Blueprint

Author: Robert Plomin
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262357763
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 294

Book Description
A top behavioral geneticist argues DNA inherited from our parents at conception can predict our psychological strengths and weaknesses. This “modern classic” on genetics and nature vs. nurture is “one of the most direct and unapologetic takes on the topic ever written” (Boston Review). In Blueprint, behavioral geneticist Robert Plomin describes how the DNA revolution has made DNA personal by giving us the power to predict our psychological strengths and weaknesses from birth. A century of genetic research shows that DNA differences inherited from our parents are the consistent lifelong sources of our psychological individuality—the blueprint that makes us who we are. Plomin reports that genetics explains more about the psychological differences among people than all other factors combined. Nature, not nurture, is what makes us who we are. Plomin explores the implications of these findings, drawing some provocative conclusions—among them that parenting styles don't really affect children's outcomes once genetics is taken into effect. This book offers readers a unique insider’s view of the exciting synergies that came from combining genetics and psychology.

I Pony

Author: Vermin Supreme
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781945173233
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
What does a future with Vermin Supreme as the President of the United States look like? Free ponies! Zombie-powered energy! Flying winged monkeys! The action is haunting and hilarious in this novella from Vermin Supreme--featuring original art from several artists, including Tony Millionaire (Maakies).

Blueprint

Author: Nicholas A. Christakis
Publisher: Little, Brown Spark
ISBN: 0316230057
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 508

Book Description
"A dazzlingly erudite synthesis of history, philosophy, anthropology, genetics, sociology, economics, epidemiology, statistics, and more" (Frank Bruni, The New York Times), Blueprint shows why evolution has placed us on a humane path -- and how we are united by our common humanity. For too long, scientists have focused on the dark side of our biological heritage: our capacity for aggression, cruelty, prejudice, and self-interest. But natural selection has given us a suite of beneficial social features, including our capacity for love, friendship, cooperation, and learning. Beneath all of our inventions -- our tools, farms, machines, cities, nations -- we carry with us innate proclivities to make a good society. In Blueprint, Nicholas A. Christakis introduces the compelling idea that our genes affect not only our bodies and behaviors, but also the ways in which we make societies, ones that are surprisingly similar worldwide. With many vivid examples -- including diverse historical and contemporary cultures, communities formed in the wake of shipwrecks, commune dwellers seeking utopia, online groups thrown together by design or involving artificially intelligent bots, and even the tender and complex social arrangements of elephants and dolphins that so resemble our own -- Christakis shows that, despite a human history replete with violence, we cannot escape our social blueprint for goodness. In a world of increasing political and economic polarization, it's tempting to ignore the positive role of our evolutionary past. But by exploring the ancient roots of goodness in civilization, Blueprint shows that our genes have shaped societies for our welfare and that, in a feedback loop stretching back many thousands of years, societies are still shaping our genes today.

HTML5

Author: Adam McDaniel
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 111820476X
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Book Description
Use the latest version of HTML to create dynamic Web pages HTML5 is the latest iteration of the standard markup language for creating Web pages. It boasts extensive updates from its predecessor and allows you to incorporate rich media content into a site without any dependence on extra software such as Flash. Packed with hundreds of screen shots, this visual guide introduces you to the many new features and abilities of HTML5 and shows you the many exciting new possibilities that exist for designing dynamic Web pages. Offers visual learners a solid reference on HTML5, the latest version of the standard markup language for designing Web pages Demonstrates how to use HTML5 to create Web pages that feature the latest in rich media content Provides easy-to-understand examples that cover a variety of topics to get you up and running with HTML5 Features a companion Web site that contains all the code needed to learn HTML5 HTML5: Your visual blueprint for designing effective Web pages opens your eyes to the world of possibilities that exist with the new version of the popular markup language. Adam R. McDaniel is a Web developer, technical architect, and security analyst, who has contributed to the Linux Kernel.

A Theory of Everyone

Author: Michael Muthukrishna
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 026204837X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 449

Book Description
A blueprint for a better future that offers a unified theory of human behavior, culture, and society. Playing on the phrase “a theory of everything” from physics, Michael Muthukrishna’s ambitious, original, and deeply hopeful book A Theory of Everyone draws on the most recent research from across the sciences, humanities, and the emerging field of cultural evolution to paint a panoramic picture of who we are and what exactly makes human beings different from all other forms of life on the planet. Muthukrishna argues that it is our unique ability to create culture, a shared body of knowledge, skills, and experience passed on from generation to generation, that has enabled our current dominance. But it is only by understanding and applying the laws of life—the need for energy, innovation, cooperation, and evolution—that we can solve the practical and existential challenges we face as a species. A Theory of Everyone attempts to provide solutions for the most pressing problems of our collective future, such as polarization, inequality, the “great stagnation” in productivity, and the energy crisis. Casting a bold and wide net, Muthukrishna’s book is a must-read for anyone interested in a better future for ourselves and for generations to come.

A Student's Guide to Developmental Psychology

Author: Margaret Harris
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040155448
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 492

Book Description
Now in its second edition, this fundamental undergraduate textbook provides students with everything they need when studying developmental psychology. Thoroughly revised, this book breaks down key topics into easily accessible concepts and provides students with both an overview of traditional research and theory as well as an insight into the latest research findings and techniques. Taking a chronological approach, the key milestones from birth to adolescence are highlighted and clear links between changes in behaviour and developments in brain activity are made. A new chapter provides a global perspective on development, including findings regarding children’s motor, cognitive, literacy, social and emotional development, as well as the importance of cross-cultural studies and their challenges. Each chapter also highlights both typical and atypical developments, as well as discussing and contrasting the effects of genetic and environmental factors. This textbook comes with a wealth of carefully updated pedagogical features, designed to help students engage with the material, including: • Learning objectives for every chapter • Key term definitions • Over 100 colour illustrations • Chapter summaries • Further reading • Suggested essay questions. A Student’s Guide to Developmental Psychology is accompanied by a support material package, featuring a range of helpful supplementary resources including exclusive video clips to illustrate key developmental concepts, multiple-choice questions, flashcards and more. This book is essential reading for all undergraduate students of developmental psychology. It will also be of interest to those in education, healthcare and other subjects requiring an up-to-date and accessible overview of child development.

Evolutionary Psychology

Author: Will Reader
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 100089701X
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 169

Book Description
Evolutionary Psychology: The Basics is a jargon-free and accessible introduction to evolutionary psychology, which examines behaviour, thoughts, and emotions in relation to evolutionary theory. Reader and Workman outline how evolutionary thinking can enhance the core areas of psychology: social, developmental, biological, cognitive, and individual differences/abnormal psychology. Covering topics such as genetics and natural selection, mate choice, culture, morality, mental health, and childhood, among others, the book integrates psychology into the biological sciences and explains the different approaches in the field by evaluating current and past evolutionary research and theory. Key studies and theories are explored in an accessible way, with the work of key evolutionary and behavioural scientists from Darwin to Dawkins examined and explained. Including a glossary and further reading, this is the essential introduction to evolutionary psychology for students of psychology and related areas, and academics and researchers, as well as anyone interested in learning more about this fascinating field.

Developmental Science

Author: Marc H. Bornstein
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040108849
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 883

Book Description
Developmental Science: An Advanced Textbook is the most complete and up-to-date advanced introduction to the field available today. Since its initial publication, the key purpose of this advanced textbook has been to furnish inclusive developmental perspectives on all theoretical, methodological, and substantive areas in developmental science. This eighth edition is no exception, as it continues to underscore the dynamic and exciting status of contemporary developmental science. In this eighth edition, Marc H. Bornstein and Michael E. Lamb have invited international experts to prepare original, comprehensive, and topical treatments of all major areas of developmental science; they are masterfully woven into a single coherent volume. The substantive chapters cover essentials of their main topics, with close attention paid to cultural, lifespan, and applied perspectives. Many chapters in this eighth edition are new, and those carried forward from the seventh edition have been extensively revised. This volume therefore represents faithfully the current status of scholarly efforts in all aspects of developmental science. Ideal for advanced undergraduate and introductory graduate courses, this advanced textbook is accompanied by two sets of supplementary materials: pedagogy files for students include chapter outlines, things to think about before reading the chapters, glossaries, and suggested readings; and ancillary files for instructors include a PowerPoint deck of tables and figures, classroom assignments, essay questions, multiple-choice questions, and short-answer questions.

Individual differences in early instructed language learning

Author: Raphael Berthele
Publisher: Language Science Press
ISBN: 3961103240
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 254

Book Description
Variability in predispositions for language learning has attracted scholarly curiosity for over 100 years. Despite major changes in theoretical explanations and foreign/second language teaching paradigms, some patterns of associations between predispositions and learning outcomes seem timelessly robust. This book discusses evidence from a research project investigating individual differences in a wide variety of domains, ranging from language aptitude over general cognitive abilities to motivational and other affective and social constructs. The focus lies on young learners aged 10 to 12, a less frequently investigated age in aptitude research. The data stem from two samples of multilingual learners in German-speaking Switzerland. The target languages are French and English. The chapters of the book offer two complementary perspectives on the topic: On the one hand, cross-sectional investigations of the underlying structure of these individual differences and their association with the target languages are discussed. Drawing on factor analytical and multivariable analyses, the different components are scrutinized with respect to their mutual dependence and their relative impact on target language skills. The analyses also take into account contextual factors such as the learners’ family background and differences across the two contexts investigated. On the other hand, the potential to predict learner’s skills in the target language over time based on the many different indicators is investigated using machine learning algorithms. The results provide new insights into the stability of the individual dispositions, on the impact of contextual variables, and on empirically robust dimensions within the array of variables tested.

The Rise and Fall of Arab Presidents for Life

Author: Roger Owen
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674504895
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 283

Book Description
The monarchical presidential regimes that prevailed in the Arab world for so long looked as though they would last indefinitely—until events in Tunisia and Egypt made clear their time was up. The Rise and Fall of Arab Presidents for Life exposes for the first time the origins and dynamics of a governmental system that largely defined the Arab Middle East in the twentieth century. Presidents who rule for life have been a feature of the Arab world since independence. In the 1980s their regimes increasingly resembled monarchies as presidents took up residence in palaces and made every effort to ensure their sons would succeed them. Roger Owen explores the main features of the prototypical Arab monarchical regime: its household; its inner circle of corrupt cronies; and its attempts to create a popular legitimacy based on economic success, a manipulated constitution, managed elections, and information suppression. Why has the Arab world suffered such a concentration of permanent presidential government? Though post-Soviet Central Asia has also known monarchical presidencies, Owen argues that a significant reason is the “Arab demonstration effect,” whereby close ties across the Arab world have enabled ruling families to share management strategies and assistance. But this effect also explains why these presidencies all came under the same pressure to reform or go. Owen discusses the huge popular opposition the presidential systems engendered during the Arab Spring, and the political change that ensued, while also delineating the challenges the Arab revolutions face across the Middle East and North Africa.