About this title: The "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Don't Think of an Elephant!" explains the science behind how we make political decisions.
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Description: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: New. 0670019275 SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! NEW Book! May have remainder mark. Most orders ship within 1 BUSINESS DAY with ORDER CONFIRMATION. Great Book at a Great Value! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Viking Adult
Date Published: 2008-05-29
ISBN-13:9780670019274ISBN:0670019275
Description: New. This is a paperback ARC with same cover and publisher stickers. This book is the same isbn, but is a paperback. New, unread, unused & in perfect condition with no damaged or missing pages. Great Copy. Ships Lightning Fast. read more
Binding: Hardback
Publisher: PENGUIN GROUP
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780670019274ISBN:0670019275
Description: The "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Don't Think of an Elephant! " explains the science behind how we make political decisions. read more
"Another book that starts off tremendous and eye-opening ideas about emotion driving all decisions and then gets buried in vague neuroscience. When did social sciences give up and just try to explain everything in firing neurons and nerve binding?"
"This is one of those books that sets off conflicting emotions and thoughts. The application of knowledge of the brain sciences to political debate is absolutely fascinating, and much good information is presented. Another part of the thesis--that "progressives" or liberals use an "Enlightenment" model of discourse (emphasizing the use of logic and reason to advance their points) whereas conservatives use a more powerful approach, wedding emotion to thought. Hence, conservatives have an advantage over liberals, because their view of "human nature" is more accurate.
The book shows that Lakoff is fully able to wed the study of cognition with our knowledge of the brain. This part of his analysis is very readable and provides lots of information.
I must say, though, that the liberal versus conservative thesis is improbable. There are plenty of liberals who use emotional appeals (Teddy Kennedy when given a script could raise goose bumps); there are Republicans who are professorial and more Enlightenment oriented, speaking to logic and reason (e.g., Jack Kemp). Enlightenment thinkers were not abstract thinkers devoid of passion. The attack on Enlightenment thinking has been ongoing over a long period of time, and much of this debate is missing from Lakoff's discussion (read Derrida, for example, who engaged in a one person Postmodern assault on Enlightenment thought).
Still the book is useful by providing entree to a fascinating literature on human cognition and the brain."
"I don't give many books 1's, but this was well deserved. I thought it was rambling, illogical, specularive, and purely emotional. I'm not sure why I even finished it, but the 4 star rating on Amazon made me think I would miss something if I didn't. It's outlandish claims by progressives like Lakoff that makes Feynman's claim about Social Science resonate."
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