Mindreading: An Investigation into How We Learn to Love and Lie Book + PRICE WATCH * Amazon pricing is not included in price watch

Mindreading: An Investigation into How We Learn to Love and Lie Book

"We are primates who are experts in deceit, double-dealing, lying, cheating, conniving, and concealing." So says science writer Sanjida O'Connell, but we needn't take her word for it--she lets the facts speak for themselves. Citing research conducted with monkeys, apes, and both normal and autistic children, she creates a highly accessible introduction to theory of mind, the ability of most humans (and possibly some animals) to conceive of and infer the mental states of others. Mindreading discusses research in such fascinating and controversial areas as animal communication, artificial intelligence, and education of autistic children. From remarkable displays of grief and deception in chimpanzees to the equally remarkable lack of such qualities in human sufferers of Asperger's syndrome, the facts presented in this book challenge the ways we think about ourselves and others and upset our notions of what it means to be human. Mindreading itself changes from a science fiction cliché into a perfectly ordinary faculty most of us perform unconsciously all day, every day. Authors who write about subjects of such fundamental importance to us often also touch on the problems of morality, and O'Connell is no exception. Her closing chapter, "The Moral Mind," explores gender differences in moral reasoning and how they may be based on differences in perceptions of others. Amid further speculation about animal and robot morals, she expresses the belief (and hope) that morality arises from theory of mind and that improvement in the way we see others will lead to improvement in the way we treat them. --Rob LightnerRead More

from£28.62 | RRP: £16.11
* Excludes Voucher Code Discount Also available Used from £6.90
  • Product Description

    "I know what you're thinking," we say, but how do we know what others are thinking or feeling? Because evolution has granted us what has come to be known as "Theory of Mind," the ability not only to be self-aware but aware of others' consciousness. Theory of Mind develops slowly-and in some cases, such as autism, develops little or not at all. Theory of Mind allows us to interact socially, to care about others, to manage our behavior in groups, to fall in love, and--less admirably--it allows us to lie.

    Some of the subject matter covered in Mindreading:

    • You are less likely to detect lies told to you by your longterm partner than by a new acquaintance.
    • Female babies react more strongly and more often to another baby's cries than male babies. In other words, female children are more predisposed to become personally distressed by emotion in others and to cry in sympathy.
    • In general, the female brain is superior to the male brain when it comes to social relationships; the male brain is better at spatial skills. People with autism follow the male trend, but to a much greater extreme.
    • Autistics, like many normal men, collect things, focus on what seems to others to be trivial detail, and have a narrow range of interests. Could autism be an extreme form of the male brain?
    • For evolutionary reasons, you should take very good care to detect eye gaze, because when another animal is looking at you it can mean one of the three 'F's. Either the animal wants to fight you, feed on you, or mate with you.

  • 038548402X
  • 9780385484022
  • Sanjida O'Connell
  • 1 May 1998
  • Doubleday
  • Hardcover (Book)
  • 288
  • 1
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. If you click through any of the links below and make a purchase we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). Click here to learn more.

Would you like your name to appear with the review?

We will post your book review within a day or so as long as it meets our guidelines and terms and conditions. All reviews submitted become the licensed property of www.find-book.co.uk as written in our terms and conditions. None of your personal details will be passed on to any other third party.

All form fields are required.