The Way We Think: Conceptual Blending and the Mind's Hidden Complexities

Rating:
Summary: How creative processes and intuition occur
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Worthwhile, but could have been better.
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Not for everyone
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Not for everyone
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Great fulfilling read.
Review: This is an academic treatise. That's unclear from the popsci-like title and subtitle. Nonetheless, it's a very fulfilling work, once you digest it. The authors present their theory of the process by which creative thought operates, called Conceptual Blending. The process is subconscious and pervasive in everyday thought. Essentially, you metaphorically reapply concepts and relationships from the source domain onto a target domain. You're looking right now at a classic example: your computer desktop, where the source is a paper office ("folders", "files", "trash"). There are multiple and flexible ways in how the process operates. And this book deals with its theory, taxonomy, analysis and application. With the awareness obtained after reading this book, you can try to examine your own learning processes. If done with skill, it will aid your learning and imagination. And for the lay reader, that's the best reason to endure this academic work.