- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Faber and Faber (5 Jun 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0571236510
- ISBN-13: 978-0571236510
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 13.8 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 611,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Book Description
The most exciting and important book on human evolution since The Language Instinct and The Blind Watchmaker.
Product Description
A 'kluge' is an engineering term for a makeshift solution, an inelegant construction that somehow works. This is Gary Marcus's analogy for the way the human mind has evolved. Arguing against a whole tradition that praises our human minds as the most perfect result of evolution, Marcus shows how imperfect and ill-adapted our brains really are. They have had to adapt from the environment of our early hominid origins to a complex world in which our penchant for short-term satisfactions is literally fatal. We are prone to rages, addictions and other habits that limit our capacity for rational action in every sphere, from food to politics.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book could have been a lot better. It is lacking in substance and doesn't take the 'Kluge' metaphor far enough. It seems that the author was trying to appeal to the largest possible audience and, in doing so, has deprived readers of strong explanations of the topics.
Not essential reading, but buy if you have money to burn.
Not essential reading, but buy if you have money to burn.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
One of my favourite pop-science books. A good read for anyone interested in decision making and human behaviour but lacks formal study on the subject.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
The Brain, Explained, Stays Mainly in the Sane
5 Jan 2009
Format:Hardcover
A kluge is an inelegant solution to a problem, constructed out of the materials at hand, often in a hurry. It isn't the best fix, but it works for now. Many biologists consider the human body a sort of kluge, not perfectly adapted to any one environment, but able to cope in many environments. Author Gary Marcus goes a step further and suggests that the human brain is a kluge and that this explains why we are often irrational, inconsistent, or indecisive.
It's a compelling idea. I've never heard anyone make the argument before, but after reading Kluge, I find myself thinking, well, of course, that's obvious. Marcus presents dozens of examples for his theory, but like linguists contemplating the first human language, we'll never know for sure. Still, there's plenty here to keep you thinking, and it's written in a clear and entertaining style.
As engaging as the kluge theory is, I wasn't entirely convinced. Marcus seems to assume that the perfectly evolved brain would be a computer brain. I'm sure we've all had enough exasperating experiences with computers to find fault with that assumption. And I think Marcus tries to attribute too much to the kluge theory. I can see how making snap decisions or having faulty memory can be blamed on different evolutionary parts of our brain competing with each other, but he is not convincing when blaming our tendency to procrastinate on kluge-y brains.
And yet, the fact that he overreaches CAN be explained by the kluge theory. He discusses, in another context, "our own species' thirst for explanation, which often leads us to build stories out of a sparse set of facts." And he notes "the human tendency to extrapolate excessively from small amounts of highly salient data". Indeed.
The marketing for Kluge seems designed to remind us of Malcolm Gladwell's books. As entertaining as Gladwell (Blink and The Tipping Point) can be, I wouldn't compare Marcus's well-considered arguments to Gladwell's glib observations. For such a short book (fewer than 200 pages), Kluge leaves you with a lot to think about.
It's a compelling idea. I've never heard anyone make the argument before, but after reading Kluge, I find myself thinking, well, of course, that's obvious. Marcus presents dozens of examples for his theory, but like linguists contemplating the first human language, we'll never know for sure. Still, there's plenty here to keep you thinking, and it's written in a clear and entertaining style.
As engaging as the kluge theory is, I wasn't entirely convinced. Marcus seems to assume that the perfectly evolved brain would be a computer brain. I'm sure we've all had enough exasperating experiences with computers to find fault with that assumption. And I think Marcus tries to attribute too much to the kluge theory. I can see how making snap decisions or having faulty memory can be blamed on different evolutionary parts of our brain competing with each other, but he is not convincing when blaming our tendency to procrastinate on kluge-y brains.
And yet, the fact that he overreaches CAN be explained by the kluge theory. He discusses, in another context, "our own species' thirst for explanation, which often leads us to build stories out of a sparse set of facts." And he notes "the human tendency to extrapolate excessively from small amounts of highly salient data". Indeed.
The marketing for Kluge seems designed to remind us of Malcolm Gladwell's books. As entertaining as Gladwell (Blink and The Tipping Point) can be, I wouldn't compare Marcus's well-considered arguments to Gladwell's glib observations. For such a short book (fewer than 200 pages), Kluge leaves you with a lot to think about.
Evolution Psychology
2 Aug 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an exceptionally good book outlining the evolutionary developmental history of the brain. It is witty and informative at the same time, and written with applicable and interesting anecdotes.
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