A brief look at religion as evolutionary by-product.
Psychiatrist Thomson (Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy/Univ. of Virginia; Facing Bipolar: The Young Adult’s Guide to Dealing with Bipolar Disorder, 2010) takes readers on a very quick tour of evolutionary theory as it relates to religion. His goal is to demonstrate “exactly how and why human minds not only accept the impossible but also have created cults of it.” He maintains that a number of psychological features, resulting from human evolution, have come together over the eons to create, perfect and perpetuate supernatural belief systems. Though the argument has its complexities, he writes, “[i]f you understand the psychology of craving fast food…you can fully comprehend the psychology of religion.” Just as humans now crave foods that were once hard to find (sugar, salt, fats), they also now crave a caretaker, as well as the sense of social belonging and order brought about through religion. But, Thomson cautions, too much of what we crave can be bad for us. While the author is not overtly anti-religious, he does make it clear that he believes religion in modern society is, on the whole, an impediment to humanity. What readers will not be able to ignore, however, is the contradiction Thomson poses to his own argument. He falls into the exact evolutionary trap he has described—of having to believe in something—with his idolization of evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin. He speaks uncritically of Darwin at every turn, begins each chapter with a Darwin quote that he pairs with a scriptural or otherwise religious phrase and speaks of him in such admiring prose that readers will come to see Darwin as the author’s own saint or deliverer. Mildly thought-provoking but unconvincing.
Pub Date: June 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-9844932-1-0
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Pitchstone Publishing
Review Posted Online: June 6, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2011
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Striking research showing the immense complexity of ordinary thought and revealing the identities of the gatekeepers in our...
A psychologist and Nobel Prize winner summarizes and synthesizes the recent decades of research on intuition and systematic thinking.
The author of several scholarly texts, Kahneman (Emeritus Psychology and Public Affairs/Princeton Univ.) now offers general readers not just the findings of psychological research but also a better understanding of how research questions arise and how scholars systematically frame and answer them. He begins with the distinction between System 1 and System 2 mental operations, the former referring to quick, automatic thought, the latter to more effortful, overt thinking. We rely heavily, writes, on System 1, resorting to the higher-energy System 2 only when we need or want to. Kahneman continually refers to System 2 as “lazy”: We don’t want to think rigorously about something. The author then explores the nuances of our two-system minds, showing how they perform in various situations. Psychological experiments have repeatedly revealed that our intuitions are generally wrong, that our assessments are based on biases and that our System 1 hates doubt and despises ambiguity. Kahneman largely avoids jargon; when he does use some (“heuristics,” for example), he argues that such terms really ought to join our everyday vocabulary. He reviews many fundamental concepts in psychology and statistics (regression to the mean, the narrative fallacy, the optimistic bias), showing how they relate to his overall concerns about how we think and why we make the decisions that we do. Some of the later chapters (dealing with risk-taking and statistics and probabilities) are denser than others (some readers may resent such demands on System 2!), but the passages that deal with the economic and political implications of the research are gripping.
Striking research showing the immense complexity of ordinary thought and revealing the identities of the gatekeepers in our minds.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-374-27563-1
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Sept. 3, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011
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