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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
What an impressive book! I have been reading a number of Steven Pinker's books, and they are all excellent. I was particularly interested in how politics and social activists have worked to slow down the progress of science. The concept of a "blank slate", though socially attractive, has held back science and our understanding of human nature.
The chapter on children was especially interesting. Pinker rightly gives much credit to Judith Harris' excellent book [b:The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do|633128|The Nurture Assumption Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do|Judith Rich Harris|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176519516s/633128.jpg|619424]. The subject is not finished, though. Pinker shows that while 50% of the variance in human nature is due to genetics, the remaining 50% of the variance is still in question. It is NOT correlated with home life or parental upbringing. It seems to be a combination of peer influences, and fickle fate.
The chapter on children was especially interesting. Pinker rightly gives much credit to Judith Harris' excellent book [b:The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do|633128|The Nurture Assumption Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do|Judith Rich Harris|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176519516s/633128.jpg|619424]. The subject is not finished, though. Pinker shows that while 50% of the variance in human nature is due to genetics, the remaining 50% of the variance is still in question. It is NOT correlated with home life or parental upbringing. It seems to be a combination of peer influences, and fickle fate.
Are people born as empty vessels and society and upbringing decide who they grew up to be. Or, are we 'natural beings' who are born pure and society and our environment changes us. Or, are we a soul in a body.
The book disregard all of that and asks how influential our gens in deciding the way we look, act and think and discusses other factors as well. My fivorate chapter is number 10. The Fear of Determinism.
The book disregard all of that and asks how influential our gens in deciding the way we look, act and think and discusses other factors as well. My fivorate chapter is number 10. The Fear of Determinism.
3.5 stars - better than good but not quite great. There was a lot of good information, but I was surprised to find myself often thinking it should really be more succinct. It was long-winded, for me, and I found it easier to lose focus.
he is an egotist with a great point wandering off into tirades of self righteousness but in the end fascinating.
Fantastic and fascinating, expanded (and changed) my mind on views of the nature nurture debate.
My gut (for I am no scientist) tells me that learning and helping kids develop isn't quite as much a (developmental) waste of time as Pinker suggests, but even if only half right his arguments are great insights into human nature.
My gut (for I am no scientist) tells me that learning and helping kids develop isn't quite as much a (developmental) waste of time as Pinker suggests, but even if only half right his arguments are great insights into human nature.
Este es sin duda alguna un excelente libro para conocer otro punto de vista acerca de los seres humanos: El de la naturaleza humana. En las ciencias sociales muchas veces (sino es que siempre) se nos habla de que todo lo que somos es aprendido o moldeado por la sociedad, incluso se nos dice esto en psicología. Steven Pinker analiza esta propuesta y la debate, da argumentos de que, en realidad, muchas de las cosas que ocurren a nuestro alrededor pasan porque está en nuestra naturaleza, son parte de nosotros, incluso vienen en nuestros genes. Al mismo tiempo nos dice que esto no debe ser mal interpretado con fines discriminatorios, sino todo lo contrario, el esclarecer estos temas "oscuros" de la especie humana nos ayudará a enfrentar mejor nuestros problemas y encontrar soluciones.
En lo personal recomiendo mucho este libro a todos aquellos que estén interesados en los seres humanos. Aun cuando estén de acuerdo con la teoría de la tabla rasa, siempre es interesante conocer las antitesis de lo que nos convence para, de esta forma, poder crearnos nuestro propio criterio y adoptar posturas más informadas.
En lo personal recomiendo mucho este libro a todos aquellos que estén interesados en los seres humanos. Aun cuando estén de acuerdo con la teoría de la tabla rasa, siempre es interesante conocer las antitesis de lo que nos convence para, de esta forma, poder crearnos nuestro propio criterio y adoptar posturas más informadas.
An illuminating, must-read book which argues strongly against the concept of the tabula rasa still permeating through much of modern life. Recommended to all, even my religious friends, despite its conflict with mind-body dualism and the belief of the soul.
The arguments of what affects us more as a human, or inherent nature or our environment, have been going on for years, and this is Pinker's attempt to look at the arguments for and against.
A lot of what he puts forward here is fascinating stuff, from details of collaboration between fishing crews, boys brought up as girls after failed operations, test and observations on twins brought up apart and so on. But he spent an awful lot of the time being very critical on subject as diverse as feminism and philosophy, and it didn't really play a part of this book.
Disappointing in the end, as some of his other books that I have read have been so much more coherent.
A lot of what he puts forward here is fascinating stuff, from details of collaboration between fishing crews, boys brought up as girls after failed operations, test and observations on twins brought up apart and so on. But he spent an awful lot of the time being very critical on subject as diverse as feminism and philosophy, and it didn't really play a part of this book.
Disappointing in the end, as some of his other books that I have read have been so much more coherent.
I'm very much in the Nazi fearing camp that prefers not to give credence to any science laming to find innate human tendencies in genetics. Exactly for the kind of discrimination that can result from it.
I have learned allot from The Blank Slate about the folly of ignoring the evidence in the name of Ideology even if it is my kind of Ideology.
I've also learned that the blank slate position is also the tool of totalitarian regimes.
I still think that any policy based on what we thing human nature is should be taken with a heap of salt, but ignoring human nature can be as detrimental as well and lead to policies that are disconnected from reality.
I have learned allot from The Blank Slate about the folly of ignoring the evidence in the name of Ideology even if it is my kind of Ideology.
I've also learned that the blank slate position is also the tool of totalitarian regimes.
I still think that any policy based on what we thing human nature is should be taken with a heap of salt, but ignoring human nature can be as detrimental as well and lead to policies that are disconnected from reality.
So I think I've exhausted the need to read popular books in psych, because all the skipping over the parts that I've already read somewhere is becoming distracting. The first third was new for me, where Pinker goes over how the Blank Slate theory developed, etc; should've stopped there.