Cognitive Science: An Introduction to the Study of Mind (Paperback)

~ Jay Daniels Friedenberg (Author), Dr. Gordon Silverman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Cognitive Science offers a well-developed summary of the major theoretical disciplines involved in cognitive science. Friedenberg and Silverman have written a clear and comprehensive text that will be an invaluable guide for both students and cognitive science teachers. This work offers an engaging, informative, and up-to-date discussion of both historical development and the current practice of cognitive science." (Thomas D. Parsons Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of books )

Product Description

This landmark text introduces the novice reader to what great thinkers think about thought. Unlike most texts, authors Jay Friedenberg and Gordon Silverman use a theoretical, rather than empirical, approach to examine the most important theories of mind from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. While experiments are discussed, they are used primarily to illustrate the specific characteristics of a model.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc; 1 edition (September 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1412925681
• ISBN-13: 978-1412925686
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #695,961 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars DO NOT USE THIS TEXTBOOK, December 18, 2006

By	Max Martin (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What a horrible book. If you are a professor looking for a textbook for an interdisciplinary cognitive science class, absolutely DO NOT use this one. If you want to learn anything about the subject, DO NOT buy it. This horrible excuse for a textbook was written by a couple of psychologists who obviously don't know the first thing about philosophy, AI, computer science, or any of the other topics they attempt to address. An inordinately large amount of text is devoted to a complete history of psychology, while philosophical issues crucial to the field are given the short shrift.

Not only is the material in the book of reprehensible quality, it is presented in an embarrassingly slipshod manner. I can't imagine how a publisher could print this book and still respect themselves. The illustrations from the book consist of clip art and worse, and consistently look pixelly and distorted. As if it weren't bad enough that the material is second-rate, it's cheaply presented with useless and confusing diagrams and tables.

All in all, my undergraduate class could have put together a better text. Throughout the course we were consistently correcting and refuting the text. Our professor only ordered it for the class because he had not read it. This book is a waste of time, money, trees, effort, and space. Avoid it at all costs.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Excuse my language, but this book sucks, March 10, 2007

By	outboardbrain - See all my reviews

I totally agree with the previous negative review, so I'll just add my own disappointments here. I am currently taking a cognitive science course, and this is the textbook we're using. It's new this year, and I have a hunch it won't be on the menu for next semester.

It seems like at least a third of the text in this book is dedicated to sentences like this: "We have just now read [topic A], which was [description of topic A], and next we will cover topic B, and after that we'll cover topic C." This fluff/dust makes the book hard to read, and there is very little "meat" in between.

Here's an actual quote that made me laugh out loud this morning: (page 167)
"Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT). This technique was first developed in the 1970s. [short explanation of what it is, then new paragraph: ] Positron Emission Tomography (PET). This imaging proceedure (developed in the 1980s) was developed later than computerized axial tomography." Well, how about that, they even attempt to teach me about time: the 1980s came after the 1970s!!

Don't buy this book.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and Useful, December 29, 2006

By	Christian Brown (New York) - See all my reviews

I read "Cognitive Science An Introduction to the Study of Mind" not for a course requirement, but because I was interested in the topic. The book provided a comprehensive and readable account of this new field. It explained ideas in a way that I could follow, not having had any specialized training in the different areas. The figures effectively broke up the text and helped to explain and expand upon concepts introduced in the chapters. The exercises and web links at the chapter endings invite to reiterate and explore topics in greater detail. There was also a web site with practice exams and electronic flash cards. I can see that it would be useful for an undergraduate if assigned for a course.