Books about Assumption from Amazon.com

Whether it's musical talent, criminal tendencies, or fashion sense, we humans want to know why we have it or why we don't. What makes us the way we are? Maybe it's in our genes, maybe it's how we were raised, maybe it's a little of both--in any case, Mom and Dad usually receive both the credit and the blame. But not so fast, says developmental psychology writer Judith Rich Harris. While it has been shown that genetics is only partly responsible for behavior, it is also true, Harris asserts, that parents play a very minor role in mental and emotional development. The Nurture Assumption explores the mountain of evidence pointing away from parents and toward peer groups as the strongest environmental influence on personality development. Rather than leaping into the nature vs. nurture fray, Harris instead posits nurture (parental) vs. nurture (peer group), and in her view your kid's friends win, hands down. This idea, difficult as it may be to accept, is supported by the countless studies Harris cites in her breezy, charming prose. She is upset about the blame laid on parents of troubled children and has much to say (mostly negative) about "professional parental advice-givers." Her own advice may be summarized as "guide your child's peer-group choices wisely," but the aim of the book is less to offer guidance than to tear off cultural blinders. Harris's ideas are so thought-provoking, challenging, and potentially controversial that anyone concerned with parenting issues will find The Nurture Assumption refreshing, important, and possibly life-changing. --Rob Lightner.
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Aimed at facilitating critical theoretical thinking in the behavioral sciences, What's Behind the Research? explores the main assumptions that behavioral science theories are based on and offers some alternatives to these assumptions. The book begins with a review of the major theoretical approaches in the behavioral sciences (psychoanalysis, behaviorism, humanism, cognitivism, eclecticism, structuralism, and postmodernism) and examines which assumptions are made versus those that are overlooked in these theories. The next four chapters reveal and discuss the key assumptions of the theories (knowing, determinism, reductionism, and science) by tracing the intellectual history of these conceptions, followed by a presentation of contrasting options. The book concludes with an examination of possible ways to come to terms with some of the inadequacies in the assumptions of the behavioral sciences. Readers will find that this book will enable them to make better choices in doing their research and in critical theoretical thinking.

Praise for What's Behind the Research?

"Slife and Williams present a compelling and potentially controversial look at the implicit underpinnings of behavioral research. The do an admirable job of specifically describing the 'embedded ideas' of some of the most commonly accepted behavioral theories. . . . Well written, concise, and well thought out; arguments are made in readable fashion, suitable for scholar and nonscholar alike." --Choice

"The manuscript completely captivated me around the middle of Chapter 2 with 'Eclectic Theories,' where I began reading with absorption in order to process ideas for myself, instead of reading on the surface to see what the author was about. Again and again I found myself pausing to contemplate provocative one-liners. . . . Throughout, the philosophical inquiry seems to me profound and enchanting, with an original and compelling synthesis." --Maria Arrigo, Psychology Graduate Student, Claremont Graduate School
 
"These authors have an uncanny ability of identifying, as they would say, 'hidden' issues and assumptions that permeate the behavioral sciences. The arguments they marshall are most compelling and deserving of serious consideration by devoted professionals, students, or lay persons. Hopefully, with the publication of the book such consideration will at long last be realized." --Jeffrey P. Lindstrom, Fontbonne College, Missouri

"This book will stimulate more dialogue; it is long overdue. Thanks to the lucid writing style, sensible organization, and occasional recapitulations in the text, the book will also be accessible to advanced undergraduates and graduates. I plan to require the book in at least one of my courses." --Allan W. Wicker, Center for Organizational and Behavioral Science, The Claremont Graduate School
 
"This book is important for cultivating a view of behavioral sciences as something far more important than a collection of techniques for gathering and analyzing data. I would recommend it to my colleagues in educational psychology who teach psychological foundations." --Thomas A. Schwandt, School of Education, Indiana University
 
"To my mind, the finest feature of this book--at the level of a near miracle--is the author's clear and engaging explanation of complex, subtle, and counter-intuitive ideas. This amazing pedagogical achievement should stand as an example to philosophers. I am also struck by the author's affection for the reader. The prose is simple because the author wants to make a real connection with the reader; there is no feeling of condescension for the novice or the commercial market. It is a loving instead of a battering style of philosophical disclosure, which did not occur to the philosophical giants whose works the author mercifully interprets for the reader." --Maria Arrigo, Psychology Graduate Student, Claremont Graduate School

"Each chapter consistently follows a similar outline. Introductions and conclusions genuinely assist the reader, as do references back to earlier segments. Daily life examples bring the text to life. The book is designed to engage the reader. Addressing the root metaphor of each theory is effective. Most issues that concerned me wound up being addressed as I went along (which amazed me given such a short volume written to be understood by undergraduates)." --Constance T. Fischer, Department of Psychology, Duquesne University

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Price: $35.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Theologian Dan Story leads the reader to see that most arguments against Christianity can be answered by ordinary Christians..
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The visible actions of people are first shaped by invisible thoughts, deep in the unseen world of the human mind and heart. What factors influence those invisible ideas? For people who live in the Western world, the answers can be found by examining the two major roots of Western thought--the ancient Greeks and the ancient Hebrews. Assumptions That Affect Our Lives takes the reader back to the roots of the modern conflict between Christianity and secular humanism through a comparison of ancient Greek and Hebrew culture. What the reader will discover is, the current tension between evangelical Christians and the non-biblical ideas with which they are surrounded is an age old conflict. By viewing the current situation in the context of the ancient Greeks and Hebrews, contemporary Christians can be better equipped to deal with the challenges of living in a predominately Greek-based culture today..
Price: $14.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

We live in a complicated world, and according to PoMoSexuals, it is a lot more complicated than we thought Now that society has become accustomed to the idea that gay men and lesbians exist, Lawrence Schimel and Carol Queen have brought together 15 essays dedicated to demolishing those categories. They are not, of course, arguing that homosexuals don't exist, but simply that these categories and words cannot do justice to the wondrous complexity of human sexuality. In PoMoSexuals you can read about heterosexual women who identify as gay men, the politics of placing a transgendered personal ad, and how trendy gay male ghetto culture is less about sexual liberation than brand-name accumulation. No matter what your sexual identity is, PoMoSexuals will startle and enlighten, provoke and entertain. .
Price: $8.83 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Misconceptions and unrealistic expectations about love and marriage abound in today's culture, leading to disappointment and disintegrating relationships. The myth of a soulmate is just that--a myth--yet it is held to be true by too many men and women searching for that one-in-a-million match. It's time for a reality check. Kimberly Beair, an experienced counselor, draws from both good and bad examples in her practice to guide readers and to help keep them from making mistakes in the dating game. Filled with real-life examples and solid principles, this book will help both men and women learn to use their heads before losing their hearts..
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Written in the first person, Another World is C. William Claasen's spiritual memoir of a personal retreat at Assumption Abbey; a Trappist monastery tucked away in the Ozark foothills. Each chapter is a retreat day that unfolds from morning to night, and includes dreams, personal revelations, interviews, and interactions with the monks and guests. Readers of Another World will be transported to a tranquil and spiritual place that provides a welcome respite from their hectic lives..
Price: $9.57 [Notify me when price goes down.]