The Mind's Machine

Additional Book Details

The title, The Minds Machine, introduces the metaphor that lies at the heart of behavioral neurosciencethe mind is a process at work in a machine. The aim of this book is to help students understand, right from the opening paragraphs, that their mental lives are the product of observable physical processes occurring inside the complicated object between their ears, the brain. Toward that end, we have developed a variety of new pedagogical features: Each chapter includes a Visual Summary: a poster-like layout that organizes the material graphically, and directs students to the figures that reinforce each point. A special feature called Researchers at Work highlights important discoveries, illustrating the logic and methodology of experimentation and hypothesis testing. Interim self-test questions (Hows it going?) throughout the chapter help students organize and rehearse what theyve learned along the way. A Step Further Web links offer additional, more advanced material for those students who develop an appetite for more details, or for instructors wishing to make their course a little more challenging. For those instructors who want to tailor the readings more closely to their lectures by skipping certain topics, the chapters have been broken down into discrete Parts, each with its own set of features. The text is supported by a rich array of internet-based resources, including a variety of animations and videos, which students with smartphones can access instantly via QR codes. Almost every page of the new book features a Marginal Glossary, like the one that has been so well received in Biological Psychology.

The Minds Machine provides a unique combination of instructor-friendly flexibility and student-friendly features and examples in an eye-pleasing package.

From the Authors

Students are encountering core concepts in behavioral neuroscience at ever-earlier points in their academic careers, in programs of study ranging from traditional programs in psychology and the other life sciences to fields as diverse as fine art, philosophy, economics, media studies, and linguistics, to name a few. In short, more students than ever are seeking out this material, at a more introductory level than in the past. We wrote The Minds Machine: Foundations of Brain and Behavior to fill this need, aiming to produce an entry-level biological psychology book with streamlined text, gorgeous full-color art, and new pedagogical features designed for students who are new to neuroscience. Compared to Biological Psychology, The Minds Machine focuses more directly on the basics of our field, and does so in an engaging, informal styleshorter, simpler sentences, less technical language, more real-life examples and analogiesdesigned to pique the curiosity of students without sacrificing accuracy.We welcome your comments on the book.

Neil V. Watson, nwatson@sfu.caS. Marc Breedlove, breedsm@msu.edu