Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Coffee with a canine: Robert Kurzban & Goose

Today's featured guests at Coffee with a Canine: Robert Kurzban and Goose.

The author, on Goose's proudest moment:
Well, “proudest” might not be exactly right, but during our walks, Goose likes to face down squirrels. She seems to enjoy it, so we usually let her stare at them for a while, and then she’ll make a move, after which they run up a tree, she loses interest, and we move right along. Once, she was staring down a particularly fat squirrel who – I want to be clear about this – was standing right next to a tree, and we figured it couldn’t possibly manage to fail to escape from our sweet but pokey dog. Well, we had her on a long leash, as we often do on the walks in the country and, like a dog possessed, Goose shoots at the squirrel, and, whap! In a blink of an eye she had actually managed to get the poor creature between her teeth. Nicole screamed, the Goose dropped the squirrel – which finally did scamper up the nearby tree – and we felt awful for the poor squirrel. But we did have to respect...[read on]
Robert Kurzban is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.

Among the early praise for his new book, is Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite: Evolution and the Modular Mind:
"We're all inconsistent and self-deceiving, says evolutionary psychologist Robert Kurzban. Our modular minds didn't evolve for consistency, but for patchwork multitasking. . . . As Kurzban says, understanding how and why we can be so 'ignorant, wrong, irrational, and hypocritical' may help us work towards a fairer society."
--Susan Blackmore, BBC Focus

"Kurzban is a luminary in the growing discipline of evolutionary psychology.... [P]rovocative.... Kurzban devotes much space to explicating and demonstrating ways in which his theory plays out in our everyday lives."
--Library Journal

"With wit, wisdom, and occasional hilarity, Robert Kurzban offers explanations for why we do the things we do, such as morally condemning the sale of human organs and locking the refrigerator at night to keep from snacking.... Kurzban touches on some complex topics in a manner that's both smart and accessible. He incorporates a plethora of psychological studies to support his theories but the narrative is never dry.... By challenging common assumptions about habits, morality, and preferences, Kurzban keeps readers both entertained and enlightened."
--Foreword Reviews
Learn more about the book and author at the official website for Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite.

The Page 99 Test: Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite.

Read--Coffee with a Canine: Robert Kurzban and Goose.

--Marshal Zeringue