Book Description

Accessible and engaging, this unique book offers strategies for critical and creative thinking and includes many opportunities for practicing these fundamental skills.This book introduces readers to the principles and techniques of critical thinking, taking them step–by–step through the problem–solving process.Emphasizing creative and active thought processes, the author asserts that good thinking isn't merely knowing what not to do; it is knowing what to do.Discussions of how to evaluate ideas and how to question long–held assumptions or biases help readers look at concepts critically.Brief guides to composing, speaking, and logic show readers how to apply the skills that enable them to become clear and creative thinkers. Individuals interested in sharpening their creative and critical thinking skills. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Useful textbook; Popular with students
I have been using Mr. Ruggiero's text, The Art of Thinking, in college writing classes for several years. It has been very useful in introducing ideas about thinking and organization to my students. I use the text and provide several exercises based on readings and real life situations. Many students have told me at the end of the semester that this book is a "keeper." In other words they were not going to sell the book back to the bookstore, but instead were going to keep it for further use in their lives. They particularly liked the section on the creative process as an organizational process, and the section on habits that hinder thinking. They said they found these sections helpful both in their college tasks and in their own personal lives. I plan to continue using this fine book.

The Best Critical Thinking Book Ever Written
I first read this marvelous book while doing the research for my book "Why Didn't I Think of That? - Think the Unthinkable and Achieve Creative Greatness." Anyone serious about improving their thinking capacities simply must read Ruggiero's book. Used as the primary text in many college level critical and creative thinking courses, "The Art of Thinking" covers both basic and advanced concepts using well designed examples and artfully crafted exercises helping readers to learn both easily and completely. At signing events, and after speaking engagements, when readers of my book ask me to recommend other related works, I always place Ruggiero's book at the top of the list.

Great Insights on How "Thinking" Works
This title was the first text book I used in my first ever philosophy class at college some 20 years ago. It really inspired me to start "thinking" about how people think. The flow of the topics and the content successfully aroused my mind and the book actually helped me a lot on ways of thinking even until now. I just want to let everyone know that this title is an excellent read for teenagers to adults alike.

The Art of Thinking: A Guide to Critical and Creative Though
Ruggiero's text is about thinking and writing. For me as a composition instructor in community college, its three major strengths are its promotion of critical reading, its promotion of reflection, and its emphasis on learning by doing.

It makes me think of a saying I copied down so long ago I've forgotten its origin: "Better writers make better thinkers." Actually, I think this text is more about "better thinkers make better writers."

The book is conversational, respectful, helpful, and kind. I like the scenarios presented as examples of thinking principles at the beginning of each chapter. In addition to providing concrete examples of the principles presented in the chapter, they illustrate the principle "Show, don't tell," providing a useful model of effective writing for the students. The sample problems and issues elsewhere in the text are realistic, believable and engaging. They encourage students to think for themselves.

The book attempts to move readers from passive thinking to reflective critical thinking. Its neutral, distant but kindly voice works well to invite students into a world of academic discourse without intimidating them.

Art of Thinking
I am much taken with the approach to thinking as an activity with its own structure, a structure which once articulated can be effectively mapped onto its expressions in writing and speech. One of the things that concerns me very deeply about students, and it's perhaps just a cultural moment (but a long one, with no end in sight) is a presumption of determinism concerning their own ways of thinking. It's visible in the grammatical structures they use to describe current practices: "I'm not much of a reader;" "I need to be entertained to find a book worthwhile" -- they even extend it to the legibility of their handwriting. Ruggiero's assumption that one can modify the nature of one's thinking by a process of examination, insight and will, is bound to be liberating. In fact, it's a time honored principle of western intellectual and spiritual traditions, but not well suited to social constructivist models of cognition and composition in their cruder forms. The advice to "be creative" would be spectacularly useless without the quite accessible, though not at all reductive, inquiry into certain definable features of thought-processes which result in things we generally regard as pretty good creative thinking. The approach of the book overall has both conservative and innovative aspects, and as a totality it gains my respect. It assumes a reasonable tone of authority, and validates the claim by proceeding intelligibly through a jargon-free but theoretically sound account of the various processes we designate by "thinking," and distinguishing purposeful thinking from other kinds of mental activity. With the exception of a few unfortunate tics that have a certain unpleasant, 19th century tang to them ("bad habits" is not a phrase consistent with the overall tone of Ruggiero's book), the text communicates high expectations, and makes the attainment of them attractive to students.

On the whole, the exercises provide a pedagogically useful range for leading students through issues in which their own interests are directly and obviously involved, through analogy and homology to issues of wider cultural import, where the need for their own policy input may seem less urgent, and their own interests less directly involved. A sort of school for citizenship, if it works, and that is certainly among the explicit objectives of my own writing pedagogy. It's a good book for students who need to become comfortable with the idea of themselves as intellectuals, and who are overcoming the sociology of high school, which tends to assign intellectual ambitions to authority and its lackeys, and to have a fairly muddy- headed notion that purposeless consumption is a kind of political expression. I think the book will work best with bright students who have been underchallenged in the past.

The ethos of the book is competent, analytical (but not cold or sterile), not given to a lot of self-discourse. There are hints here and there that the author feels that the language of affect has come to overshadow patterns of reasoning in recent rhetorical history. The order of presentation is not inevitable -- nor does it claim to be -- but rational, and adaptable to a number of pedagogical purposes. It's not meant to be all things for all courses, and some instructors may find that they need compositional matters more explicitly and consistently frontloaded -- but then, they'll want a full-scale reader with a handbook of grammar and usage as well. Since this is the 6th edition, there must be a great many teaches who find this book useful, but I suppose I'm (pleasantly) surprised that a text this challenging finds a consistent niche. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Essential companion to workbook
What makes this book so useful is that it assists the therapist in effectively guiding the client as s/he follows the workbook in dealing with his/her mood disorder. It shows how best to employ the workbook in therapy, help the client set goals, and individualize the exercises. It demonstrates its application not only to individuals but also to groups, brief therapy, and inpatient settings. Under each situational category, it provides a session by session description of the book's integration with therapy. What many therapists may find a boon are sample client-therapist dialogues, tips on engaging clients and maintaining collaboration, troubleshooting guides, and assignment reminders. Because of its flexibility, this cognitive program can be tailored to a range of diagnoses. ... Read more

Book Description

This eighth edition of McCall's well-respected book continues to present concepts in a way that students can easily understand. The new edition has been updated throughout and now includes recommendations by the APA Task Force on Statistical Inference. As in previous editions, McCall helps students see the many real applications of statistics to research in the behavioral sciences. Taking a traditional approach to teaching the basic statistical concepts and methods used in behavioral research. McCall emphasizes building an understanding of the logic of statistics rather than stressing the mechanics. In this exciting revision, McCall continues to keep the data for the computational problems simple, so your students can focus on the rationale and outcome of techniques rather on the calculations themselves. Using clear discussion, a wide variety of end-of-chapter exercises, and examples drawn from actual studies, McCall helps students learn how to choose appropriate statistical methods and correctly interpret the results. Also retained in this edition are the author's step-by-step explanations for each proof and his clear definitions of symbols--the essential vocabulary of statistics--that have been so successful in helping students master the material. ... Read more

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The Joy of Statistics?
Although it is a rare segment of the human population who could claim to find scientific statistics "enjoyable", Robert McCall has somehow managed to take some of the pain out of what is generally deemed a horrifying experience. I thank Mr. McCall and the hands-on approach of his book for enabling me to make it through Stats this time with a passing grade! ... Read more

Book Description

Since it was first published more than twenty-five years ago, Asking Questions has become a classic guide for designing questionnaires?the most widely used method for collecting information about peoples attitudes and behavior. An essential tool for market researchers advertisers, pollsters, and social scientists, this thoroughly updated and definitive work combines time-proven techniques with the most current research, findings, and methods. The book presents a cognitive approach to questionnaire design and includes timely information on the Internet and electronic resources. Comprehensive and concise, Asking Questions can be used to design questionnaires for any subject area, whether administered by telephone, online, mail, in groups, or face-to-face. The book describes the design process from start to finish and is filled with illustrative examples from actual surveys. ... Read more

Book Description

Criminal Profiling is a unique work centered on the deductive profiling method developed by the author and motivated by the limited knowledge available regarding the criminal profiling process. Deductive profiling is different from other forms of profiling in that it focuses on criminal profiling as an investigative process, solving real crime through an honest understanding of the nature and behavior of criminals. It approaches each criminal incident as its own universe of behaviors and relationships. Throughout the text, the author illustrates and emphasizes the most crucial tenet that any good criminal profiler should adhere to: the enthusiastic desire to investigate and examine the facts.

This Second Edition contains the same core knowledge that made the first edition a best-seller while introducing a wealth of new material. This expanded and thoroughly revised edition includes a completely new set of case studies including the Sam Sheppard trial. New chapters include expanded coverage on false reports, psychological autopsies, criminal profiling in court, stalking, domestic homicide, sexual asphyxia, and staged crime scenes.

Contributors include: John J. Baeza, Eoghan Casey, W. Jerry Chisum, Dana S. La Fon, Michael McGrath, Wayne Petherick.

A unique approach - centred on the author's Deductive Profiling method
The work addresses related issues, such as ethics, clinical perspectives and the essential role of the task force
Written in a style accessible to a wide audience - from the detective performing hands-on casework to the academic in the classroom
Ideal text for courses on criminal profiling or investigative strategy in serial crime and as a supplement to courses involving criminology, arson, stalking, sex crimes or death investigation. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Informative, well written and easy to absorb
As a student of Criminology I found Turvey's voume informative, well written and the information presented in such a way that is was easy to absorb. I didn't find the lack of history of profiling to be a drawback as there are plenty of other books dedicated to this subject alone.

Instead Turvey has organised the book in a very user-friendly volume, which can be used as a reference, or just for a damn good read! I especially appreciated his index of authors at the back of the index, which makes resourcing his sources a breeze.

Even with the Australian exchange rate, this book is definitely worth the money.

Turvey is knowledgeable, and the book is readable.
I'm using this book for an independent study on criminal profiling as part of my degree in Criminal Psychology. I like Turvey's style (and I've read some really BAD books on this topic), but I want to know more about his personal experiences. The Intro baits you with how he got into the field and it leaves you wanting more on this. As a book on this topic, I think it's one of the best and most comprehensive overviews available.

Waste of Money
Don't waste your money on this book. As a professor of Criminology, I found Mr. Turvey's approach to be quite juvenile in it's theories. Mr. Tuvey's analysis often contradicts itself in following chapters. I advise my students that there are far better books about criminal profiling on the market.

Seminal Text in Crime Scene Behavior Analysis
Mr. Turvey has done an outstanding job in assembling and presenting critical, fundamental concepts on behavioral analysis of crimes and criminals based upon what the physical evidence describes. The introduction by John Thornton, PhD, one of the worlds leading forensic scientists and authors is an endorsement that says it all. Each human act is unique in the context of the mindset of the offender and his behavior at the time of the crime. This book describes the effective analyis and interpretation based upon the uniqueness of each crime scene evidence and event, keeping the investigator on track. This book should be required reading for all "introduction to criminal investigation" classes for both law enforcement and the defense bar. The book demonstrates the importance of merging and considering all aspects of victimology, forensic science, psychology and good old fashioned investigative work. Mr. Turvey does an excellent job of promoting the deductive, individualized analysis of a crime. Although it is tempting to look at the "statistical" data of similar scenes, the inductive process can be distracting and misleading. Yes, he takes a few jabs at some of FBI's legends, however it is more likely that he attacks the process and not the individual. For those of us who have worked with the Feds and enjoyed their friendship, it does evoke a chuckle or two...

Informative yet entertaining.
This book tells the reader a lot about all the aspects of criminal profiling. It reads almost like an encyclopedia. Interesting (though gory) pictures. Not only is it informative, it is also fun to read. Many such books have a really dry, boring tone to them but this one has a definite voice. I liked the author's note at the beginning, though I'm not sure what his girlfriend's horridly abusive family had to do with the book. I also liked the case studies in the end: West Memphis Three, JonBenet Ramsey, Kristin and Kati Lisk etc. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Cutting edge information for counseling children.
Counseling and Psychotherapy with Children and Adolescents, Third Edition has been a valuable addition to my personal llibrary. As a graduate student, I am constantly in search of state-of-the-art resources that I feel will enhance my skills once I begin to practice. Every grad. student/novice counselor needs to be aware of the major schools of thought as theory drives practice. This book offers the reader the chance to become familiar with the latest thinking and practice using the seven major approaches to counseling and psychotherapeutic interventions with children and adolescents.

I have used this book many times over in writing research reports and it has served me well. This text is chock-full of useful information; everything from multicultural counseling to ethical issues. I would have liked to see more written on the areas of schizophrenia, and suicide.

Although a bit pricey, this book is valuable as a supplemental or main text for the student, and reference for the novice therapist. ... Read more

Book Description

A proven performer designed for today’s psychology students, Fundamentals of Behavioral Statistics combines current thinking with a clear presentation designed to foster complete student understanding.A classic text that features a modern, student-oriented approach to studying behavioral statistics with an emphasis on accessibility and comprehensiveness, it is built on four tenants of success: a strong mathematical foundation, clear and interesting examples, rich illustrations and abundant exercises. The revision will continue to place great emphasis on introducing students to exploratory data analytic techniques by replacing outdated techniques with the latest, most up to date methods.Real life examples, used to present the most current approaches to teaching statistics, will be revised to incorporate results from popular and familiar experiments. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Really good
A unique introductory book in statistics. The hallmark of this book is nodoubt the clarity of detailed explanations of fundamental statistical concepts. A lot of invaluable material and explanantions here not to be found in other textbooks on statistics!

Highlights that spring to my mind are the excellent treatments of averages, correlation and regression, and hypothesis testing. A very important topic (usually missing in most textbooks) is the strength of evidence in hypothesis and significiance testing and is treated very nicely in various parts of the books. This book should not be missed by beginners (and probably experts) in the field. ... Read more

Book Description

A huge assortment of cognitive therapy techniques described, explained, and demonstrated. This how-to reference provides the therapist with an immediately usable guide to cognitive therapy. It presents over a hundred cognitive therapy techniques, offering for each the theoretical basis, a thumbnail description of the technique, and case illustrations. In this major revision of his 1986 Handbook, McMullin has added seven new chapters, which explain how to teach basic concepts, how to uncover harmful schemas, and how to resynthesize historical and cultural beliefs. In addition, he has tripled the number of examples, dialogues, case transcripts, and illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An excellent breakdown of cognitive techniques
McMullin does an excellent job of taking a fluid process such as therapy and breaking it down into its component parts. McMullin demystifies therapy by breaking the techniques down they are more easily applied in practice. For each technique there are real life examples and application, research and his personal thoughts on the effectiveness of the technique. McMullin also refuses to get lost in the technique and also describes the mechanism of faulty automatic thoughts in excellent detail. This book is designed for especially for professionals, students, but might also be useful to someone who is actively involved in psychology as a client or significant other to someone in therapy. After having read this book I felt much more confident that I would be able to handle situations in my private practice.

A useful and practical text on cognitive therapy
  The New Handbook of Cognitive Therapy Techniques by Rian E. McMullin, Ph.D. offers a wide assortment of cognitive therapy techniques framed and explained by useful case illustrations. It is a practical text that provides the mental health professional with a usable guide to cognitive therapy. Dr. McMullin integrates several decades of clinical experience with his mastery of cognitive theory and practice. Recommended without reservation!! ... Read more

Book Description

Knowledge spaces offer a rigorous mathematical foundation for various practical systems of knowledge assessment. An example is offered by the ALEKS system (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces), a software for the assessment of mathematical knowledge. From a mathematical standpoint, knowledge spaces generalize partially ordered sets. They are investigated both from a combinatorial and a stochastic viewpoint. The results are applied to real and simulated data. The book gives a systematic presentation of research and extends the results to new situations. It is of interest to mathematically oriented readers in education, computer science and combinatorics at research and graduate levels. The text contains numerous examples and exercises and an extensive bibliography. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This book caused quite a ruckus when it was released 25 years ago because it directly quotes the sexual fantasies of dozens of women, ranging from the "very common" rape fantasy to lesbian affairs to unusually explicit scenarios that are unmentionable here. While author Nancy Friday maintains that My Secret Garden served to free millions of women from sexual oppression, there's still a need today to get rid of the guilt that millions more still feel when it comes to fantasizing, having orgasms, and making one's sexual wishes be known. "How could it be, you might ask," she writes, "that women today, at the turn of the century, would still think they were the only Bad Girls with erotic thoughts? What kind of prison is this that that women impose on themselves?"

My Secret Garden has the prurient appeal that made it one of the most passed-around books in high school study halls (it boasts chapters titled "Insatiability" and "The Thrill of the Forbidden"), but its premise, underneath the tales of lusty longings, is a serious one. Friday, also author of My Mother, My Self and Women on Top, is appalled at how parents, especially mothers, instill in their children a deep fear of sexual pleasure, and she advises how to do away with this stultifying force. While Friday can get a little histrionic at times ("Women's lust ... could bring down not only individuals, but society itself"), that doesn't make this book any less enthralling. --Erica Jorgensen ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Has a variety of memorable and exciting stories.

Ten years ago, this was the first book of erotica that I read.
I still remember many of the fantasies and stories vividly.
These range from the "standard" to the extremely daring.
The mixture of real events and fantasies is very stimulating.
The women recount near-incidents that became lifelong fantasies.
Many readers may enjoy having old encounters stirred back as such.

My Secret Garden
I first read this book 25 years ago. It was the "Hottest" thing I had ever ever read. I was a mother of two young children. It was nice to know that other women had fantasies and that they were just plain fun and nothing to be ashamed of. I am 25 years past my shyness now but am glad to know the book is still in print.

Nancy Friday's Pseudo-Psychopathology-of-Sex Book
This is so funny. Back in the bell-bottom days, Nancy Friday basically put out an add and got a bunch of women to send her their sex fantasies. Then she picked out the most deliciously perverted ones, left out the tame boring ones, and passed her book off as "research" into the "average" female's sexual imagination (haha).

This book has it ALL, even bestiality and incest. Read at your own risk.

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

A Rare Find for the Sexually Intelllectual
I first read this book on the shelves of my public library when I was still a teenager, and I'll NEVER forget that first rush. WOW - someone else actually has these ideas going through their head?!

Mind you, that was 10 years ago. I've re-purchased the book many times over, because I keep on losing it or giving it away. This book is a fantastic combination of the psychology behind women's sexual fantasies and the actual fantasies themselves. I'll be honest - I haven't masturbated to these fantasies in years.. although I did constantly when I was still a teen.

This book opened my eyes up to the 'taboo' of sexual fantasy, and helped me understand at a crucial time in my life that fantasy is healthy and a necessary part of anyone's life. I no longer have ANY sexual taboos.. and it's mostly because of this book.

Not what I expected...
When I first bought My Secret Garden, I was expecting to read some hot steamy erotica. And this is book is not exactly erotica. It's more of the lines of educational research, but in my opinion no longer relevant because this book was written in the 1970's and was a taboo shocker when it came out. I'm writing this review in 2004 and nearly 30 years later we've pretty much know everything by now and I certainally was not shocked when I read it.

But I think My Secret Garden is very sincere and honest. Nancy Friday is obviously a very intelligent person, though she tends to blab on and on and really doesn't get to the point, I lose interest in what she is saying. The women write about what turns them on or about past sexual experiences, but rarely get into explicit detail about their fantasies, which I was expecting.

My Secret Garden is a good book if you want to learn more about women and their different concepts of fantasies, but if you're looking forward to reading detailed erotica, I'd look elsewhere. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Serious Reading: Attention Span Required!
Like some of the other reviewers, I first read S. I. Hayakawa's classic "Language in Action" (later updated to "Language in Thought and Action") before wondering who Alfred Korzybski was and why Hayakawa spoke so highly of him. Eventually I bought "Science and Sanity" from the Institute for General Semantics and read straight through the book in two days.

I am over 50 years old, so I learned to read and write well during my high school years, largely because I didn't watch much television. I had no trouble reading korzybski's book quickly, in spite of its rather large size. The TV generation, though, may just not have the attention span for a book such as this. Too bad for them!

Korzybski warns the reader early in the book that it contains serious material, and so it does. I found his treatment of "infinity" and "variables" alone worth the effort of reading the book. His material on Ivan Pavlov gave me new information on the contributions of that neglected genius. His treatment of Bertrand Russell's "propositional function" and "theory of types" inspired me to actually read Russell on these subjects. His principles of general semantics have provided me with a useful framework for analyzing early Buddhist psychology, the theme of my Master's Degree thesis.

Korzybski, like Hayakawa and Wendell Johnson, advocates elimination of the "is" of identity and the "is" of predication from our language. Unfortunately, they went on using the verb "to be" in their own writing and this somewhat detracted from the weight their message might otherwise have carried. Still, Korzybski's student, D. David Bourland, Jr., went on to pioneer the use of E-Prime (English without the "is") and I can testify to the worth of following his example. Aristotle's superstitious ghost can now rest in peace.

Korzybski could have written better than he did, but then, the value of the book lies in the ideas he proposed and the intelligent men he inspired. That he failed to spoon-feed those suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder, a modern euphemism for too much television, says more about weak readers than it does about his poor (if indeed we can call it that) writing.

Read the book once, then read it again, and then start putting general semantics to work in your own reading, writing, and--most importantly--thinking. If you don't do anything else in your life, get rid of the verb "to be" and you will have gotten more from Korzybski than you will ever get from another author. The rest of the book will then just amount to layers of frosting on the cake. Warning, though! Once you do, you will hardly ever again read a book or listen to another person speak without recoiling from the dogmatism they espouse with every use of that malignant little Aristotelian invitation to identification, rationalization, and objectification.

A Remarkable and Useful Book
On its publication, Science And Sanity received the high praise of many prestigious scientists, such as W. Horsley Gantt (who had worked with Pavlov), and the criticism of a few self-appointed defenders of science, such as Martin Gardner (who was a philosophy major, not a scientist).

Basically, the book develops a system different from, but similar too, scientific method -- a practical system for applying scientific values and attitudes in any situation, not just in a laboratory. It is a system that, like science, emphasizes checking the facts. For example, take Korzybski's theory of time-binding. One reviewer here described time-binding as "storing information." But if you check the facts (actually read the book), you will find that Korzybski defined time-binding as the ability to pass information from one generation to the next. Because of this ability, human beings progress (at least in some ways), but animals do not. For instance, beavers build dams that are just like the beaver dams built a million years ago, but the stucco houses of human beings today are quite different from the mud huts of 20,000 B.C. Our ability to bind time has made this possible, and animals can't do it (in anything more than a negligible way).

TOP Review
Ms. M. Kendig said:

"What about Science and Sanity 1971?"

"Last spring, reflecting on that question, I dashed off a note on 'Up-Dating an Open-Ended System.' Before I could revise it for publication I got a letter from Russell Meyers and - happily for me - he included his 1971 evaluations of S & S - some paralleling my own, some going far beyond what I'd dare write as a layman, lacking (as I do) Dr. Meyers' professional qualifications in neuro-medical sciences and as a 'learned generalist'. I quote him in full below."

Dr. Russell Meyers said:

"...I have just re-read Science and Sanity (my 8th run) and am so deeply impressed with it as to now say, without reservation, that, disregarding its rhetoric (in the main, its repetitious statements), it is far and away the most profound, insightful and globally significant book I have ever read.

"With some knowledge of the interim developments of science and the socio-political events that have materialized since 1933, I can say in retrospect that any modifications that might now have to be made in the original text would be trivial, mainly technological supplements; none in principle ('structure'-as-function). A.K. has proved far more a prophet than he would ever have allowed himself to fancy. What a tremendous breadth and depth of insight, analytic and synthetic achievement!" [June 1971]

The late Russell Meyers, MD, FSC, was Chief of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Williamson Appalachian Regional Hospital, 1963-; formerly Chairman, Division of Neurosurgery, and Professor of Surgery, University of Iowa, 1946-1963. [Dr. Meyers died in 2001, I believe.]

Substance or Shadow?
The students of Browne and Keeley would have a field day with Korzybski’s work. In fact, anyone attempting to read “Science and Sanity” would do well to have on hand a copy of “Asking the right questions: A guide to Critical Thinking” - to consult with frequently. (That textbook is in its sixth edition, and authored by scholars of no lesser standing than Korzybski.) Open Korzybski’s work at almost any page, and it’s easy to find examples of ad hominem argument, dichotomous thinking, begging the question, and even that notorious failing of novices, the “universal.” For example, Korzybski, with one great paternalistic stroke of his pen, asserts that, “many women are extremely infantile, being poorly developed as human beings.”

I am somewhat bemused here: As I understand it, Aristotle didn’t have a great opinion of women, yet Korzybski claims to have dispensed with Aristotelian thinking entirely. Korzybski adds that, not only are women “exhibitionist” (given to spurious ornament such as “shiny buttons”) they “foster” this failing in the helpless male of the species as well. (Military uniforms have shiny buttons too!) And so Eve takes the fall all over again. Of course, other social groups are not exempt: Korzybski similarly dismisses “primitives” and “mental patients.”

I am comforted to know that there are others (and male at that!) who are prepared to challenge Korzybski’s thinking. Martin Gardner put it very nicely indeed, as reported by the previous reviewer. Perhaps the greatest pity, however, is that Korzybski seems to have been so embittered by his experience of war - in marked contrast to men like Victor Frankl, whose post concentration camp philosophies I am much more inspired to live by.

There is no doubt that language informs behaviour. But, like Plato’s shadows at the back of the cave, semantics have no substance without their source. In my view, Korzybski spends too much time focussing on the shadows.

Korzybski's Hyper Organum
"Science And Sanity" remains the most important book written in the last century, unread by the majority of people , while not understood by some who have.
Alfred Korzybski, as a result of his experiences came to formulate a system capable of explaining anomalies which Aristotle's 'logic-methodology'(Organon, c.350 B.C.), further Francis Bacon's revision(Novum organum,1620) continue to ignore. For example rediscoveries of non-identity: Heraclitus(c.500 B.C.)- one cannot step into the 'same' river twice; infinite-values(non-dichotomy): Georg Cantor(1874)- finite variables generated between others; non-elementalism: Lao-Tse(c.600 B.C.)- the whole is not the sum of the parts; non-allness: Bertrand Russell(1910)- a proposition about 'all' propositions cannot include itself; hence non-universal: Albert Einstein(1905)- laws are not eternal 'absolute' truths but relative(contextual), hence variable dependent upon method of investigation, otherwise asserted by David Hume(1739)- the 'uniformity' of observation to 'universals', is falsely based on 'habitual association of ideas';etc.
Morpheus when asked 'what is the Matrix'? Replied: "It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth". Similarly 'aristotelian-conditionality' codifies 'reality' such that facts become ignored. The 'realities' include the generation of abstractions upon abstractions(for example, use language to speak about language- Josiah Royce 1855-1916, hence self-reflexiveness; but including the non-verbal perceptions, visualizations,etc), the phenomena causal by noumena(thing(s)-in-themselves) the external event(s), of which we confuse assuming as the 'same'. This appears something that Siddhartha Gautama(Buddha) in part realized, for when asked 'what reality was', he simply raised a rose over his head then while smiling said that the rose is forever beyond words.
Korzybski's(1921) Time-binding first introduced in "Manhood Of Humanity", entails the human capacity to improve on the accumulated abstractions of others, then transmitting it for future generations. While the point of Ivan Pavlov's(1906) experiments on 'conditionality', entails that animals can only form 'associations' due to the limits of their nervous systems: an expectancy concerning two 'stimuli' involving a 'response repertoire' dependent upon circumstances- after A.Dickinson(1980) along with N.J.Mackintosh(1983). Such that animals do not time-bind. However when humans 'copy animals in their nervous reactions', such 'identifications'(treating an abstraction, anything, etc., as the 'same' by the ignoring['filtering' out] of facts) lead only to non-survival, delusional unsanity, causal in disrupting the time-binding process. As David Hume(1739) argued, 'associations' are false relations between two events occurring (hence ordered) in spatio-temporal contiguity, 'habitual' because their contingency is not certain. As such Korzybski had realized that Aristotle's paradigm structured 'reality' in terms of 'identifications'.
Apart from the Non-Aristotelian paradigm, Korzybski introduces General Semantics a Science of values (replacing Aristotle's 'elementalistic logic'), concerned with a consciousness of abstractions(free of 'identification(s)') based on an empirical(not a priori) order of evaluation(event(s)-insight-logic) modelled by the Structural Differential, having an equivalence to a theory of sanity(Psycho-logics) involving a human organism-as-a-whole-in-an-environment.
Which Douglas M.Kelley used successfully in the European theatre of World War II on soldiers with psycho-neurotic 'reaction' patterns, which for the most part had developed under combat stress. Reported in a paper, "The Use Of General Semantics And Korzybskian Principles As An Extensional Method Of Group Psychotherapy In Traumatic Neuroses", in "The Journal Of Nervous And Mental Disease", September 1951.
This book therefore not only becomes fundamental for the philosophic-scientific-enterprise-as-a-whole as a time-binding process, it becomes essential even for the 'ordinary person' as an orientation to 'reality'.
As Ted Falconar(2000) puts it: "The Aristotelian thinker is one of the captives of Plato's cave, who think the shadows are reality".
However since this book will create problems in understanding, I suggest you might first read Korzybski's "Manhood Of Humanity", along with Susan with Bruce Kodish's "Drive Yourself Sane". ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Very readable, clearly written, good examples
While rather simple for some of the more advanced counseling students in my pastoral counseling class, this book proved to be an excellent primer in basic helping skills. It was a good review for me as well (I have over 20 years experience in rehab counseling).

Solid writing, easy to read, and informative
I first used this book in my graduate program in a class for communication and leadership. This skills taught in this book are outstanding. Now, I plan to use the ideas from this book in my own career, as well as helping an undergraduate peer staff at a university learn the basic helping guidelines. This book is highly recommended.

Fabulous guide for research and practice.
We just completed a doctoral level seminar by using this book to guide process research. It's fabulous. While the book is certainly appropriate for teaching basic counseling/helping skills at the upper undergraduate and graduate levels, I also believe it has applicability for advanced practicum and research. Good work! ... Read more

Book Description

Turning critical feedback into a constructive message can be a difficult skill to conquer. This book will guide you through the process of learning how to receive critical feedback, developing skills for self-talk, understanding how to give constructive feedback effectively, and handling atypical problems. Feedback is a very powerful communication tool that delivered properly can benefit everyone with a clear and helpful exchange of information about what’s working and what’s not. The techniques outlined in this book for coping with fair or unjustified critical feedback are essential for effective communication.

Learning Objectives:To learn how to receive critical feedback.To present useful coping mechanisms for handling critical feedback.To show how to give constructive feedback fairly and effectively.To discuss handling special problems. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

GreatFeedback ideas
I would highly recommend the book "Giving and Receiving Feedback" by Patti Hathaway,CSP to anyone who wants to improve their business or personal relationships building constructive communication.

On a personal note the planning sections and suggestions can help me redirect some of the things I have been doing and improve my relationships. One of the suggestions I liked the best concerned giving reviews.When giving a review present the negative first, then end the review on an upward appraisal note.

If the only section in the book was the section on the difference in how men and women communicate it would be worth buying the book for,but there are so many more great ideas you should be ordering the book now instead of reading this review.

Patti has done it again
I found this book easy to read, and packed full of helpful information, tools, suggestions and hints.The author included several self-tests for you to discover how you communicate and give feedback.Then, once you knew where your weak areas were, there was ample material to assist you in improving.Charts give examples, case studies allow you to picture how to use what you've learned, exercises offer practice, and the graphics are
appropriate and memorable.This book is for anyone who wants to improve his/her communication skills (and who among us doesn't want to do that!?).

Patti covers the differences in men's and women's communication approaches, overcoming negative self-talk, and a DASR (Describe, Acknowledge, Specify, Reaffirm) technique that will guide you in your communications whether with spouse, parent, child, friend, boss, or acquaintance, throughout the rest of your life. I highly recommend it for everyone to read! ... Read more

Book Description

In this must-have resource, "two teachers from Minnesota" share their successful use of the simple concept of 5-point scales to help students understand and control their emotional reactions to everyday events that might otherwise set in emotion escalating reactions. Whether it is inappropriate touching, obsessions, yelling, hitting or making hurtful statements to classmates, this clearly illustrated book shows how to break down a given behavior and, with the student’s active participation, develop a unique scale that identifies the problem and, just as important, suggests alternative, positive behaviors at each level of the scale. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

develop self-directed learning
This book was part of a graduate course I took. It is a very good tool for promoting and instilling habits that produce self-directed learners. I was not only able to help my students by reading this book, but I also helped myself become more self-directed. I recommend this book to parents and educators. ... 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

Reviews (1)

Excellent overview of current theory and empirical evidence
This is a concise review of the aging and cognition literature. Topics are relevant to a wide range of interests and pull together a vast amount of information into 13 meaningful chapters. ... Read more

Book Description

Appropriate for social science students, this text offers comprehensive coverage of both experimental and non-experimental methods. The author provides succinct explanations for a full range of methods, including descriptive, correlational, experimental, and quasi-experimental research designs. Practical tips and applications integrated throughout the text allow students to make real-world connections that encourage them to master the material.

The numerous insights from a practicing researcher's perspective, combined with a clear, easy-to-follow format provide students with more useful information for conducting their own research. Hands on Experience exercises at the end of each chapter present practical projects to help students better understand the methods discussed, as well as chapter-opening study goals, key terms, summaries, and review and discussion questions provide students with the tools needed to execute their own research.

• Full coverage of APA-style research reports in a separate appendix (A) introduces students to the style, mechanics, and conceptual requirements for writing reports. A fully annotated sample manuscript is also included.
• An emphasis on the process of measuring variables includes detailed coverage of reliability and construct validity integrated with measurement in descriptive and naturalistic research designs.
• Full chapters on internal and external validity prompt students to think about the interpretation of research and its limitations.
• Supplemental statistical appendices allow instructors to assign materials as needed and provide a reference for students already familiar with statistics, or a clear explanation for those with less experience.