The Way We Think: Conceptual Blending And The Mind's Hidden Complexities [Paperback]

Gilles Fauconnier (Author), Mark Turner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2003

In its first two decades, much of cognitive science focused on such mental functions as memory, learning, symbolic thought, and language acquisition --the functions in which the human mind most closely resembles a computer. But humans are more than computers, and the cutting-edge research in cognitive science is increasingly focused on the more mysterious, creative aspects of the mind. The Way We Think is a landmark synthesis that exemplifies this new direction. The theory of conceptual blending is already widely known in laboratories throughout the world; this book is its definitive statement. Gilles Fauconnier and Mark Turner argue that all learning and all thinking consist of blends of metaphors based on simple bodily experiences. These blends are then themselves blended together into an increasingly rich structure that makes up our mental functioning in modern society. A child's entire development consists of learning and navigating these blends. The Way We Think shows how this blending operates; how it is affected by (and gives rise to) language, identity, and concept of category; and the rules by which we use blends to understand ideas that are new to us. The result is a bold, exciting, and accessible new view of how the mind works.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Conceptual blending, a process that operates below the level of consciousness and involves connecting two concepts to create new meaning, can be used to explain abstract thought, creativity, and language. It is, according to the authors, "at the heart of imagination." This theory, an outcome of a 1992 project led by Fauconnier (chair, cognitive science, Univ. of California, San Diego) and Turner (chair, English, Univ. of Maryland), describes a basic mental operation that is unique to the human species. Numerous examples are offered to illustrate conceptual blending and to demonstrate how it may play out in different "conceptual niches." Blends, which occur constantly without our awareness, are critical for the creation of emergent meanings and "global insight." The authors further argue that language surfaced naturally once the capacity for blending had developed to a critical level about 50,000 years ago. This theory requires a language of its own, generating such terms as counterfactual thinking, compression, projection, and vital relations. While skillfully written, the text, like the human mind, is rather complex. Recommended for cognitive science collections in academic libraries. Laurie Bartolini, Illinois State Lib., Springfield
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"The Way We Think is a dazzling tour of the complexities of human imagination." -- George Lakoff, co-author of Philosophy in the Flesh and Where Mathematics Comes From

"An absorbing read." -- Wired

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465087868
• ISBN-13: 978-0465087860
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

86 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for everyone, June 7, 2002

By 

D. Austin "Stutty" (Germany) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Way We Think: Conceptual Blending and The Mind's Hidden Complexities (Hardcover)

I think at some level this is a book that wants to live in two worlds, Academia, and the New York Times Bestseller List. But to live on the NYTBL, the text must understandable to the lay-reader, and this book is not "Cognitive Science for Dummies." Instead, the majority of this book is an exhaustive taxonomy of conceptual blending and its many parts in dry technical language. As an academic work, it may be brilliant, but I am not qualified to render that judgment. I only wished that while reading it, I had an instructor to go to for clarification. I did not have the background necessary to fully enjoy the intricacies of the subject matter. That said, I am still glad that I read it.

Blending is the capacity to take two mental spaces, and connect them in certain ways such that a blended mental space emerges. What the reader finds in this book is that this sub-conscious mental facility is always at work, and that it is humans' advanced blending operations that in effect separate us from any other species on the planet. It is our heightened ability to blend that gave rise to art, science, and language.

The best thing I took away from this read was a fascinating theory of the origin of language. It is well written and defended with rigorous logic.

It is important to consider who should really read it though. It has potentially profound implications to the poet, the painter, the AI researcher, the philosopher, the teacher, and the parent, but I think one should also consider if they have the basis necessary to really "dig" what is being said here. I didn't, although I reiterate, I am glad I read it. So I guess the prerequisites are one three credit class in Cognitive Studies or Philosophy of Language. Alternatively, the neophyte could survive given the time and fortitude to do the research that will assist in making sense of this book as he goes along.

Last note. If you do decide to read this one, make sure that you divine your own answer to the Buddhist Monk riddle before moving on to the next chapter, no matter how long it takes to achieve the answer. Doing this will really give you "global insight" into the difference between forms understanding and the development of a successful blend.

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How creative processes and intuition occur, August 19, 2002

By 

Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Way We Think: Conceptual Blending and The Mind's Hidden Complexities (Hardcover)

Conceptual blending, the basis of this book, is basically the ability of the mind to take two different concepts, form a cognitive link between them and produce a third new concept that is a blending together of the first two (very similar to the thesis, antithesis and synthesis concepts). This ability is what has allowed the human species to move beyond simple logic into creative thinking. It is what has allowed us to excel in arts, develop religious thought, create a language and engage in many other activities that required insight and intuitive thinking. "The Way We Think" provides detailed analysis of this blending and how it not only has affected our past but also how it affects us today.

Filled with numerous examples to help the reader understand the nuances of conceptual blending and how it works in various scenarios, it is a fascinating read. This is not easy reading for those who are not at least somewhat knowledgeable in the area of cognitive sciences. I would consider it a very valuable academic text but not for the average lay reader. There are less complex books available on this subject that would make easier reading for the novice but this is one of the best academic level books available if you want a more complete understanding of conceptual blending and how we are able to blend concepts to create new levels of knowledge. A highly recommended read for technical oriented people.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worthwhile, but could have been better., December 21, 2004

By 

algo41 "algo41" (philadelphia, pa United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Way We Think: Conceptual Blending and The Mind's Hidden Complexities (Hardcover)

Fauconnier and Turner argue that in the recent human past, e.g. 50,000 years ago, humans developed the capability to think in new ways, what they call double scope blending. This then led to both a cultural explosion, and speech. In writing a book like this, the authors face a dilemma: in arguing for their theories they would like to show the weaknesses of competing theories, but if they are writing for the general reader, this may mean devoting lots of time to first explaining the competitive theories. In discussing the origins of speech, they were able to accomplish this reasonably well, but elsewhere the book had brief allusions to other theories which I found of little value, as a layman reader The authors mostly do a nice job illustrating their concepts, although some of the examples do require some math background, and one small example even requires a knowledge of French (no interpretation given), and this all could have been avoided. My major problem with the book is that I think the authors are trying to make more of their ideas than is really there: what they have shown is that blending seems to be ONE insightful way of imaging how higher level thought proceeds. Had they been content with this, and less breathless in their account, they could have written a shorter, more focused, better book. Nor have they convinced me that primitive speech, based on the "simplex" network, using their terminology, wouldn't have been useful, and not required the capability to do double scope blending: thus speech could have evolved more slowly, along with the capability of physically making a variety of sounds, and mental capacities. Furthermore, the authors seems to look at the historical record and see what they want to, stating points of view as facts: for example, I believe there are still reputable scientists who believe that the Neanderthals might have had religious/artistic capabilities.