yeah, I don't think it was meant as a 'reference' book per se, but this will definitely point you in the right direction and while it is certainly readible, I found it stood out most for me as a stepping stone to the literature.

Intelligent and Practical
Marcy's book was the text for a course I attended, and it was packed with useful information. Her writing style is clear and organized into meaningful content areas. I found her examples to be practical and they easily conveyed the essence of the context. In general, the book exemplified the principles discussed in the materials by being student-centered. ... Read more

Book Description

Learning is becoming an urgent topic. Nations worry about the learning of their citizens, companies about the learning of their workers, schools about the learning of their students. But it is not always easy to think about how to foster learning in innovative ways. This book presents a framework for doing that, with a social theory of learning that is ground-breaking yet accessible, with profound implications not only for research, but also for all those who have to foster learning as part of their responsibilites at work, at home, at school. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A foundation book that helps to put KM in perspective
You'll struggle to work through "Communities of Practice." Yet, if you persevere, you'll have gained a sound basis for evaluating and keeping in perspective the relative business value of all the recent advances in knowledge management.

A good companion book to "Communities of Practice" with respect to how people make meaning is Yankelovich's "The Magic of Dialogue."

brilliant
One cannot be practically effective without being grounded in a philosophy. Philosophy leads to strategy, and strategy leads to a coordinated set of tactics and the opportunity to be proactive. Without it, tactics are reactive.

This book provides an outstanding philosophical guideline for making sense of the workplace and communities of practice. It is easy to divine practical solutions to common workplace issues and problems as you read it. His vignettes show mistakes that businesses make, and how the communities compensate. Preventing those mistakes in your business allows your communities to solve other problems. Additionally, you will understand where, why, and how your communities and how they help you, and because of this recognition, perhaps you can continuously remove the obstacles to their success.

excellent conceptual thinking
For those grappling with the need to understand and talk about how people come together and interact beyond the org. chart, this book has a lot to offer. Theoretically-based, it focuses on a social theory of learning that is broad enough to cover a wide range of human activities, well beyond what we would normally consider to be 'learning'. 'Communities of practice' offers a comprehensive framework for understanding and analysing what people do in the context of their social milieu. The author includes many examples and uses a work-place vignette to illustrate the relevance and power of his ideas. If you are not afraid of theory and abstraction and are open to new concepts, this book may indeed be revolutionary.

cOMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE
This is a very important resource as the Institute of Medicine calls for using a socioecological perspective to solve the nation's health care challenges. Wenger has powerful ideas and examples. Educators and health care experts alike will find this very useful.

The writing style is somewhat dense and requires a quiet space to read and reflect. Be patient, skip around as needed, it is worth the effort.

Learning Organization Pablum
If you are looking for practical, hard hitting insight and knowledge you can use as a practising manager, totally BYPASS this wordy, ivory tower compendium of theoretical jargon. ... Read more

Book Description

Written by a renowned psychologist Roger E. Kirk of Baylor University, this classic text provides the graduate student in experimental design with detailed coverage of the designs and techniques with the greatest potential use in behavioral research. Kirk's book is known for its emphasis on the logical rather than the mathematical basis of experimental design; for its in-depth exploration of the relationship between analysis of variance and regression analysis; for its introduction of the concept of building block designs; and for its comprehensive scope that describes all of the ANOVA experimental designs that are potentially useful in the behavioral sciences and education. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Simply a classic
This text is a great purchase for any student who will be designing and performing experiments as part of his or her own research. For example, a Ph.D. student in marketing who is studying consumer behavior should read this book. As a matter of fact, it would be a great "prep" book to read before showing up to a Ph.D. program (again, only if the research program will involve performing experiments).

It's expensive, it must be good, right?
I have used this book as a graduate student doing social science research. The editorial reviewers got it right; Kirk emphasizes logical explanation, although computational equations are presented in tandem. The book is so expensive because it's so thick and thorough. Everything's here. You won't have to buy a bunch of other books. Just about everything to do with ANOVA and modeling is in here. A good resource. ... Read more

Book Description

David Howell's practical approach focuses on the context of statistics in behavioral research, with an emphasis on looking at data before jumping into a test. This provides students with an understanding of the logic behind the statistics: why and how certain methods are used rather than just doing techniques by rote. Students move beyond number crunching to discover the meaning of statistical results and how they relate to the research questions being asked. FUNDAMENTAL STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES contains an abundance of real data and research studies as a base and moves through an analysis of data. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A clear and comprehensive introductory statistics text
I have been using this text for Levels 1, 2, and 3 social sciences statistics teaching in Britain and abroad for over 8 years now. Although I have tried using other introductory texts, I have yet to find a text as comprehensive and as clearly written as this.

The worst stats book for the social sciences
I hate to be so critical, but I must agree with my colleague who described his/her harrowing experience with this textbook. I have two rules about learning statistics: no one is ever above a review of the most basic topics and an author/professor can never go wrong by providing a variety of examples within the same topic area.

superbly-written and serious intorduction
I've been using the 3rd edition for several years now, and I just think it's an extraordinarily clear, concise, and well-written book. Howell is better at presenting the basic statistical concepts (of ANOVA, for example) than any other author I've seen.

Other introductory books (such as Runyon's "Fundamentals of Behavioral Statistics") may provide more advanced treatments or cover more material, but in general they end up being long-winded and unfocused. Howell's book is crisp.

And in case you're wondering about the title, statistical methods for the behavioral sciences are not different than statistical methods in any other quantitative discipline. It's just that Howell draws his examples from psychology, sociology, etc., and may make mention of some of the conventions used by researchers in these fields.

A rare jewel
This may be the single best textbook I have ever used, or it may just seem that way because of the difficulty most stat textbooks have in explaining their concepts. Unfortunately, I only discovered it after two semesters of incoherent text books and bad teaching; it was only later, through his book, that I got the entire picture. Howell starts with the "why?" of statistical tests (necssary, but often not done), takes you through the equations relatively painlessly, and provides realistic commentary on actual uses, strengths and weaknesses, and controversies surrounding statistical techniques. I now tutor in statistics (really), and I just rely on Howell for the simplest and best method of explication. Now, if only he wrote an advanced text...

An outstanding introductory text in statistics.
This text is the most clearly written and useful of four different introductory statistics texts that I have examined. Its emphasis on insight rather than rote learning of formulae makes the subject easily understood and retained.

This book is a "keeper".

The author stresses the use of computers discusses several statistics programs available. He also thoughtfully provides exercise data for input to several a computer program. It is unfortunate, however, that he failed to mention the most powerful of these programs on the market today. I hope that he will examine this in future editions. ... Read more

Book Description

Visual note-taking relies on paring down thoughts to key words and pictures. This introduction to this technique illustrates how relationships among various concepts are highlighted and more information can be recorded on a page. This helpful tool can be used for personal self-expression, curriculum planning, group processes, and as a teaching strategy in daily lessons. Beginners are introduced to stroke-by-stroke exercises in drawing simple iconic figures that can be incorporated into one's mindscapes. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Useful book at work and at home
This book helps. I used it with my kids, although it was recommended by my boss. It gives a straight-forward message with a lot of excellent examples of how to write your ideas using mind mappoing. I learned something about mind mapping a few years ago, but this goes way beyond that and is first-rate.

Mapping inner space is excellent!
I own Nancy Margulies' first book on Mapping Inner Space and am so glad that the new one is full of even more ideas, lots more color maps and an expanded drawing section. I don't draw, or I didn't until I tried the symbols and exercises in the book. The main reason it is such a useful (and delightful) book is that the mapping process can be used for planning and presentations and improving communication skills. It would be excellent for students and teachers. I would also recommend it to people experiencing stressful life experiences, it really helps in sharing ideas and has helped me think in new ways.

Beautifully practically
This book has managed to take a very creative process and make it doable for the less experienced. If you work with people and want to be able to, in an artistic way, but more importantly, a usuable way, record the unfolding work- this book is extraordinary. It covers so many differently arenas where visual mapping can support decistion making, creative thinking, and collaborations.It is the best book of it kind.

An excellent visual thinking application book for all!
This is actually the updated version of the author's earlier book bearing the same title. It has been fully expanded to cater to professional and businesspeople, and is now packed with many colourful illustrations.

I am very confident businesspeople will find this book useful in enhancing and expanding their visual-perceptual mode of thinking and problem solving.

In this book, the author stretches the traditional boundary of mindmapping as created by Tony Buzan in his many proprietary "Mindmapping" books since the mid-70s.

The author breaks some traditional "Mindmapping" rules in the process, which she now calls "Mindscaping." This enables the reader to exercise the untapped and unlimited potential of the mind to create new working maps in the process of learning and thinking.

For professionals and businesspeople, her 'mindscaping' approaches can be adapted to suit any 'focused conversations' in a group or organisational setting.

I find Tony Buzan somewhat structured in his proprietary approach, and it is good that Nancy has done an excellent job to take a refreshing and "out-of-the-box" approach to traditional mindmapping. This gives much more meaning to the mindmapping process as it should be in the first place, and now makes it much easier to learn and apply in the real world.

For those readers who still think 'mindmapping' (or Tony Buzan) is great stuff, wait till you get hold of this book!

For beginners, Nancy's book is also a great help as she shows how to do simple iconic pictures.

For further exploration, I would recommend readers to buy and read Larry Raymond's Reinventing Communication, which showcases more business applications, particularly in the area of strategic planning. Milli Sonneman's Beyond Words is also worth exploring, especially in the area of group problem solving.

Kathy Mason's Going Beyond Words and David Hyerle's Visual Tools for Constructing Knowledge are also worth pursuing, especially if you are in the teaching/academic environment. ... Read more

Book Description

This introductory text provides students with a conceptual understanding of basic statistical procedures, as well as the computational skills needed to complete them. The clear presentation, accessible language, and step-by-step instruction make it easy for students from a variety of social science disciplines to grasp the material. The scenarios presented in chapter exercises span the curriculum, from political science to marketing, so that students make a connection between their own area of interest and the study of statistics.

Unique coverage focuses on concepts critical to understanding current statistical research such as power and sample size, multiple comparison tests, multiple regression, and analysis of covariance. Additional SPSS coverage throughout the text includes computer printouts and expanded discussion of their contents in interpreting the results of sample exercises.

Book Description

Temple Grandin's Animals in Translation speaks in the clear voice of a woman who emerged from the other side of autism, bringing with her an extraordinary message about how animals think and feel.

Temple's professional training as an animal scientist and her history as a person with autism have given her a perspective like that of no other expert in the field. Standing at the intersection of autism and animals, she offers unparalleled observations and groundbreaking ideas about both.

Autistic people can often think the way animals think -- in fact, Grandin and co-author Catherine Johnson see autism as a kind of way station on the road from animals to humans -- putting autistic people in the perfect position to translate "animal talk." Temple is a faithful guide into their world, exploring animal pain, fear, aggression, love, friendship, communication, learning, and, yes, even animal genius. Not only are animals much smarter than anyone ever imagined, in some cases animals are out-and-out brilliant.

The sweep of Animals in Translation is immense, merging an animal scientist's thirty years of study with her keen perceptions as a person with autism -- Temple sees what others cannot.

Among its provocative ideas, the book:

• argues that language is not a requirement for consciousness -- and that animals do have consciousness

• applies the autism theory of "hyper-specificity" to animals, showing that animals and autistic people are so sensitive to detail that they "can't see the forest for the trees" -- a talent as well as a "deficit"

• explores the "interpreter" in the normal human brain that filters out detail, leaving people blind to much of the reality that surrounds them -- a reality animals and autistic people see, sometimes all too clearly

• explains how animals have "superhuman" skills: animals have animal genius

• compares animals to autistic savants, declaring that animals may in fact be autistic savants, with special forms of genius that normal people do not possess and sometimes cannot even see

• examines how humans and animals use their emotions to think, to decide, and even to predict the future

• reveals the remarkable abilities of handicapped people and animals

• maintains that the single worst thing you can do to an animal is to make it feel afraid

Temple Grandin is like no other author on the subject of animals because of her training and because of her autism: understanding animals is in her blood and in her bones. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Power Cards is an excellent new approach to helping kids.
I have read and re-read the Power Cards book with great satisfaction. This new approach to working with some of our special kids is wonderful and I have found that these concepts really work. They are well thought out and easy to do. I hope that everyone will give this concept a try, especially when it seems nothing else seems to work.

A behavior strategy that's fun to create and easy to use!
The Power Card Strategy has become one of the most effective strategies we use in our school. It is intrinsically motivating to students because it incorporates a student's special interest or favorite character into a story that helps them understand appropriate behaviors. The Power Card story is fun to develop because the student's favorite TV personality, cartoon character or real life hero explains the importance of using the appropriate behavior and explains how to display this behavior by following the listed steps. This resource has many examples of the Power Card Strategy and walks you through writing your own Power Card story and Power Card. It is an excellent resource for teachers, parents and other professionals who are involved in shaping children's behaviors.

Power Cards- What a strategy!
I am a special eduacation teacher in Illinois and work with children with autism spectrum disorder. I mainly work with children with high functioning autism and Asperger Syndrome. I have used the Power Card book several times and my district is adapting the strategy as one that really works with this population. My students can relate to their "obsessions" while learning rules- it's perfect! I have seen a significant increase in several target (preferred) behaviors with many students with autism and AS after the Power Card stratedy was implemented. I am big fan of this book. It's easy for anyone to use and I highly recommend it to parents and professionals.

A useful resource!
This book is a valuable resourcefor parents and special educators. It offers readers examples of incorporating a child's special interest into a motivational tool to help shape behaviors. The examples are easy to follow and easily translated into real life situations. The reader can certainly take the information in this book and apply it to their own children/students with special needs. ... Read more

Book Description

LEARNING AND BEHAVIOR looks at learning as an evolutionary mechanism. Chance's book is stimulating, interactive, and peppered with high-interest queries and examples. Chance provides the depth of conceptual knowledge usually associated with books twice as dense and infinitely less interesting. Chance's engaging work has become a favorite of students because of his ability to illuminate how the psychology of learning can offer insight into their own behavior. ... Read more