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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
"It is one of the many ways in which a realism about the imperfect emotions we actually have may bring more happiness than an illusion about the ideal emotions we wish we had."
I actually read this after Stephen J. Gould's "The Mis-measure of Man" and found it to be an excellent complement. As a feminist, it was a demanding read, but well-worth the challenge to various assumptions I held. I can definitely still be a feminist after agreeing with much Pinker says about gender, race, and class differences, and so can you.
Would've said 4.5* but I have the 2016 edition in which the author has added a final chapter to keep up to date with recent research and findings. So 5 it is.
A book for people who like to think, and who enjoy having their preconceptions challenged. The fact that both the left and the right's prejudices are questioned in this book is a good indicator. Pinker wants us to take a realistic look at nurture versus nature. This is an engrossing read, but requires a lot more commitment than pop-corn reading.
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
challenging
informative
slow-paced
I don't really know what to say, except that written 20 years later there would have been so many interesting things more to read. Pretty much everything got first discussed and then handled. Very many other researchers and scientists seem to have gotten a certain thing or two wrong, and Pinker corrects them over and over again. The book is so massive that I only hope that my subconscious took good notes.
Very useful fodder for debate, at worst, and compelling, myth-breaking reading at best. More: http://dreamflesh.com/library/steven-pinker/the-blank-slate-the-modern-denial-of-human-nature/
Super interesting. I must have used at least seven parts of this book for conversational pieces concerning the nature of learning and other natural aspects of the human mind. In fact, I never realized how pervasive the blank slate ideology was until reading this book, even more so since I am a teacher. Definitely an exposing and thoughtful read.