Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 224 pages
• Published by: Houghton Mifflin Co
• Edition: 1st Edition April 16, 2008
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0618879641
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0618879649
• Book Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Weighs: 11.2 ounces

From Publishers Weekly
Why are we subject to irrational beliefs, inaccurate memories, even war? We can thank evolution, Marcus says, which can only tinker with structures that already exist, rather than create new ones: Natural selection tends to favor genes that have immediate advantages rather than long-term value. Marcus (The Birth of the Mind), director of NYU's Infant Language Learning Center, refers to this as kluge, a term engineers use to refer to a clumsily designed solution to a problem. Thus, memory developed in our prehominid ancestry to respond with immediacy, rather than accuracy; one result is erroneous eyewitness testimony in courtrooms. In describing the results of studies of human perception, cognition and beliefs, Marcus encapsulates how the mind is contaminated by emotions, moods, desires, goals, and simple self-interest. The mind's fragility, he says, is demonstrated by mental illness, which seems to have no adaptive purpose. In a concluding chapter, Marcus offers a baker's dozen of suggestions for getting around the brain's flaws and achieving true wisdom. While some are self-evident, others could be helpful, such as Whenever possible, consider alternate hypotheses and Don't just set goals. Make contingency plans. Using evolutionary psychology, Marcus educates the reader about mental flaws in a succinct, often enjoyable way. (Apr. 16)
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Product Description
Are we noble in reason? Perfect, in God's image? Far from it, says New York University psychologist Gary Marcus. In this lucid and revealing book, Marcus argues that the mind is not an elegantly designed organ but rather a "kluge," a clumsy, cobbled-together contraption. He unveils a fundamentally new way of looking at the human mind -- think duct tape, not supercomputer -- that sheds light on some of the most mysterious aspects of human nature.

Taking us on a tour of the fundamental areas of human experience -- memory, belief, decision-making, language, and happiness -- Marcus reveals the myriad ways our minds fall short. He looks at why people often vote against their own interests, why money can't buy happiness, why leaders often stick to terrible decisions, and why a sentence like "people people left left" ties us in knots even though it's only four words long.

Marcus also offers surprisingly effective ways to outwit our inner kluge, for the betterment of ourselves and society. Throughout, he shows how only evolution -- haphazard and undirected -- could have produced the minds we humans have, while making a brilliant case for the power and usefulness of imperfection.

Reader Reviews
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) We'd all like to believe that we're rational and clear-headed, and that our mind, will, and emotions are reliable (except, perhaps, when it comes to romance and chocolate). However, "Kluge" indicates that our Rube Goldberg brain often doesn't work quite as optimally as we believe it does. Thankfully, Gary Marcus' mind functioned well enough to bring us this fine book. Reading about the brain is probably the ultimate act of navel-gazing, since it's the seat of who we are, and its function determines a large part of our destiny. I was glad to see a well-done and accessible analysis of our most important organ. I found the author's breakdown of the mind enlightening, like with the relationship between memory and context. Why can't I find my clipboard? Because I put it in an unfamiliar place - duh. He also compares our faulty context-dependent memory to the more accurate and systematic way a computer accesses information. Bottom line, we come up short in the total recall department. Mr. Marcus is firmly in the evolutionary camp, so creationists may take issue with "Kluge." Mr. Marcus believes that a patchwork brain like ours couldn't be the product of a rational, superior creator. Instead, evolution fashioned our brain based on what worked for humanity's genetic propagation, not to imitate what is perfect or holy. "Good enough for survival" was evolution's mantra, as opposed to forming an "image of God," as most creationists advocate. But the author isn't demeaning towards believers, so persons of faith can at least take comfort in that. As the whole the book was eye-opening, with chapters on concrete themes ("Memory") and more abstract topics ("True Wisdom" - yes, there's a little cognitive self-help advice). Some of the chapters were a bit more compelling than others, but that's mainly a personal preference thing. No matter the subject, each chapter contained one or more "a-ha" moments. For example, I identified with the blinding effect pleasure has on my higher cognitive functions. I've certainly made some dumb rationalizations in order to gain immediate gratification, only to look back after the fact and ask, "What was I thinking?" Of course, I wasn't firing on all cylinders - my "grab bag of crude mechanisms" devoted to pleasure was easily tricked. My only real gripe with "Kluge" was with the tantalizing, yet too-small bits the author threw out about certain subjects. I wish he had spent more time on, say, sociopathy. He devotes all of one sentence and a footnote to this topic, but I wanted more analysis, since the idea that brain structure might be responsible for a Hannibal Lecter would be fascinating (and somewhat ironic) reading. Indeed, a deeper dip into the link between morality and brain formation/function would have been intriguing (or perhaps disconcerting to a person of faith who believes in the theology of sin and freedom of the will). In addition, Mr. Marcus' take on the idea of changing the brain, vs. simply "doing better," would also have been welcome, since that theory seems to be in vogue these days. I suppose these topics were beyond the book's scope, so I can't complain too much. "Kluge" is a good read on its own, but I recommend going through it in conjunction with some complementary books: "The Thing About Life is that One Day You'll be Dead," by David Shields, "Sperm Are From Men, Eggs Are From Women," by Joe Quirk, and "The Reluctant Mr. Darwin," by David Quammen.