The Political Mind: A Cognitive Scientist's Guide to Your Brain and Its Politics - Softcover

Lakoff, George

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0143115685 ISBN 13: 9780143115687

Publisher: Penguin Books, 2009

Synopsis

A groundbreaking scientific examination of the way our brains understand politics from a New York Times bestselling author

One of the world 's best-known linguists and cognitive scientists, George Lakoff has a knack for making science make sense for general readers. In his new book, Lakoff spells out what cognitive science has discovered about reason, and reveals that human reason is far more interesting than we thought it was. Reason is physical, mostly unconscious, metaphorical, emotion-laden, and tied to empathy-and there are biological explanations behind our moral and political thought processes. His call for a New Enlightenment is a bold and striking challenge to the cherished beliefs not only of philosophers, but of pundits, pollsters, and political leaders. The Political Mind is a passionate, erudite, and groundbreaking book that will appeal to anyone interested in how the mind works and how we function socially and politically.

About this title

About the Author:

George Lakoff is the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Science and Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1972. He previously taught at Harvard and the University of Michigan. He graduated from MIT in 1962 (in mathematics and literature) and received his PhD in linguistics from Indiana University in 1966. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Don't Think of an Elephant!, among other works, and is America's leading expert on the framing of political ideas.

From AudioFile:

To understand why conservative Republicans are so effective at shifting public opinion, you have to understand how their message resonates with our minds physiologically. It is not a matter of logic or argument, says the author. It's how the message integrates with the "framing stories" of our mind and culture. Lakoff explores these points at great length. As a result, this book is best listened to in pieces, rather than at length. Treat it more like a series of college lectures than an audiobook. Some points are so complex that listeners are urged to print out pages from the publisher's Website to follow along. Kent Cassella is an able narrator, rendering the complicated material as accessible as possible. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0143115685
• ISBN 13: 9780143115687
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320