Mind: Introduction to Cognitive Science

(Paperback, second edition)

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The extraordinary overlap between human and chimpanzee genomes does not result in an equal overlap between human and chimpanzee thoughts, sensations, perceptions, and emotions; there are considerable similarities but also considerable differences between human and nonhuman primate brains. From Monkey Brain to Human Brain uses the latest findings in cognitive psychology, comparative biology, and neuroscience to look at the complex patterns of convergence and divergence in primate cortical organization and function. Several chapters examine the use of modern technologies to study primate brains, analyzing the potentials and the limitations of neuroimaging as well as genetic and computational approaches. Other chapters identify plausible analogs or homologs in nonhuman primates for such human cognitive functions as arithmetic, reading, theory of mind, and altruism; examine the role of parietofrontal circuits in the production and comprehension of actions; analyze the contributions of the prefrontal and cingulate cortices to cognitive control; and explore to what extent visual recognition and visual attention are related in humans and other primates.

Reviews

"This little gem of a book has three major virtues. First, it is easy to read and easy to understand. Second, it clearly states the central thesis of cognitive science and precisely lays out the explanatory patterns underlying various theories of cognition. Third, the book is unique in its presentation of the material, arranging it along various types of knowledge representations such as rules, concepts, and images."--Ashok Goel, College of Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology "The second edition of Mind represents a significant advance for an already excellent book. My enthusiasm for continuing to use Thagard's accessible and consistently informative volume for Berkeley's large Introduction to Cognitive Science course has been fully refreshed, as the updates in the new edition have made it a superb text for undergraduates." Michael Ranney, Graduate School of Education, Department of Psychology, and the Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of California, Berkeley "The second edition of *Mind* represents a significant advance for an already excellent book. My enthusiasm for continuing to use Thagard's accessible and consistently informative volume for Berkeley's large Introduction to Cognitive Science course has been fully refreshed, as the updates in the new edition have made it a superb text for undergraduates."--Michael Ranney, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley

Author Bio

Paul Thagard is Professor of Philosophy, with cross appointments to Psychology and Computer Science, and Director of the Cognitive Science Program at the University of Waterloo. He is the author of Coherence in Thought and Action (MIT Press, 2000).