Book Description
The world's top--secret agents--the American, Scofield and the Russian, Taleniekov-have each sworn to kill the other. Yet know they must becomes allies in order to destroy the Matarese, an international circle of killers dedicated to reducing the world to chaos by assassination and terror.
"This is a chase story that will leave readers gasping for breath...(Booklist) "It's a blockbuster!" (The Wall Street Journal)
Customer Reviews:
Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03
Two ageing spies are coming to the end of the careers. On different
sides of the cold war, both men are in similar position, veteran field
agents that are not necessarily so useful anymore, but know a lot of
secrets. They have no families to live for.
They can't stand each other, but they uncover a conspiracy that
shocks even them, and must form an uneasy alliance to try and stop this
massive corporate funded terrorist plot.
A Brilliant Read!!!.......2007-03-11
This was my first Ludlum book, and it certainly will not be the last. This was one of the most intelligently written fiction books I've read. Unlike many on this site, I don't like to get into a long, descriptive diatribe regarding the plot. I encourage people to actually read the general description on the back cover. If you like foreign intrigue, international conspiracies, and great characters this is the book for you. I may NOT read another book in the genre, actually, as I doubt they would be as good as this.
the ultimate eternal greatest spy thriller ever written by writers on earth.......2007-02-22
orson wells once said that if he could bring a movie to heaven(or hell) when he died, that movie should be 'the battle of algiere'. indeed, that movie is really really good. by the same token, i think if he could read robert ludlum's 'the matarese circle', he definitely would have included another item in his carry-on-to-the-heaven. yes, that's how fascinating and fantastic of this thriller. this is how a spy thriller should be, how a masterpiece of this genre should be defined. some of the other great books that i'd also recommend mr. wells to read in heaven(or hell) he never got the chance to read during his era are: 'lonesome dove', 'brules', 'the last hero', 'the kite runner', 'the parsifal mosaic' (also by ludlum), 'shantarum(?)', all of stephen hunter's 'swagger series (except 'havana'), all of michael connelly's "harry bosch(?) series (but exclude 'trunk music', 'a darkness as dark as ???'", gerald a. browne(?) '19 purchase st.', '11 harrow house(?)', 'green ice'.... well, enough for his carry-on for now.
THIS IS WORTH COLLECTING .................2006-07-16
i have read everything , from sydney sheldon to ken follet but i must bow down to the MASTER.Its a tragedy this great writer is not on this earth to treat us anymore but he has left his legacy behind.Whoever wants to read a masterpiece should give this 1 a try.This 1 is a collectors item.i dont want to repeat the cliche....but DONT MISS IT.
A Ludlum Masterpiece.......2006-06-01
As a diehard Robert Ludlum fan, it was never hard for me to get engrossed in just about all of his novels. But there are a couple of his books that are not only classic for him, but for the genre: The Bourne Identity and The Matarese Circle.
This tale of a CIA agent and KGB agent, sworn enemies, who collaborate to bring down a cabal of international killers is riveting from beginning to end. The tension and thrills jump off of the page and into your consciousness.
Just as Bourne has been brought successfully to the big screen, this book should be adapted for a major motion picture. If needed, details could be changed to contemporize it, but it's too good not to film.
Average customer rating:
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The Matarese Circle
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0553170139 |
Product Description
They are the world's two top secret agents: Scofield, CIA, and Talaniekov, KGB. They have sworn to kill each other to avenge brutal murders of reprisal. Yet now they are forced to work togther as the only men capable of destroying an international circle of killers, The Matarese, dedicated to reducing the world to chaos via assassination and terror ...
Average customer rating:
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Matarese Circle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GZT3KW |
Customer Reviews:
The Cream of Ludlum's Crop.......2002-04-08
Ludlum has been hailed as the virtual originator of the Superthriller, and with these three books, it is difficult to aruge that fact. I'll review these books individually:
#1 The Holcroft Covenant takes the 'Nazi Conspiracy' to the next level. Although dated (just a bit) this novel sweeps you up after a slow beginning, but when the wheels finally hits the pavement, make sure to be belted in, 'cuz this is a fantastic ride. In the closing days of WWII the Nazi's forge a desperate plan which plants the seed of the rise of the Fourth Reich sometime in the 70's, and will be put into motion unwittingly, by a pawn who despises everything the Nazi's ever stood for. Scary and well worth the effort, 'the Holcroft Covenant' is one of Ludlum's best.
#2 The Materese Circle was my 1st Ludlum novel way back in the early 80's, and is still one of my all-time favorite novels. During the Cold War nobody -- NOBODY could write a more compelling spy story, and this one easily ranks (for me) as Ludlums all-time best spy story. But it is much more than just spy vs spy...in this novel, Ludlum pits rival spy vs. rival spy working together to take on an ancient Mob which is alive and well and ready to launch the unthinkable. Do NOT think that the sequel (the Materese Countdown) even comes CLOSE to this masterpice, 'cuz it just plain falls flat by comparison.
#3 The Bourne Identity has to be one of the most clever plot-driven stories that ANYONE has come up with in the past century.
An unknown man is fished out of the Mediterranean Sea riddled with bullets, barely alive. Nursed back to health by an alcoholic doctor, who notices that this mysterious man has had plastic surgery to alter his looks, has a small micro-film hidden under his skin and has also noted that he has NO IDEA who he is. Using the micro-film to guide him, he ends up in Switzerland where he is recognized by an angry man waving a gun in absolute fright claiming that he had been killed...and our poor protagonist begins the flight of his life fleeing from assassins who want him dead, but still suffering from amnesia, he can't understand the WHY...nor does he accept all the evidence that points to him as an international professional hired killer. Top notch entertainment and believe it or not, Ludlum's 2nd Bourne novel was just as good (if not a little better).
All in all these are three exceptional examples of Robert Ludlum at his absolute best...and for anyone who knows this author, you KNOW that Ludlum at his best puts all the rest to shame. While it is true that since the end of the Cold War Ludlum's novels have been, shall we say, less than up to his usual excellence, but his final two novels have been MUCH better (The Prometheus Deception & The Sigma Protocol). We who admire and love Ludlum so much realize that when he passed away, so did one of the finest authors of the 20th Century. He WILL be missed, especially when I pick up another spy novel and invariably compare it to the Master, who will no doubt surpass everything yet to come.
Three cliff-hanging & fast-paced great novels.......1997-10-23
To combine three great novels by one great writer, what a treat! The Holcraft Covenant, is about an young American architect with German bloodline lured back to Germany by Neo-Nazis to claim the secret fund left by Nazi for their new world order purpose. Highly tensified book! The Materese Circle is a even better treat. Double Action packed and played by two top agents from Russia and America. Very very good. The Bourne Identity is also a great book about an American agent trying very hard to get his memory and identity and finding his true love during the struggle. Very very good!
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Matarese Circle
Robert Ludlum
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GR9JPE |
Product Description
The Holcroft Covenant, The Matarese Circle, The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum: Three Complete Novels
Binding: Hardcover
Publication date: 1994
Average customer rating:
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THE MATARESE CIRCLE
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GR8S38 |
Average customer rating:
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The Matarese Circle
Ludlum
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0553025899 |
Book Description
Since the end of the nineteenth century, the Oakley family of Bamford, England, has lived in the shadow of tragedy. In 1889, Cora Oakley died by inhaling a poisonous gas in her sleep, and her husband William was put on trial for the murder. Although the case was dismissed, Oakley's reputation was ruined, and he fled the country, never to be heard from again.
Over a hundred years later, the only remaining members of the Oakley family are two elderly sisters living in Bamford, who exist in poverty in their rambling ancestral home, Fourways. Unable to maintain their mansion, the sisters have decided to sell the house and live comfortably on the proceeds. But a young Polish man named Jan appears, claiming to be William Oakley's great-grandson and brandishing what he alleges is Oakley's will, which entitles him to half the profits from the sale. The sisters panic, knowing that, although Jan's claims don't stand up, a court case could drag on for years, and time is not on their side. When Jan is found dead, poisoned by the same substance used to kill his great-grandmother so many years ago, it seems that murder has returned to haunt the Oakley family once again, and Superintendent Markby must unravel two mysteries, one from a hundred years ago, to find the killer.
Customer Reviews:
She is the mistress of the village mystery.......2002-06-16
Ann Granger is simply superb. She is the mistress of the modern day mistress, and probably the closest thing we have to an accurate modernization of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple series.
The writing is flawless, and the characters utterly brilliant. They are incredibly well drawn, with what seems little effort. They jump off the page, and are very realistic.
She spins her plot effortlessly, and glides back and forward between the two time-frames completely effortlessly. The two crimes interconnect realisticly (not as they did in Mary Higgins's Clark's "On The Street Where You Live". A very good book, but the way the murders seperated by a hundred years were connected was completely far-fetched. This book is a much better example of how to do it.).
The double-plots do lack...excitement, is probably the word. But they are nonetheless very interesting, as well as being bouyed up by her sprightly writing style.
As always, the strength of this excellent series is found in it's two protagonists, Alan Markby and Meredith Mitchell. For over 10 books now, their relationship has been slowly developing. In fact, considering that theyve known each other for ten books is amazing, considering how far their relationship has actually gone. (Not all that far.) It's surprising that AG has got away with it for so long! But that is what adds freshness and an extra dimension of suspense to the story, the will they/wont they aspects of their developemental relationship. They are two brilliantly well drawn characters. Interesting. And the reader keeps reading, rooting all the while for them to finally get it together officially. And with this book, their relationship takes another small step forward, leaving the reader wonder just what might be in store for them in the near future...
Whodunit? Who cares?.......2002-05-10
A very minor entry in an otherwise pleasant series. Two mysteries (one old, one new), neither particularly interesting. And neither one solved by Meredith or Markby! What gives?
not a bad read at all.......2001-10-12
This latest Meredith Mitchell & Alan Markby murder mystery proved to be a completely interesting and absorbing read for me. The thing I like about this series is that Ann Granger takes the old 'murder in a cosy village' motif, and expands on that so that it becomes something a lot more modern and accessible, and yet somehow manages not to lose that patina of nostalgia. And with "Shades of Murder," Granger has come up trumps again.
About 100 years ago, 'Wicked' William Oakley was tried for poisoning-murder of his heiress wife, Cora, who was about to divorce him and take all her lovely money with her. His was found not guilty of the crime, but such was the feeling in the village of Bramford that he had got away with the crime, that 'Wicked' William left Bramford and England, never to be heard of again. In Bramford, William is survived by his two granddaughters, Damaris and Florence. Now, in their 80s, the sisters hope to sell their crumbling ruin of an estate, and to move to more modern accommodations, in order to live whatever is left of their lives in some comfort. All this suffers a setback, when a young Polish man (Jan Oakley) turns up claiming to be their nephew, the product of 'Wicked' William's second marriage. Jan has decided to put in his claim for half of his great grandfather's estate, to the dismay of Damaris and Florence, and to the fury of the sisters' friends (who include Juliet Painter, the forensic pathologist's sister, Markby's own sister, Laura, who also happens to be the sisters' solicitor, and Meredith, herself). And then, just as the tension is at its highest, Jan is poisoned with arsenic. Leaving aside the question of who would want Jan dead as there are just too many suspects there, the question of the day seems to be where the murderer obtained from, as well how (s)he administered the poison.
For Superintendent Markby, this whole case is proving to be a both a professional and personal headache. His fondness for the Oakley sisters makes him want to handle the case delicately for their sakes, however his close relationships with everyone concerned makes it highly unlikely that he will be allowed to investigate Jan's murder. And his fears prove only all too true what the chief constable calls in the heavy guns and two investigators from the London Met are sent down to handle the case. Will the 'outsiders' be canny enough to handle the villagers and solve the case? And will Markby be able to stay out of the investigations, or will he throw caution to the winds and stick his oar in?
The Oakley murders have all the hallmarks of a murder mystery set in the Golden Age of Mystery: a cosy English village, the macabre coincidence of two arsenic poisonings that link two murders within the same family, a 100 years apart, a murder victim that had somehow managed to antagonise nearly everyone in the village of Bramford, and where the suspects for this later murder include quite a few prominent members of the village... However Ann Granger deft handling of this old plot device made everything seem new and fresh. The book itself is divided into two subplots -- one subplot deals with the murder of Cora Oakley, and 'Wicked' William's trial; while the second subplot deals with the intrusion of Jan into his aunts' lives and all the mischief and mayhem he causes. Both plots were well crafted and executed, and the development of characters in the second modern plot was especially well done. (However, I was so caught up in the second modern plot that I sometimes felt that the juxtaposition of the William Oakley murder trail plot to be a bit of an intrusion.) There were even flashes of humour as when the two detectives from London come to realise that all the major players in the Jan Oakley poisoning case are especially well connected. The novel also revisits the old question of exactly where Meredith and Markby's relationship is going, but this time, I felt as if Granger was more successful in making the reader understand exactly where Meredith was coming from, and her reservations in tying herself completely to one person or one place.
"Shades of Murder" was definitely a fun and absorbing read.
Not up to standard.......2001-10-11
I am a fan of Ann Granger, and I was looking forward to this addition to her Meredith-Markby series. Alas, I was disappointed. The book is fragmented and ultimately unsatisfying.
This book deals with two murders that took place approximately 100 years apart. There is no real effort to integrate the two; despite some connections, their presence in the same novel seems largely coincidental. The earlier murder is reported, not analyzed or studied, and certainly not detected. The later murder is the real subject matter of the detective portion of this story. Unfortunately, the solution is excessively pat, and the reader is given no way of knowing how Meredith arrives at it. It just sort of seems to strike her at the end of the book. As far as I could tell, there were few clues and no analysis--just a conclusion.
This book did have some highlights. The head Scotland Yard detective assigned to the mystery (Markby is off the case, as he is too close to the characters involved in it) turns out to be an interesting addition to Granger's usual characters. I would have liked to get to know him better, though. The victim, however, was dull and artificial. It is hard to believe that anyone, even two elderly ladies (themselves wildly improbable), could have taken him at all seriously as a threat, and the explanation of why they did so does not hold water.
Overall, a disappointing addition to this otherwise sound series.
Great addition to this series.......2001-09-18
In 1889 at Fourways house in the English village of Bamford, Cora Oakley informs her spouse William she wants a separation. Ailing from an extracted tooth, Cora uses medicine to ease her pain. The next day she is found dead apparently poisoned. The police arrest William who stands trial for her murder.
In 1999 William's descendants, two elderly sisters Damaris and Florence, are trying to sell their ancestral home Fourways. However, a Polish veterinary surgeon claiming to be William's great-grandson arrives. Jan demands half the profit from the sale of the house. Not long afterward, he is found dead from the same poison used to kill Cora. Superintendent Alan Markby and his significant other Meredith Mitchell lead the investigation into whether two senior citizens pulled an arsenic and old lace operation that requires looking into the century plus old mystery as well.
SHADES OF MURDER, the thirteenth Cotwolds village mystery, is a wonderful double murder story as Ann Granger effortlessly moves back and forth between the two centuries. The story line is cleverly designed, but the tale, as is the case in most of these novels, belongs to the lead couple, having moved forward in their relationship and by doing so freshening up the plot.
Book Description
This engaging and rich resource details how schools and diverse families throughout the country have formed partnerships that support and enhance student learning. It is designed for teachers who care deeply about students and welcome diverse families as partners, for parents who want to be active partners in educating their children, and for administrators in diverse schools or districts who know there is no quick fix for building lasting partnerships among families, schools, and the community.
Customer Reviews:
Powerful & Real!!.......2007-09-28
JoBeth Allen has created an exceptional resource and guide book in this text. She uses the voices of teachers and others in the schools, as well as her own mother/grandmother experiences to expose the reader to what a welcoming school looks like, feels like, and does. I would encourage anyone who is interested in their school or school district being sincerely open and welcoming to families to read this book. If you really want partnerships with parents, this is a wonderful place to start or extend on what you've already begun.
Inspiring and practical book.......2007-07-12
This book is a pleasure to read on so many different levels. For starters, Allen doesn't fall into the trap of pitting teachers against parents. She writes frankly from the perspective of a parent and an educator, building on her own experiences and those of others to illustrate the challenges in creating productive partnerships between families and schools in diverse communities. She does an exceptional job of suggesting ways to create meaningful family-school relationships that move beyond bake sales; in doing so, she gets readers to think about the kind of partnerships that are shown to really improve student learning. She does this in a way that is open, engaging, even friendly, while not being afraid to ask us as parents and educators to take a hard look at our practices and assumptions. In sections that are worth the price of admission, she discusses real-life examples of ways to create genuine dialogue between families and schools that deepen understanding and communication while also providing opportunities for increased student learning. But the book doesn't stop there. Instead, it moves into the arena of educational transformation, pushing readers to imagine ways of building community-school-home alliances that speak to living in a democratic society. In that sense, it is an optimistic, hopeful and inspiring book, chocked full of practical ideas, hands-on activities, thought-provoking stories, and opportunities for action. And did I mention that, on top of all that, it's a good read?
Book Description
The challenges of teaching a child who has a disability are many and varied. Nothing helps the process more than strong collaboration between the child's teachers and the child's parents. This new book is all about creating that collaboration, maintaining it, and using it to help children who have disabilities reach their personal educational potential. The authors take a developmental approach to their subject, focusing on the uniqueness of each family and each child from infancy, through the primary grades, to middle school, high school, and adulthood. Throughout the book, the “voices” of real parents lend authenticity to the material; and the essential role of the family in the education of its children is seen as of paramount importance. This book also addresses current educational trends toward maximum inclusion for all children—children with ethnic, cultural, and linguistic differences as well as those with physical and mental disabilities. For Special Education teachers.
Book Description
Are you wondering how to nurture a better relationship with the parents of your students? This book provides teachers with comprehensive methods to bridge the gap between school and home in order to enhance the development of their students.
Book Description
This book combines cutting-edge findings in neuroscience with examples from history and the headlines to introduce the new science of cultural biology, born of advances in brain imaging, computer modeling, and genetics. Doctors Quartz and Sejnowski show how both our noblest and darkest traits are rooted in brain systems so ancient that we share them with insects. They then demystify the dynamic engagement between brain and world that makes us something far beyond the sum of our parts.
The authors show how our humanity unfolds in precise stages as brain and world engage on increasingly complex levels. Their discussion embraces shaping forces as ancient as climate change over millennia and events as recent as the terrorism and heroism of September 11, and offers intriguing answers to some of our most enduring questions, including why we live together, love, kill -- and sometimes lay down our lives for others.
Customer Reviews:
Some interesting points about how our minds work.......2007-02-12
This book describes some of the more interesting functions of the human brain. I found it fascinating that our brains share some basic functions with the brains of insects. The authors take on nature vs. nurture, which is fun. We all know at this point(hopefully) that we are the result of both, which the book states many times. No big controversy, I don't think. There are a couple of poor arguments against evolutionary psychology, but otherwise Quartz and Sejnowski take a middle of the road stance. What I enjoyed most about this book was learning about the various ways in which the brain operates in different people. A lot of attention goes to the prefrontal cortex and those chemicals involved in 'reward systems,' which I liked learning about. If you have an interest in psychology and nature vs. nurture, and if you can stomach one or two feeble arguments when they pop up, then you'll enjoy this book, as I did, because there's plenty of good stuff in here. As a bonus, you will learn all about the lurid sex-lives of bonobos!
In This Book, Nurture Trumps Nature.......2005-09-21
The past 10 years have generated more knowledge about the brain than all prior years of history combined. The authors compile intriguing findings from many scientific disciplines (brain imaging, genetics, computer modeling, psychology, neurochemistry, etc), and give readers their take on the development, organization and ongoing remodeling of the human brain.
They entertain us by comparing the emotional and enthusiastic Tony Robbins (motivational speaker), the analytical and stoic Mr. Spock (Star Trek), and the morose and neurotic Woody Allen. Each most likely has a deficiency or excess of serotonin, norepinephrine or dopamine in specified brain areas, dictated by the genes and modified by environmental influences. They prescribe Prozac for Spock.
Lee Carlson provides a superb review of additional highlights, therefore, I will add to the mix a few comments:
"Liars, Lovers, and Heroes" is a misleading title in that it does not give an accurate hint as to the book's contents. At every possible opportunity, the authors evaluate their data from the point of view of the relative contributions from Nature vs Nurture. The vast majority of scientists these days consider them both important - to the extent that it's hard to imagine them apart from each other. These authors, however, consistently grant Nurture more credence. In the process, the authors criticize evolutionary psychology (a Nature oriented approach to human behavior) and advocate a new discipline, cultural biology. This discipline would stress the plasticity of a neuronal system which is always ready to be remolded by new experience.
Data from psychological studies is softer than that of physics and is subject to more interpretation. A scientist of the "Nature in more important" persuasion could make the same data support a more deterministic view without much massaging.
Criticisms: First, the ineptly-named chapters lack cohesion, as if the authors had stacks of reference papers, divided them into similar categories - then tried to make cohesive chapters out of the new stacks. Although the subject matter is interesting, one idea frequently flows poorly into the next. At the end of a given chapter, sometimes I thought, "Now what the Hell WAS that?" Second, although each chapter has a number of topics that attract attention, most topics are treated with only the most cursory scientific discussion with little or no documentation. There is, however, considerable opinion and speculation. This leaves the book suitable mainly for the casual science audience.
In conclusion, with smatterings of science, these authors offer their analysis of brain and personality development. Normal people obsess about finding patterns to make sense out of life. Schizophrenics overdo the same adaptation, constructing grand plots and delusions. One of life's secrets which may never be completely decoded is the complexity of the brain.
A fascinating and readable discussion of neuroscience.......2005-02-13
Explaining the field of cultural biology and the evidence from neuroscience that supports it, the authors have written a book that is accessible to all readers, regardless of their background. Every page gives a fascinating look at the causes/motivations behind human behavior and the authors argue convincingly for their thesis that this behavior has both environmental and genetic origins. They also include ample references for the reader who wants to pursue the subject in more detail.
The authors do not hesitate to embed their discussion of cultural biology in the historical backdrop in which it arose. As the authors report, some of the early research in the subject was met with harsh criticism, as for example the reaction against the book on sociobiology by E.O. Wilson. The vituperation leveled against Wilson by prominent intellectuals has no place in scientific debate and should not be engaged in under any circumstances.
The ability to image the brain and to model it with sophisticated computational tools has led to more knowledge about it in the last ten years than all of previous history, the authors argue. Brain imaging techniques such as MRI, PET, and optical topography have given experimental support for theories of the brain, giving much more valuable information that is needed to understand various diseases and abnormalities of the brain. Philosophical speculation and rhetoric have been eliminated in favor of careful scientific analysis and measurements, fortunately.
The book is packed full of interesting examples and surprises, and space does not permit a detailed review of these, but a few of them include: 1. The fact that the brain can detect and respond correctly to regular patterns in the environment without a person's conscious awareness of them. Experiments illustrating this are discussed in the book. 2. Neural network models of the basal ganglia indicate that it learns in essentially the same way as the brain of a bee. 3. The fact that the brain functions at different time scales, depending on the problem that it is presented with, from milliseconds all the way to minutes. This wide gap in processing time no doubt reflects evolutionary pressures that optimized the brain to prioritize some problems relative to others. 4. The suggestion that the anterior cingulate in humans may be the site of free will. 5. The suggestion that the "area 10" region in the front of the prefrontal cortex is the origin of our sense of self and our self-awareness. 6. The fact that half of the cortex is devoted to visualization. 7. The experimental evidence that indicates that environmental stimulation induces the maturing of brain cells in the hippocampus. 8. The fact that the brain is 90% of its final size at age five, and keeps growing until adolescence. 9. The rise of the "neural constructivist" view that the brain uses information from the world to build itself. Called "self-organization" by those who work in the field of dynamical systems, the constructivist point of view holds that the interaction with the world is a special type of learning that changes the brain and assists in building it. The authors refer to the brain/environment interaction as "constructive learning", and believe that the slow time scales needed for cortical development optimizes the influence of the world on the human brain, and thus make being human possible. The more time the brain has to develop, the likelihood of helpful inputs from the world to guide the construction of highly complex neural circuits increases. The result of this is a mind that can deal efficiently and accurately with the complexities of human existence. 10. The evidence that the development of the brain is non-uniform, but rather occurs hierarchically. The portions of the brain dealing with sensory information develop earlier than those that are responsible for the encoding of more abstract information. 11. The reason for suicidal behavior lies in the prefrontal cortex, which is also involved in mental disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. 12. The origin of drug addiction being in the ventral tegmental area of the basal ganglia. 13. The effects of serotonin and its manufacture in the brain by a group of neurons called the dorsal Raphe nucleus. Interestingly, despite being a small cluster of neurons, it is able to influence billions of neurons in the cerebral cortex. 14. The TD-Gammon learning machine and its ability to teach itself backgammon. The authors believe that the TD-Gammon machine exhibits real machine intelligence, and it is the opinion of this reviewer that they are quite correct in asserting this. 15. The origin of human personality as being from the anterior cingulate cortex, which uses previous experiences in order to construct the appropriate cognitive and emotional responses to novel situations. Attention to difficult problems is correlated with high activity in the anterior cingulate. 16. The fact that the male and female brains are the result of hormones, such as testosterone. The male brain becomes "masculinized" under the influence of testosterone, but only indirectly: the brain converts testosterone into estrogen, interestingly. The authors are careful to point out that testosterone and estrogen do not act at all places in the brain, and that sexual identity has its origin mostly in the hypothalamus. 17. The suggestion that it is the concurrent release of opiates and the oxytocin that produce the sensation of orgasm. 18. The origin of romantic love as being in the various chemical processes of the brain, and the experiments involving transgenic mice that supported this viewpoint. 19. The evidence from neuroscience that supports the "Aristotelian" conception of human nature, i.e. that family ties, friendship, and trust are more characteristic of humans than antisocial or individualistic behavior. Humans need to identify with something larger than their private existence, the authors argue. 20. The neuroscientific explanations for involvement in cults and for conformity to groups. 21. The authors' view of "constructive intelligence", and how it is at odds with the modern "IQ" version of intelligence.
contemporary thoughts on human interaction - brain science........2004-06-28
This is a great book, that gives a solid argument against evolutionary psychology's rigid and rapidly outdated theorised argument that our genes determine our nature.
Liars, Lovers, and Heroes and the discipline that it adheres to - Cultural Biology, explains that culture is a precursor to our evolution tract, that at times can go against evolutionary determinism. In the sense that our brains build the determined path to evolve. That we are not essentially hard-wired with mental capabilities, nor can we sustain on primitive gene like impulses. The authors Steven Quartz, Terrence Sejnowski explain, human adaptation is linked to brain chemistry; that if we lose a limb, or other body function, our brain resources other parts of the body to compensate. That brain damage is far more prevalent in our society, that leads to cultural problems, such as murder, murderous cults and even mass hysteria. Which is important to understand, that evolutionary psychology falls short in explaining the details, which are the most important in our human biology.
Liars, Lovers, and Heroes reveals the hypocrisy and the inconstancy of Evolutionary Psychology's gender differences, especially the ever changing cultural pressures that confront us. Why is cultural genital mutilation so highly valued in countries consumed with cultural identification? Chapter 4 explains the problem with relying on evolutionary psychology's connection that cultural identity lies within reproductive desires. That if clitoris removal occurs, it is done without any genetic purpose - that its a purely a cultural restraint against women, which could be argued enforced by religious dominance in cultural behaviour. How religious/cultural motivated ceremony's (such as clitoral removal) can be justified using evolutionary psychology logic,is something that evolutionary psychology must be struggling to answer, since according to evolutionary psychology theory, that all our actions are based on replicating our genes.
The authors go on in later chapters, and explain the complex connection that culture and cultural identity have huge impacts of how we define our existence. As the brain is constantly up dating, and renewing thoughts an actions, and adapting to new perceptions. Steven Quartz, Terrence Sejnowski , also go on to explain the aggression in humans, is not always a need to exercise superiority over other humans from a genetic or competitive instinct. Which is highly dangerous for evolutionary psychology to make assumption's that most "male" aggressive traits are based on genetic impulses. Liars, Lovers, and Heroes, explains that babies act more aggressively at a more rapid rate, than adults. Although not as physically devastating as a full grown adult, Cultural Biology dismiss the notion that enhanced aggression is solely a male testosterone trait.
The end chapters and the afterword (which was written after September 11), reveals some fascinating incite into eugenics and its impact of industrialised society. That the negative of eugenics, has lead to presumption of intellectual capabilities - by using simplistic IQ tests. According to the authors, this has lead to the expectation that our society has inherited, and praised, racist, class and intellectual divisions. To insure industrial productively. Not to mention huge health problems, under the pretext, that as humans we continue to learn; that our minds are not meant for mundane, or tedious work practises. As eugenics suggested, some were born with it, and some weren't. Incredible backward thinking, yet still with us. And dismissed appropriately within the book
The afterword which was written a month after September 11. Which was fascinating and insightful, even though it was written so soon after that tragedy.
The authors expressed that alienation, and cultural isolation can lead to mental breakdown, that leads to identifying with extremist, and destructive, self destructive conformist views. That class and educational status had nothing essentially to do with the profile of the hijackers. Which is to say that our culture now is creating even more isolation aspects, and that is transcending over class, and educational so called superiority. Considering that one of some of the hijackers when middle class, and well educated.
I recommend Liars, Lovers, and Heroes, to anyone who is interested in cultural biology, and brain science.
False Advertising.......2004-05-15
Liars, Lovers and heroes
(What the new brain science reveals about how we become who we are)
:: Speaks in very professional sounding voice::
This book reviewed nature vs. nurture and how evolution and genes may predispose us to a certain personality. It discussed how enormously complex the connections between genes and behavior that make humans what they are.
:: Cuts the crap and talks in real voice::
I would not recommend this book to anyone. The title leads us to believe that this would be a really interesting book full of great tips on how to improve our personality and what we are doing wrong that makes us a liar and not a lover or a hero.
The truth is, this book had almost nothing to do with human personalities and more to do with responses mice had to flashing light patterns or why a fly would turn left or right when it sensed danger. This very educational, and yellow book, was set up so that each chapter had an unnecessarily long paragraph at the beginning explaining what it was about to explain, even though it could have been summed up in two to three sentences. There were also lots of unneeded metaphors added to these paragraphs that seemed to me like they were put in just to make the author sound more clever or for the book about nothing to seem really long and important. (I¡¯ve written many essays that were made by taking one paragraph and turning it into two pages. I know filler when I see it, which is why I should get back to the point¡¦)
My brain is like a Swiss army knife? A collection of special gadgets? Replete with hundreds of metal corkscrews and cognitive tweezers? DUH! I just wasted a whole minute reading a paragraph with sentence after sentence telling me how my brain was like a Swiss army knife. Leave that to a poetry book man, not a scientific one.
¡°Francis Crick¡¯s intuition told him that the connections between neurons were a key to understanding the brain.¡± Good job genius. That wasn¡¯t your intuition. It¡¯s called common sense.
This book must be good for what I call math-people. They are really book smart and have great memories but lack any sort of common sense. This book is basically pointing out common sense theories about the brain and the justifying them. Then giving elaborate stories about various scientists¡¯ lives and how they experienced the result of whatever brain process they were discussing it the chapter.
This book had many good ideas about what could possibly be causing this reaction or that reaction. It had examples of a few studies that have been tested on specific things like subconscious pattern-remembering but a lot of it was a bunch of ¡°what ifs¡± and ¡°it could bes.¡± I found myself wanting to skip over many parts because it would explain the same idea more then once. Most of What they were saying I had heard before and didn¡¯t learn a lot of new stuff. Also, a lot of their ideas I didn¡¯t completely agree with.
I¡¯m going to give you an example of a chapter in this book. Chapter three ¡°how to make a human¡±
It starts out comparing a brain to a computer. WOW! GOSH MR.PHD QUARTS, I¡¯VE NEVER THOUGH OF IT THAT WAY! (This analogy takes five pages of obvious statements about the similarity between computers and brains.) Then it goes into the similarity between us and chimps. (This takes two pages)It does though, give an interesting story about how a family raised a chimp along side their son and the son started to act more like a chimp than the chimp acted like a human. As for example, the 17 month old son would give the chimpanzee-food-call when hungry instead of simply asking for food.
This, also, is mostly obvious because an intelligent animal can always be trained to act less intelligent than it actually is, but a stupid animal can never be trained to act smart.
At this point I was wondering how any of this has to do with making a human let alone a liar, lover or hero. Fortunately though, I have figured out that most of this book really doesn¡¯t have much to do with anything but I keep reading for the grade.
If you were to skim through the next sub chapter you would come across scientists trying out the idea that neurons might actually have blueprints inside of them that tell them exactly what to do like this is some new discovery. ::Bangs head against the wall in pursuit of figuring out how these guys managed to get PhDs:: I¡¯m going to give you guys a hint. Listen closely now. IT¡¯S CALLED DNA. Even Mrs. Sautter knows that, don¡¯t cha Mrs. Sautter? Maybe they should have taken your class. This book was printed in 2002 and they hardly even talk about DNA having much to do with it besides how similar ours is with monkeys.
I¡¯m going to stop going through the chapter now because I think you have a good enough idea of what this book consists of. Also for the reason that this book report is already a page too long. Anyway, I hope I get a good grade on this¡¦ Even though the book deserves an F.
:: this book has been reviewed by the critic Hannah Scott ::
Book Description
This digital document is an article from San Diego Business Journal, published by CBJ, L.P. on February 10, 2003. The length of the article is 1138 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Executive profile: Terrence J. Sejnowski.(professor, University of California, San Diego, California)
Author: Marion Webb
Publication:
San Diego Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 10, 2003
Publisher: CBJ, L.P.
Volume: 24
Issue: 6
Page: 36(1)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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