Lessons from an Optical Illusion : On Nature and Nurture, Knowledge and Values

Hardcover with jacket. Good condition. Signed and dedicated by the author, on the reverse of the half title page. Ex Library, from the Oxford University. The protective sleeve of the jacket is torn on the rear upper leading corner. Labels on the jacket spine, front pastedown and FEP, plus some residue on the same endpaper. Stamps on the page block and one or two pages. Binding is sound; all text and images are clear. CM

A fascinating tour beyond the old nature-nurture debate to reveal the 'startling degree to which facts are our creation and values are woven into the fabric of the world.'

ÝPeter¨ Kramer Ýauthor of "Listening to Prozac"¨ particularly enjoys books that stand on the boundary of psychiatry and philosophy. He says "Lessons from an Optical Illusion..".is a stunning and overlooked example. 'Hundert begins with the question of how we construct reality. He walks readers through the contributions of Kant, Descartes, and Hegel before admixing the findings of neurobiology. Hundert shows how clarifying cognitive science can be for central problems of Western philosophy.'

[Peter] Kramer [author of Listening to Prozac ] particularly enjoys books that stand on the boundary of psychiatry and philosophy. He says Lessons from an Optical Illusion ...is a stunning and overlooked example. 'Hundert begins with the question of how we construct reality. He walks readers through the contributions of Kant, Descartes, and Hegel before admixing the findings of neurobiology. Hundert shows how clarifying cognitive science can be for central problems of Western philosophy.'

[Peter] Kramer [author of "Listening to Prozac"] particularly enjoys books that stand on the boundary of psychiatry and philosophy. He says "Lessons from an Optical Illusion,.".is a stunning and overlooked example. 'Hundert begins with the question of how we construct reality. He walks readers through the contributions of Kant, Descartes, and Hegel before admixing the findings of neurobiology. Hundert shows how clarifying cognitive science can be for central problems of Western philosophy.'

The author, a psychiatrist with credentials in clinical psychiatry and philosophy, draws on both fields and on neurophysiology to examine, in this scholarly and sophisticated text, the historical development of the nature-nurture question...For those in psychiatry, as in other fields of the behavioral sciences, the book offers a thought-provoking invitation to reassess some of these assumptions. This is a significant and unique contribution to the field of mental health that should be read by all those who work in it.--William Hausman "Readings: A Journal of Reviews and Commentary in Mental Health "

Hundert takes us on an exhilarating journey into the maze of interconnections of mind and nature, sweeping over contemporary research in a variety of fields...The ideas are clearly and forcefully presented [and] he provides laypersons and experts with a fascinating glimpse into the convergence of different perspectives on mind and nature.--H. C. Byerly "Choice "

Breathtaking...One of the most informative, amusing, knowledgeable, and inspiring readings in the decade of the brain on its results so far.--Christoph Mundt "American Journal of Psychiatry "

Edward Hundert takes us on a fascinating journey through time, revealing the evolution of thought about the functioning of the human mind. This important book captures the sometimes startling ways nature and nurture can combine as we strive toward the fulfillment of our human potential. Hundert offers great food for thought, along with much humor and wisdom, as we reflect upon our responsibility for the human future.--Jonas Salk

"Lessons from an Optical Illusion" serves at once as a clear introduction and an original contribution to two important fields, philosophy and neuroscience. In Dr. Hundert's hands, cognitive science provides a new key to central problems of epistemology, beginning with the question of how the self discovers or constructs the world. This book is one of those overlooked gems that deserves much wider recognition and readership than it has so far received.--Peter D. Kramer, author of "Listening to Prozac" and "Should You Leave?"

An extraordinary synthesis that gathers in not only evolutionary theory but epistemology, brain development, ethics, and aesthetics in a seemingly effortless, natural, and convincing way. Hundert is both a forceful thinker and a gentle, steady, teacher. This small book could become a general guide for how moderns should think.--Leston Havens, author of Making Contact and Coming to Life

Lessons from an Optical Illusion serves at once as a clear introduction and an original contribution to two important fields, philosophy and neuroscience. In Dr. Hundert's hands, cognitive science provides a new key to central problems of epistemology, beginning with the question of how the self discovers or constructs the world. This book is one of those overlooked gems that deserves much wider recognition and readership than it has so far received.--Peter D. Kramer, author of Listening to Prozac and Should You Leave?