Focuses on physical, social and applied athropology, archaeology, linguistics and symbolic communication. Topics include hominid evolution, primate behaviour, genetics, ancient civilizations, cross-cultural studies and social theories.
Science need not be dull and bogged down by jargon, as Richard Dawkins proves in this entertaining look at evolution. The themes he takes up are the concepts of altruistic and selfish behaviour; the genetical definition of selfish interest; the evolution of aggressive behaviour; kinshiptheory; sex ratio theory; reciprocal altruism; deceit; and the natural selection of sex differences. 'Should be read, can be read by almost anyone. It describes with great skill a new face of the theory of evolution.' W.D. Hamilton, Science
"A work of enormous breadth, likely to pleasantly surprise both general readers and experts."—New York Times Book Review This revolutionary book provides fresh answers to long-standing questions of human origins and consciousness. Drawing on his breakthrough research in comparative neuroscience, Terrence Deacon offers a wealth of insights into the significance of symbolic thinking: from the co-evolutionary exchange between language and brains over two million years of hominid evolution to the ethical repercussions that followed man's newfound access to other people's thoughts and emotions. Informing these insights is a new understanding of how Darwinian processes underlie the brain's development and function as well as its evolution. In contrast to much contemporary neuroscience that treats the brain as no more or less than a computer, Deacon provides a new clarity of vision into the mechanism of mind. It injects a renewed sense of adventure into the experience of being human.
Fully revised and updated for the seventh edition, this market-leading dictionary is the perfect guide for anyone studying biology, either at school or university. With more than 5,500 clear and concise entries, it provides comprehensive coverage of biology, biophysics, and biochemistry. Over 250 new entries include terms such as Broca's area, comparative genomic hybridization, mirror neuron, and Pandoravirus. Appendices include classifications of the animal and plant kingdoms, the geological time scale, major mass extinctions of species, model organisms and their genomes, Nobel prizewinners, and a new appendix on evolution. Entry-level web links to online resources can be accessed via a companion website.
An eye-opening game-changer of a book that sheds new light on how horses learn, think, perceive, and perform, and explains how to work with the horse’s brain instead of against it. In this illuminating book, brain scientist and horsewoman Janet Jones describes human and equine brains working together. Using plain language, she explores the differences and similarities between equine and human ways of negotiating the world. Mental abilities—like seeing, learning, fearing, trusting, and focusing—are discussed from both human and horse perspectives. Throughout, true stories of horses and handlers attempting to understand each other—sometimes successfully, sometimes not—help to illustrate the principles. Horsemanship of every kind depends on mutual interaction between equine and human brains. When we understand the function of both, we can learn to communicate with horses on their terms instead of ours. By meeting horses halfway, we achieve many goals. We improve performance. We save valuable training time. We develop much deeper bonds with our horses. We handle them with insight and kindness instead of force or command. We comprehend their misbehavior in ways that allow solutions. We reduce the human mistakes we often make while working with them. Instead of working against the horse’s brain, expecting him to function in unnatural and counterproductive ways, this book provides the information needed to ride with the horse’s brain. Each principle is applied to real everyday issues in the arena or on the trail, often illustrated with true stories from the author’s horse training experience. Horse Brain, Human Brain offers revolutionary ideas that should be considered by anyone who works with horses.
Three hundred entries by leading scholars in a variety of fields--from anthropology and literary theory to linguistics and philosophy--survey the study of signs and symbols in human culture in this new work. The articles cover key concepts, theories, theorists, schools, and issues in communications, cognition, and cultural theory. From introductions to Barthes and Bakhtin to analyses of gossip and myth, this is a valuable reference for students and scholars.
"This set of books represents a detailed compendium of authoritative, research-based entries that define the contemporary state of knowledge on technology"--Provided by publisher.
Neuroscience is a comprehensive textbook created primarily for medical and premedical students; it emphasises the structure of the nervous system, the correlation of structure and function, and the structure/function relationships particularly pertinent to the practice of medicine. Although not primarily about pathology, the book includes the basis of a variety of neurological disorders. It could serve equally well as a text for undergraduate neuroscience courses in which many of the students are premeds. Being both comprehensive and authoritative, it is also appropriate for graduate and professional use. The new edition offers a host of new features including a new art program and the completely revised Sylvius for Neuroscience: Visual Glossary of Human Neuroanatomy, an interactive CD-ROM reference guide to the human nervous system. Major changes to the new edition also include: additional neuroanatomical content, including two appendices-(1) The Brainstem and Cranial Nerves and (2) Vascular Supply, the Meninges, and the Ventricular System; and updated and new boxes on neurological and psychiatric diseases.