Do the first two years of life really determine a child's future development? Are human beings, like other primates, only motivated by pleasure? And do people actually have stable traits, like intelligence, fear, anxiety, and temperament? This book, the product of a lifetime of research by one of the founders of developmental psychology, takes on the powerful assumptions behind these questions--and proves them mistaken. Ranging with impressive ease from cultural history to philosophy to psychological research literature, Jerome Kagan weaves an argument that will rock the social sciences and the foundations of public policy. Scientists, as well as lay people, tend to think of abstract processes--like intelligence or fear--as measurable entities, of which someone might have more or less. This approach, in Kagan's analysis, shows a blindness to the power of context and to the great variability within any individual subject to different emotions and circumstances. "Infant determinism" is another widespread and dearly held conviction that Kagan contests. This theory--with its claim that early relationships determine lifelong patterns--underestimates human resiliency and adaptiveness, both emotional and cognitive (and, of course, fails to account for the happy products of miserable childhoods and vice versa). The last of Kagan's targets is the vastly overrated pleasure principle, which, he argues, can hardly make sense of unselfish behavior impelled by the desire for virtue and self-respect--the wish to do the right thing. Written in a lively style that uses fables and fairy tales, history and science to make philosophical points, this book challenges some of our most cherished notions about human nature.

Which sort of seducer could you be? Siren? Rake? Cold Coquette? Star? Comedian? Charismatic? Or Saint? This book will show you which. Charm, persuasion, the ability to create illusions: these are some of the many dazzling gifts of the Seducer, the compelling figure who is able to manipulate, mislead and give pleasure all at once. When raised to the level of art, seduction, an indirect and subtle form of power, has toppled empires, won elections and enslaved great minds. In this beautiful, sensually designed book, Greene unearths the two sides of seduction: the characters and the process. Discover who you, or your pursuer, most resembles. Learn, too, the pitfalls of the anti-Seducer. Immerse yourself in the twenty-four manoeuvres and strategies of the seductive process, the ritual by which a seducer gains mastery over their target. Understand how to 'Choose the Right Victim', 'Appear to Be an Object of Desire' and 'Confuse Desire and Reality'. In addition, Greene provides instruction on how to identify victims by type. Each fascinating character and each cunning tactic demonstrates a fundamental truth about who we are, and the targets we've become - or hope to win over. The Art of Seduction is an indispensable primer on the essence of one of history's greatest weapons and the ultimate power trip. From the internationally bestselling author of The 48 Laws of Power, Mastery, and The 33 Strategies Of War.

What happens when you’ve built a great website or app, but no one seems to care? How do you get people to stick around long enough to see how your service might be of value? In Seductive Interaction Design, speaker and author Stephen P. Anderson takes a fresh approach to designing sites and interactions based on the stages of seduction. This beautifully designed book examines what motivates people to act. Topics include: AESTHETICS, BEAUTY, AND BEHAVIOR: Why do striking visuals grab our attention? And how do emotions affect judgment and behavior? PLAYFUL SEDUCTION: How do you create playful engagements during the moment? Why are serendipity, arousal, rewards, and other delights critical to a good experience? THE SUBTLE ART OF SEDUCTION: How do you put people at ease through clear and suggestive language? What are some subtle ways to influence behavior and get people to move from intent to action? THE GAME OF SEDUCTION: How do you continue motivating people long after the first encounter? Are there lessons to be gained from learning theories or game design? Principles from psychology are found throughout the book, along with dozens of examples showing how these techniques have been applied with great success. In addition, each section includes interviews with influential web and interaction designers.

In the distinctive manner that has made him one of the most influential forces in developmental psychology, Kagan challenges scientific commonplaces about mental processes, pointing in particular to the significant but undervalued role of surprise and uncertainty in shaping behavior, emotion, and thought.

According to British scholar Conor Cunningham, the debate today between religion and evolution has been hijacked by extremists: on one side stand fundamentalist believers who reject evolution outright; on the opposing side are fundamentalist atheists who claim that Darwin s theory rules out the possibility of God. Both sides are dead wrong, argues Cunningham, who is at once a Christian and a firm believer in the theory of evolution. In Darwin s Pious Idea Cunningham puts forth a trenchant, compelling case for both creation and evolution, drawing skillfully on an array of philosophical, theological, historical, and scientific sources to buttress his arguments.

This book is not like most books. Whereas, most books will quote research to prove or disprove a point, this book offers you the actual research. In the peer-reviewed section, you have the actual research study that asks, “Is the Belief in a Just World Rational?”; a study about the relationship between “Children of Divorce and its Effect on their Self Esteem”; one about “Relation of Self-acceptance and Acceptance of Others”; another about the moon “Lunar Phase and Acting Out Behavior,” and many more. In another section named “Book Appendices,” there are two actual studies that answer the question “Psychics! Do Police Departments Really Use Them?” In the “Book Review” section are published critiques on books entitled: “The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules our Lives” by Leonard Mlodinow; “Crimes Against Logic: Exposing the Bogus Arguments of Politicians, Priests, Journalists, and other Serial Offenders” by Jamie Whyte; C. John Sommerville’s “How the News Makes us Dumb: The Death of Wisdom in an Information Society”. Ennis C. Almer’s “Statistical Tricks and Traps: An Illustrated Guide to the Misuses of Statistics”; “The Myth of Repressed Memory” by Elizabeth Loftus and Katherine Ketcham; Marilyn Vos Savant’s and Leonore Fleischer’s “Brain Building; Exercising Yourself Smarter”; and many more. In the section entitled “Non- Peer Reviewed Journal Articles” there is one entitled, “The Four R’s of a College Education: A Rubber Band, A Rubber Ball, A Razor, and The Pearson R;” One of the Durm family; one on the size of schools entitled “Is Bigger Better”; and others. Finally in the “Magazine Publications Section” there are four publications on the debunking of ghosts and one concerning the military, “Testing Tomorrow’s Tacticians: A Survey of the States’s Military Academies.” About the Author Mark W. Durm, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus of Athens State University in Athens, Alabama where he taught 38 years of his 47 years in higher education. His primary areas of instruction were critical thinking, statistics and physiological psychology. Dr. Durm has over 50 professional publications and has authored approximately 100 newspaper columns. His research has been quoted in books, peer-reviewed journals, magazines and national newspapers such as the New York Times and the Washington Post. He has been interviewed by different television stations in the Alabama area and his research (co-authored by Jane Sweat) concerning the use of psychics by police departments was the centerpiece of a documentary on Japanese television. Furthermore, he has received requests for copies of his research from over 15 foreign countries and many universities in the United States. Dr. Durm served in the Tennessee Army National Guard primarily at the Tennessee Military Academy and the 300th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. He is a veteran of Desert Storm. Mark now heads his own company that invests in real estate in Alabama and other states. He resides on his farm in Athens and continues to research and write. Mark is the father of three children who are the joys of his life: Spencer, Sydni, and Sophia.

This book teaches men how to completely understand women in the dating world and long term relationships so they can meet and date the woman of their dreams. It teaches men how to approach and date the women of their dreams all the while remaining who they truly are inside. The book teaches you strategies to still be yourself and be the type of man women are naturally attracted to. By applying the simple strategies for success you can overcome any insecurites and doubts you have about yourself even when you are dating a woman that totally intimidates you. It takes the reader step by step from getting clear about the type of woman they want to attract to maintaining the magic after twenty years of marriage. The book was written for men that are single and searching as well as for men that are already involved with their dream woman. It teaches men how to completely win the heart of the woman of their dreams and keep her head over heals in love with them for life. Order now!

With a unique focus on inquiry, Thinking Critically About Child Development presents 74 claims related to child development for readers to examine and think through critically. Author Jean Mercer and new co-authors Stephen Hupp and Jeremy Jewell use anecdotes to illustrate common errors of critical thinking and encourage students to consider evidence and logic relevant to everyday beliefs. New material in the Fourth Edition covers adolescence, adverse childhood experiences, genetics, LGBT issues for both parents and children, and other issues about sexuality, keeping readers up to date on the latest scholarship in the field.

Infancy presents the long-awaited report of the authors' 6-year study of infant day care that will affect future thinking on the cognitive and emotional processes in infancy and later growth. In this edition the statistical summary has been removed from the appendix to shorten the work and make it more appealing to the general reader.

Despite the time and money spent on market research, 60% to 80% of new offerings fail.