Beck, one of the founders of cognitive therapy, provides a comprehensive guide to its theory and practice.

    Consciousness, he argues, is nothing less than a magical-mystery show that we stage for ourselves inside our own heads. This self-made show lights up the world for us and makes us feel special and transcendent. Thus consciousness paves the way for spirituality, and allows us, as human beings, to reap the rewards, and anxieties, of living in what Humphrey calls the soul niche.Tightly argued, intellectually gripping, and a joy to read, Soul Dust provides answers to the deepest questions. It shows how the problem of consciousness merges with questions that obsess us all--how life should be lived and the fear of death. Resting firmly on neuroscience and evolutionary theory, and drawing a wealth of insights from philosophy and literature, Soul Dust is an uncompromising yet life-affirming work--one that never loses sight of the majesty and wonder of consciousness.

     Updated edition of this classic account of autism. Includes new sections covering practical and theoretical developments, and a chapter on recent investigations of the neurological basis of psychological impairments in autism. Accessible to a broad general readership.

    Beset from all sides by a never-ending barrage of media, how can we ensure that the most accurate information emerges and is heeded? In this book, Cass R. Sunstein develops a deeply optimisticunderstanding of the human potential to pool information, and to use that knowledge to improve our lives.In an age of information overload, it is easy to fall back on our own prejudices and insulate ourselves with comforting opinions that reaffirm our core beliefs. Crowds quickly become mobs. The justification for the Iraq war, the collapse of Enron, the explosion of the space shuttle Columbia--all ofthese resulted from decisions made by leaders and groups trapped in information cocoons, shielded from information at odds with their preconceptions. How can leaders and ordinary people challenge insular decision making and gain access to the sum of human knowledge?Stunning new ways to share and aggregate information, many Internet-based, are helping companies, schools, governments, and individuals not only to acquire, but also to create, ever-growing bodies of accurate knowledge. Through a ceaseless flurry of self-correcting exchanges, wikis, coveringeverything from politics and business plans to sports and science fiction subcultures, amass--and refine--information. Open-source software enables large numbers of people to participate in technological development. Prediction markets aggregate information in a way that allows companies, rangingfrom computer manufacturers to Hollywood studios, to make better decisions about product launches and office openings. Sunstein shows how people can assimilate aggregated information without succumbing to the dangers of the herd mentality--and when and why the new aggregation techniques are soastoundingly accurate.In a world where opinion and anecdote increasingly compete on equal footing with hard evidence, the on-line effort of many minds coming together might well provide the best path to infotopia.

    It is a word with which we are universally familiar, and a condition that haunts the human imagination. In this Very Short Introduction, Andrew Scull provides a provocative and entertaining examination of the social, cultural, medical, and artistic responses to mental disturbance across more than two millennia, concluding with some observations on the contemporary accounts of mental illness. He shows that through the centuries, in poetry and in prose, in drama and in the visual arts, madness has been on display for all to see. He also describes how a whole industry has grown up, devoted to its management and suppression. Perhaps most important, he conveys how madness profoundly disturbs our common sense assumptions; threatens the social order, both symbolically and practically; creates almost unbearable disruptions in the texture of daily living; and turns our experience and our expectations upside down. Throughout this fascinating history, many fascinating and arresting pictures illuminate the overall portrait of madness in its various contexts.

    A thoroughly revised edition of the much-sought-after early work by Terence and Dennis McKenna that looks at shamanism, altered states of consciousness, and the organic unity of the King Wen sequence of the I Ching.

    This book is not a novel, but a true history of the noted perrson whose name is given above; and although it is not a work of fiction we can safely say that with scenes of thrilling interest, daring exploits and adventures, it can vie with the most sensational novel. The history begins immedciately prior to the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, when the Foster family were living near Hinsdale, N. H. The first part of the book is taken up with the history of the father of the hero of the story, giving an account of his enlistment in the American army, the part he took in the battle of Bunker Hill, and his numerous and daring exploits throughout the whole of the war. When Mr. Foster went to the war his family consisted of his wife, two sons armd a daughter. Nat was the younger son, being nine years old when his father joined the army; but he early learned the skillful use of the rifle, and as deer, moose and other game abounded in the Adirondacks at that time, he did much toward the support of the family during his father’s absence, who when the war was over returned to his home broken down in health, having expended his strength and health in aiding to achieve the independence of his country. To follow Nat Foster from this time to the close of his life in old age, in his wonderful adventures with Indians and daring exploits with wild beasts, would farr exceed the limits of a book notice. One must read the book itself; and whoever begins to read it will not be apt to lay it aside for lack of interest. This book originally published by The Willard Press, in 1912 has been reformatted for the Kindle and may contain an occasional defect from the original publication or from the reformatting.

    An inspirational tale of her journey through extreme personal crisis."You can run, but you can't hide from yourself."Abandoned by her mother as a young child and with a father constantly on the run, Shelley's life was never normal. Her family's involvement with South London's criminal underworld left her isolated, vulnerable and lonely. Falling deeper and deeper into depression and despair - she snapped.Shelley got on the first coach out of London with only the clothes she stood up in and £30 in her pocket. She didn't care where she was going, as long as she could disappear completely from her oppressive life. For years, she lived anonymously in refuges, hostels and on the streets. It would take something remarkable to bring her back to the real world.

    Guided by the hand of fate, they become embroiled in a struggle for tribal dominance which soon escalates to a quest fueled by greed, revenge and desire.Meanwhile, in the lands of the Empire, the Romans continue their designing and incite the tribes to take up the sword against their fellow barbarians, drawing the Heruli into a conflict that could spell their demise.But for the tribes to prosper, Rome has to endure. Ragnar and his companions have to outwit and outfight the Heruli’s ancient enemies to keep the Empire from falling into the hands of the conniving Goths.Ragnar faces overwhelming odds, but the gods have ordained it long before. In the fires of destruction, a new power is being forged – one which is destined to conquer all.

    Reveals True Story of Kill Or Be Killed Shootouts In The Real Wild West.Recently discovered memoir by one of the Old West's most feared (but virtually unknown today) gunfighter's and lawmen puts you behind a pair of Colt .45 six-guns and immerses you in the real life man-on-man fast draw shootouts, hell-bent-for-leather outlaw chases and lead dodgin' narrow escape in the Real Old West.If you've ever wondered what it was like to strap on a six-gun and have a face-off-in-the-street gunfight where only the fastest gunslinger walks away - - then rare eyewitness account of what it was like to live and die in the Real Old West is a must read.

    This new approach to insomnia will change lives." -- Dr W Rosental, Consultant Psychiatrist and Addiction Specialist. Product Description To those who are longing for a good night's sleep To those addicted to sleeping pills To those who would give anything to get over their insomnia To those for whom 'nothing ever seems to work' To every person who has suffered the horror of chronic insomnia, to every insomniac everywhere... ...this is for you The Effortless Sleep Method is the book insomniacs all over the world have been waiting for, even those for whom 'nothing ever works'. This highly practical and hugely effective method offers a simple and permanent solution for long-term and new insomniacs alike. The Effortless Sleep Method gives you something no other sleep aid can - an entirely different way of looking at insomnia. The step-by-step insomnia recovery programme contained in this book doesn't just treat insomnia, it totally undermines it. This is not another dry as dust reference book written by a doctor, but a lively, empowering book which connects the sufferer intimately to one who has gone through the same pain. Many insomnia books follow a similar format: scientific information about sleep, a section on sleep hygiene and a set of relaxation techniques, all interspersed with various case studies. While in some cases this will be helpful in learning how to sleep better, for many, this will never be enough. The chronic insomniac can think his or her way around the sleep hygiene, will doubt the validity of the case studies and will fight the relaxation techniques. The chronic insomniac has been there, done that; the chronic insomniac has an answer for everything. This book is entirely different in its approach to insomnia. Yes, there are practical changes to make, but the real magic lies in the changes it will make to your thinking. Because of this, the approach in the book is not only useful in treating insomnia; once mastered, the principles can be extended into other areas of your life. What will you get from The Effortless Sleep Method? You will discover a truly permanent solution to chronic insomnia, even if you have suffered for decades You may end up sleeping better that you have ever done, Discover the one simple rule which can instantly improve your sleep Learn the secret most doctors won't tell you You will finally understand why 'nothing seems to work', no matter how many remedies and sleep aids you try Learn the astonishing and unexpected ways in which you may be sabotaging your own recovery with everyday talk and activities Hear a new and surprising take on sleep restriction therapy, which explains why it may not have worked for you You will feel empowered, optimistic, acquire a positive outlook and feel more in control of your life in general The ability to sleep soundly, naturally and unaided is the desire of every chronic insomniac. This book will guide you to rediscovering your innate ability to sleep without pills, potions or external sleep aids. When The Effortless Sleep Method is followed properly, the results can be incredible.

    Now a noted authority on infant development and psychiatry brings us closer than ever before to penetrating a your child's consciousness. In alternating sections of evocative prose, representing the baby's own voice, and explanatory text, Daniel Stern draws on the latest research findings to recreate the baby's world."

    The interviewees, ranging from major philosophers to renowned scientists, talk candidly with Blackmore about some of the key philosophical issues confronting us in a series of conversations that are revealing, insightful, and stimulating. They ruminate on the nature of consciousness (is it something apart from the brain?) and discuss if it is even possible to understand the human mind. Some of these thinkers say no, but most believe that we will pierce the mystery surrounding consciousness, and that neuroscience will provide the key. Blackmore goes beyond the issue of consciousness to ask other intriguing questions: Is there free will? (A question which yields many conflicted replies, with most saying yes and no.) If not, how does this effect the way you live your life; and more broadly, how has your work changed the way you live?Paired with an introduction and extensive glossary that provide helpful background information, these provocative conversations illuminate how some of the greatest minds tackle some of the most difficult questions about human nature.

    According to Professor Bruner, cognitive science has set its sights too narrowly on the logical, systematic aspects of mental life--those thought processes we use to solve puzzles, test hypotheses, and advance explanations. There is obviously another side to the mind--a side devoted to the irrepressibly human acts of imagination that allow us to make experience meaningful. This is the side of the mind that leads to good stories, gripping drama, primitive myths and rituals, and plausible historical accounts. Bruner calls it the "narrative mode," and his book makes important advances in the effort to unravel its nature.Drawing on recent work in literary theory, linguistics, and symbolic anthropology, as well as cognitive and developmental psychology, Professor Bruner examines the mental acts that enter into the imaginative creation of possible worlds, and he shows how the activity of imaginary world making undergirds human science, literature, and philosophy, as well as everyday thinking, and even our sense of self.Over twenty years ago, Jerome Bruner first sketched his ideas about the mind's other side in his justly admired book, On Knowing: Essays for the Left Hand. Actual Minds, Possible Worlds can be read as a sequel to this earlier work, but it is a sequel that goes well beyond its predecessor by providing rich examples of just how the mind's narrative mode can be successfully studied. The collective force of these examples points the way toward a more humane and subtle approach to the investigation of how the mind works.

    Robert Lifton constructs these case histories through personal interviews and outlines a thematic pattern of death and rebirth, accompanied by feelings of guilt, that characterizes the process of "thought reform." In a new preface, Lifton addresses the implications of his model for the study of American religious cults.