Category Archives: MInd

Oliver Sacks, THE MAN WHO MISTOOK HIS WIFE FOR A HAT

Like the Pinker and Wilson volumes I’ve covered here recently, this is another classic nonfiction book, one I first read years ago without taking notes (maybe before I began taking notes on my reading). So I skimmed through it again … Continue reading

Posted in Book Notes, MInd, Psychology, science fiction | Comments Off on Oliver Sacks, THE MAN WHO MISTOOK HIS WIFE FOR A HAT

EO Wilson, CONSILIENCE, 8

Chapter 9, The Social Sciences Now Wilson begins takes his conclusions about human nature and searches for ways to bring insight, if not explanation, to various aspects of human culture, in particular studies in the humanities that are supposedly resistant to … Continue reading

Posted in Book Notes, Human Progress, MInd, Psychology, Science | Comments Off on EO Wilson, CONSILIENCE, 8

EO Wilson, CONSILIENCE, 7

Chapter 8, The Fitness of Human Nature This is perhaps the core chapter of the book, in that it brings together ideas about the mind, genes, and culture from the previous two chapters, and sets up a basis for the … Continue reading

Posted in Book Notes, Culture, Human Progress, MInd, Science, science fiction | Comments Off on EO Wilson, CONSILIENCE, 7

More Dispatches from Alternative Realities

How Katie Britt, like other clueless Republicans, claims victimhood, and pleads for cash; Robert Wright on how the Trump-Biden choice won’t solve anything; Short items about Trump’s obsession with Hitler; how violent crime is down but you wouldn’t know it … Continue reading

Posted in conservatives, Culture, MInd, Politics | Comments Off on More Dispatches from Alternative Realities

EO Wilson, CONSILIENCE, 6

Chapter 7, From Genes to Culture This chapter is about “gene-culture coevolution.” Also, this is the point in the book where Wilson mentions C.P. Snow’s “Two Cultures” (which I discussed here almost six years ago.) Key points in this chapter: … Continue reading

Posted in Book Notes, Human Progress, MInd, Science | Comments Off on EO Wilson, CONSILIENCE, 6

EO Wilson, CONSILIENCE, 5

Chapter 6: The Mind Here’s the chapter in Wilson that corresponds to Pinker’s entire book. There are ideas here that reflect some of Nagel‘s topics, as well, and some of the thoughts I had while reading his book. Key points … Continue reading

Posted in Book Notes, Human Progress, MInd, Science | Comments Off on EO Wilson, CONSILIENCE, 5

Steven Pinker, HOW THE MIND WORKS, post 4

Chapter 8, “The Meaning of Life,” is the last 45 page chapter of this 565 page (counting only text) book. Here he covers matters of human culture, much as Wilson did at the end of his 1978 book. Given that … Continue reading

Posted in Book Notes, MInd, Music, Psychology, Religion, Steven Pinker | Comments Off on Steven Pinker, HOW THE MIND WORKS, post 4

Steven Pinker, HOW THE MIND WORKS, post 3

Chapter 7, “Family Values,” about the psychology of social relations, is the longest chapter in the book, and second-to-last. The author begins by recalling that period in the 1960s when activists and folk singers called for peace and understanding, a … Continue reading

Posted in Book Notes, Evolution, MInd, Psychology, Steven Pinker | Comments Off on Steven Pinker, HOW THE MIND WORKS, post 3

Steven Pinker, HOW THE MIND WORKS, post 2

The last few chapters are especially rich and fascinating. Here’s Chapter 6, about human emotions. Ch6, Hotheads

Posted in Book Notes, MInd, Psychology, Steven Pinker | Comments Off on Steven Pinker, HOW THE MIND WORKS, post 2

Steven Pinker, HOW THE MIND WORKS, post 1

I mentioned this book a few days ago and quoted from it. Now I’ve finished it and will summarize and highlight. As I said earlier, I’ve had this book since it was published in 1997 (I have a first edition, … Continue reading

Posted in Book Notes, MInd, Philosophy, Psychology, Science, Steven Pinker | Comments Off on Steven Pinker, HOW THE MIND WORKS, post 1