How the Mind Works

Rating:
Summary: Evolutionary psychology?
Review: why do we have friends? we all need someone we can relate to, share feelings with, and someone who will stick closer than a broher. What is the purpose of war? War has no purpose and really gains nothing, but creates tension and the feeling and wanting for revenge. War is illogical. Why does every culture have religion and marriage? This is one of the most theorized questions eve and each time they try to give an alternative answer to the Biblical answer, they create evn more unanswered questions. Why is this so? God intended it his way. Men have rejected God, and decided to make their own descisions, and we've failed each time, but just like an adolescent teen, we will keep disobeying to prove our parent, or God, wrong and that we are right and that we don't need him. Why do men seem to value virginity in the women they are marrying? They don't want a "used" women, they want something untouched. Why are parents very protective of their children? Because you love and have an emotional connection with them, and you'd rather die then have anything harm your children. Why are brothers and sisters rivals? Both strive for attention and approval of the parents, and the other is a rival, so both try to out do each other to gain attention and parental approval.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent book, although some sections ramble a bit.
Review: Steven Pinker's book makes an attempt to describe "how the mind works." But does he succeed? Pinker does not discuss the mind at length in this book and offers few revoluationary theories on how the mind actually works. Instead, the title serves as a useful way of obtaining the reader's attention, which makes sense. In reality, this book is about evolutionary psychology, why people think the way they do, and the advantages that have accrued to our ancestors for believing and thinking the way they did then -- and the way we continue to this day.

One of the best areas of Pinker's book is his discussion of evolutionary psychology. In that section, Pinker answers a lot of important time-old questions, such as why do we have friends? What is the purpose of war? Why does every culture have religion and marriage? Why do men seem to value virginity in the women they are marrying? Why are parents very protective of their children? Why are brothers and sisters rivals?

Rating:
Summary: A good shot at a moving target...
Review: How does a bicycle work? Perhaps that's too complicated since it needs a rider to be in a state of working. Then, how does a windmill work? Yes it needs wind, but let's take the wind for granted here. Also, let's lay aside the knowledge there are different types of windmills all designed by different people. Let's assume we know one when we see one. So how does it work? We are immediately confronted by style and method and purpose. There are many ways to describe the workings of a windmill. Is any one enough? Are all descriptions necessary for truth? And what do we mean by "work" anyway?

If thinking about a relatively simple mechanical device raises so many questions, how many more are raised by thinking about the thinking thing itself - the mind? Why does thinking about how the mind works make predicting the lottery each week seem plausible? Why is "mind" so hard to pin down?

Kudos to Steven Pinker for taking this on in such a pleasurable, readable, thought provoking way. As he says in the preface, this account is a bird's eye view of how the mind works, a survey, It is both for the specialist and the thoughtful layperson.

As a survey the book is broad but the access to it is specific, Mr. Pinker says, "...the mind is a system of organs of computation designed by natural selection to solve the problems faced by our evolutionary ancestors..." He then elaborates adroitly for the next 565 pages. This book is engaging and thought provoking. I recommend it to you. Since you read this far in a review, I am sure the book itself will be of interest to you.

I wrote much marginalia in my copy of this book, often taking a different position and questioning assumptions. My one outstanding argument with Mr. Pinker comes from a statement he makes near the end of the book, "Psychologists and neuroscientists don't study their own minds; they study someone else's." In the margin I wrote, "Too bad, they should." By this I meant that eastern traditions of contemplation, reflection, and meditation provide tools for studying the mind. These tools would be a welcome addition to western science.


Rating:
Summary: poor on many levels
Review: The author is neither an expert in neuroscience or philosophy of mind and it shows. His good ideas are not original and many of his original ideas are just wrong. I tried one of his examples out on my boss a professor at Yale and he came to the very conclusion that Pinker says we would not come to while he is trying to illustrate how our minds do not work. So much for that. Also many examples and ideas stollen from other arthors. If you want to learn neuroscience get a good text. If you are interested in the mind try Dennet and Chalmers, philosophers. This psychologist isn't going to help you dig very deep.

The book is also poorly written and edited.

Rating:
Summary: ERUDITE AND FUNNY
Review: Pinker is one of the brightest intelligences of our days. He explain the most number of facts with the less number of assumptions. Some of his conclusions can be shocking at first, particularly for those in contact with " the left wing" but Pinker's arguments are compelling and you will end convinced that science cannot be tied by politics and that our ethic and moral values are safe.
It was an adventure of the thinking. I read it twice for practicing my reading of English.

Rating:
Summary: brilliant
Review: with simple, familiar language MIT professor Pinker delves into how the mind evolved and how it works. Of special interest to me were the parallells he drew between computer code (logic) and brain tasks. Easy to read (considering the material) and right on as far as factual material goes, 5 stars for me. He could have cut the book down to ~500 pages or so (i struggled through most of the chapter on perception and finally just skipped on) but overall a great book.

Rating:
Summary: In and Out of his element
Review: Steven Pinker certainly knows his stuff when it comes to how our brain works. If you have the endurance and are a scientist already, you may get through this incredibly monotonous book. He is able to comprehend the mechanics of how the human mind works, but flops when it comes to drawing any meaningful implications. His views about religion and philosophy are stale and hackneyed. While his discussions about the biology of the brain and its varied mechanisms are within his expertise, his discussions of religion and philosophy are shallow and un-thoughtful-bordering upon arrogance. I would still recommend the book; it is better than counting sheep!