Buy Used

$8.72

+ $0.00 shipping

Select delivery location

Used: Like New | Details

Sold by ThriftBooks - Motor City

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

25 used & new from $8.72

Select delivery location

See All Buying Options

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 2 images

When Wish Replaces Thought Hardcover – February 1, 1991

by Steven Goldberg (Author)

3 customer reviews

See all 4 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$10.12

—

Hardcover

"Please retry"

—

$23.89

$6.00

This rigorous analysis of current social issues exposes the ways in which public debate has been confused by moral and political dogma.

Among educated people there is a constellation of accepted "truths" about the world. Often only superficially plausible, they are uncontested because they reflect much of what the public wishes to believe. In this book, Steven Goldberg examines the scientific question of how the world does work, not the moral/political question of how it should work, reminding the reader that while neither logic nor science can ever enable someone to select a moral or political position, conclusions based on a faulty view of the world are always unsuccessful.

In Part One - "Why We Behave as We Do" - Goldberg examines the death penalty; the questions of "normality"; the meaning of behavioral cause; the theory of patriarchy; myths (and truths) about black athletic superiority; and the value of standardized tests.

In Part Two - "Why We View the World as We Do" - he examines the truths in stereotypes; the logical structure of Freudian theory; the "correct" use of language; the abortion issue; and science, social science, and bad social science.

Because Goldberg addresses widely held but erroneous beliefs with an energetic logic rarely found in writings on these subjects, this volume is a refreshingly direct response to our "politically correct" times.

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Steven Goldberg

19

Paperback
26 offers from $14.68
John Derbyshire

46

Hardcover
$19.88
Steven Goldberg

3

Hardcover
21 offers from $19.85
Steven Goldberg

3

Hardcover
$87.40
Julius Evola

36

Hardcover
$19.91
Lawrence E. Harrison

50

Paperback
$11.59

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Steven Goldberg

19

Paperback
26 offers from $14.68
Steven Goldberg

3

Hardcover
21 offers from $19.85
Steven Goldberg

6

Paperback
10 offers from $95.00

Product details

Hardcover: 216 pages
Publisher: Prometheus Books; First Edition edition (February 1, 1991)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0879757116
ISBN-13: 978-0879757113
Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 0.9 x 9.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
Average Customer Review: 3 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,272,921 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2539 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > History & Surveys
- #25623 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Sociology
- #82840 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

NO_CONTENT_IN_FEATURE

Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars

5 star

4 star (0%)

3 star

2 star (0%)

1 star (0%)

Write a customer review

See all 3 customer reviews

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Phil Morgan

Meh... I simply did not enjoy reading this book

September 23, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I found this book too abstract to be an enjoyable read. I got half way through this book and just couldn't keep going. The author spends an inordinate amount of time defending something he wrote much(?) earlier called 'Patriarchy' (with references to other titled works too). It simply got tiresome and boring to read! (and it was hard to follow because I was not familiar with the other works). Another really annoying thing about this book... the author uses end-notes vice footnotes, which is really inconvenient! I was unable to simply look to the bottom of a page to see what additional info was being added or further explained... I had to flip fwd to the end of the whole chapter, and by then, I frequently lost my place (annoying!). I may end up finishing this book (3 stars because the intro describing "Why we behave as we do" was pretty good, and some of the remaining chapters look interesting (e.g., "Are Stereotypes True?"and "Sociology: Uncommon Sense, Common Sense, or Nonsense?)

Helpful

Not Helpful

Comment

A. Howard

Superb!! Just the Facts, Ma'am.

January 18, 2011

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This book, a collection of lectures by Professor Goldberg, is absolutely superb. That much of it is perceived as controversial or that it pokes at long-held and politically-sensitive assumptions is of no interest to him; he's just interested in the facts. He cuts through "b.s." like a hot knife through butter. A basic understanding of statistics and logic might help to better appreciate the book, but all that's really required is some common sense and an open mind.

This is a tremendous book that I continually refer to and always invoke when debating people who cling to all the politically correct assumptions of our day.

12 people found this helpful

Comment

January 5, 2012

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This books takes an objective almost value neutral view based on stats and without the influence of political correctness or the party line from one side or the other. Very interesting and insightful. If you are in the field of studies involving sociology and have not read this side of things to check your bias against you have missed a perspective that might help you gain a view to the truth of the way society functions.

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

Not Helpful

Comment