Encyclopedia of the Mind

Encyclopedia of the Mind

It′s hard to conceive of a topic of more broad and personal interest than the study of the mind. In addition to its traditional investigation by the disciplines of psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience, the mind has also been a focus of study in the fields of philosophy, economics, anthropology, linguistics, computer science, molecular biology, education, and literature. In all these approaches, there is an almost universal fascination with how the mind works and how it affects our lives and our behavior. Studies of the mind and brain have crossed many exciting thresholds in recent years, and the study of mind now represents a thoroughly cross-disciplinary effort. Researchers from a wide range of disciplines seek answers to such questionsas: What is mind? How does it operate? What is consciousness? This encyclopedia brings together scholars from the entire range of mind-related academic disciplines from across the arts and humanities, social sciences, life sciences, and computer science and engineering to explore the multidimensional nature of the human mind. The mind has been covered within works of a differing primary topic, such as philosophy or brain biology, but has not had its own dedicated, comprehensive reference source. This two-volume set is a thorough treatment of a wide array of topics related to the mind. Additionally, Pashler and his contributors utilize interdisciplinary approaches to provide readers with multiple perspectives. The set is organized in traditional encyclopedic fashion, from A–Z. However, the book does include a “Reader’s Guide,” which organizes the entries into 22 broad categories, including “Action and Motor Control,” “Consciousness,” “Language and Communication,” “Personality,” and others. Within each of these major areas, there are subcategories that identify more granular approaches within the major category, such as “Philosophical Perspectives,” “Computational Perspectives,” and “Neural Basis.” Each entry provides a brief introduction that includes the definition of the term or concept and a context for current understanding of the topic. The entry then contains relevant subsections that address various facets of each topic. Each section concludes with a see also list and a section of further readings that includes seminal works on the topic. The two volumes have a highly detailed index and excellent cross-referencing. Intended to be an introduction to the topic, The Encyclopedia of the Mind would be a meaningful addition to community-college and undergraduate libraries. The interdisciplinary approach and inclusion of multiple perspectives allow readers to gain understanding of the complexity of the mind and the different disciplines it reaches across. The arrangement and subject access through the “Reader’s Guide” provide ease of access to the information within this set, making it user-friendly for both novice users and those with subject expertise. --Janet Pinkley "...More than 300 scholars worldwide, with multidisciplinary expertise, contributed to this work.... The strengths of this new encyclopedia are its currency and its breadth and depth in exploring the multidimensional nature of the human mind. This extensive, highly informative publication will be a great reference resource for professionals, researchers, and students concentrating on cognitive science and related disciplines. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above." -- M. Slobodinsky Published On: 2013-07-01 This two-volume set "is a cross-disciplinary effort to convey the latest information related to studies 52 Against the Grain I December 2012- January 2013 of the mind and brain "from not just the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience but also the fields of philosophy, economics, anthropology, linguistics, computer science, molecular biology, education, and literature. -- Tom Gilson ― Against the Grain Published On: 2013-01-01 Intended to be an introduction to the topic, The Encyclopedia of the Mind would be a meaningful addition to community-college and undergraduate libraries. The interdisciplinary approach and inclusion of multiple perspectives allow readers to gain understanding of the complexity of the mind and the different disciplines it reaches across. The arrangement and subject access through the "Reader’s Guide" provide ease of access to the information within this set, making it user-friendly for both novice users and those with subject expertise. -- Janet Pinkley ― Booklist Published On: 2013-05-15 Best for college-level readers seeking information in the fields of cognitive science, philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience. -- Christine Sharbrough ― Library Journal Published On: 2013-05-01 Editor Harold Pashler does a good job in collecting the writings of disparate specialists in psychology under one umbrella... were I still employed in the field of psychology I would value access to this work, either as a hard copy, or in the online