Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2021 -

Not since William James has an author so clearly articulated the functioning of the human mind. A cognitive scientist with recent contributions to experimental phonology as applied to the study of reading ability and dyslexia, Berent (Northeastern Univ.) provides a clear and profound study of the ways the human mind gets in the way of knowing its own nature. It does this, she argues, because it is innately equipped with two ways of looking at the world-essentialism and dualism-that together distort our view of reality. We are, as Berent argues, blind-both to what we know and to who we are. An impressive array of scientific evidence is drawn into the text in support of the author's central contention concerning the inherent obliviousness of human nature. A careful read of this book, indeed, could help one discard certain naive intuitions about one's own thinking and identity that may have made self-knowledge elusive. This title should make the core reading list for all students and researchers of psychology, and may also be welcomed by general readers who want another angle on perennial philosophical issues of perception, the narration of the self, and the nature of emotions.Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. General readers.

Oftentimes books on implicit bias locate it in individual minds, without taking into consideration the social environments that promote bias. Ross (cofounder of Udarta Consulting) approaches unconscious bias as a natural cognitive mechanism exhibited by all humans, the remnant of an evolutionary need for survival. However, Ross also acknowledges that bias is driven by the cultural spaces one occupies, and is embedded in social institutions (e.g., legal, health care). In this book Ross uses research from social and medical sciences to support explanations of how unconscious bias is manifested in everyday life. One of the strongest aspects of the book is that its last two chapters are devoted to suggestions for how people can combat expressions of their own individual bias, as well as providing steps that organizations can take to combat bias while making decisions about talent. The appendix expands on organizational solutions by providing more ways to identify and navigate bias in talent management. The text is engaging and addresses a general audience. This is a must read for everyone who wants to learn about bias or is interested in taking the steps (individually or on an organizational level) to combat it.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.

In this highly engaging text, science writer Bond invites readers to learn more about two aspects of their own experience they might routinely take for granted: spatial cognition and navigation skills. In 10 brief chapters, Bond makes a compelling case for why the reader should become more interested not only in avoiding becoming lost, but also in enjoying the experience of getting lost! The scope of discussion ranges from evolution to neurons, from human migration history to current technology, from child development to aging, from desperate search and rescue missions to current groundbreaking cognitive science research. Each chapter begins with an interesting narrative, drawn from personal experience or current events, through which Bond draws attention to a particular question about spatial understanding, effectively serving to interest and educate. Of particular interest are the connections drawn between current technology and mental health issues. For readers desiring original sources there are copious endnotes. Novices will gain a new appreciation for how humans move themselves around their familiar and unfamiliar worlds, and a graphic awareness of how much we do not yet know about these amazing abilities. More knowledgeable readers and instructors may find themselves inspired by the clarity of Bond's explanations to include this text in a special topics course.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty, and researchers. General readers.

Bauman (Univ. of Arizona), a licensed professional who has served in public schools, offers an informative exemplification of cyberbullying, including theoretical concepts and case studies. This well-organized book lays out clearly the emergence of cyberbullying, along with its precipitating societal and psychological influences and trends, with examples of effective interventions. This well-researched work provides an insightful resource for understanding and dealing with cyberbullying in an immediately accessible form, portraying the current state of the phenomenon as relevant to counselors, teachers, and professionals across a wide organizational spectrum. Bauman presents eight chapters that examine the current forms and manifestations of cyberbullying, including trolling, shaming, and other forms of direct and indirect digital aggression. In each chapter Bauman shares a brief vignette that fleshes out the reality and complexity of an actual cyberbullying event. This configuration of content allows readers to apprehend theoretical concepts and scenarios together in a way that will empower response, intervention, and possible prevention. Counselors at all levels, as well as all teachers and many clinicians, will find this text an enormously helpful resource.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals.

There can be no doubt that Goldstein (emer., Univ. of Pittsburgh) relished the challenge of writing a short little book on the mind. How to introduce a reasonably intelligent audience to some of the biggest intersecting issues in philosophy, psychology and biology in under 50 thousand words? First, lure them in with seeming simplicity! Yet, chapter by chapter (six in all), Goldstein manages to convince that "the idea of the mind as amazing is not reserved for 'extraordinary' minds." Effective sequencing and use of metaphor help scaffold readers' understanding, while a historical overview of behaviorism helps explain why the biggest questions about consciousness have remained a puzzle until now. Stubborn scholars who insist that "brain equals mind" might be surprised by Goldstein's introspective account of how ions and membranes translate into a memory of yesterday's committee meeting. Younger students might find themselves less intimidated than before by the details of functional MRI studies illustrating neural pathways. The accessibility, clear writing, and friendly tone of this text make it a good choice for undergraduate upper-level courses and seminars, not to mention the "reeducation" of those among their instructors who may have become a bit more fossilized. Goldstein's enlightening narrative is well supported by 38 pages of references inviting further exploration.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals.

In this interesting book, Llewellyn, a lecturer in humanities at the University of Massachusetts, presents a reader-friendly answer couched in evolutionary theory to the question at hand. In a dozen well-constructed, research-based chapters, Llewellyn makes the case that dreams help people not only remember but also decide, predict, and create. This author sees dreams as hyper-associative and divergent, neither linear nor logical. Dreams have a qualitative character that Llewellyn finds consistent with chaos theory. She uses her own dreams to illustrate many of her points, notable especially in her evaluation of Freudian theory. If a person could read only one book about dreams, Llewellyn's text would be this reviewer's choice.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.