Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind | 
| Author: Gary Marcus
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co
Category: Book
List Price: $24.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  48 reviews
Sales Rank: 1424
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.9
ISBN: 0618879641
Dewey Decimal Number: 153
EAN: 9780618879649
ASIN: 0618879641
Publication Date: April 16, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: New, unread, excellent condition, ships quickly.
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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 examines why people often vote against their own interests, why money can't buy happiness, why leaders often stick to bad 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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 43 more reviews...
 A confession May 15, 2008
This was the last item available on the Vine program, so I accepted it, but it only confused me.
 What's the agenda? May 15, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Whenever I run across something which asserts that we do/think/believe the way we do because of this chemical or that sort of brain wiring, I always find myself looking for an agenda. Or, to quote Robert Anton Wilson: "What the thinker thinks, the prover proves." While Marcus' knowledge of the workings of the human brain is impressive, and his work is informative, I'd have been happier with "Kluge" if there'd been fewer assertions that we only indulge in various belief systems because of our odd wiring.
Not that necessarily disbelieve what Marcus has written here, mind you, but I can't help but feel that we simply don't know enough about the human brain even now, to know why we do what we do. That Marcus feels he has enough proof to make some of his cases seems to me to be more a function of Wilson's assertion than any hard scientific evidence.
Still, it's a fascinating book, so don't let my problems with it get in the way of reading it. You may find that it fits your world view a bit more cozily than it did mine.
Tantalizing introduction to the ultimate in self-referential activities April 28, 2008
This book is a tantalizing introduction to that most self-referential of all activities -- considering the construction of one's own brain.
Author Gary Marcus explains early and clearly his belief in evolution over intelligent design. He then spends the remainder of the book 'proving' his thesis -- that if an omniscient creator had formed the brain, s/he would have done a much better job than the "grew like Topsy" contraption we actually have.
Being unfamiliar with many of the facts he presents and the studies he mentions, I found the information interesting and easily digestible. Certain chapters were more intriguing and accessible than others: the chapter on language and linguistics made me fall asleep while the chapters on the fact that we naturally prefer the familiar/default option and the role of the value of quick decision-making for survival which focuses on immediate gratification over deliberative choices were fascinating.
I wish more details or discussion had been given in this slim volume on issues such as homosexuality and non-procreative sex in general (along with behaviors such as drug use and other risk-taking behaviors) that occur naturally but which do not fall within the evolutionary-deterministic boundaries of procreation and survival.
As a layperson with a basic but no doubt outdated familiarity with the human brain, I found the book a relatively easy read, but one which required attention (in other words, I had to force that primitive part of my brain focused on immediate pleasure to turn away from American Idol and actually engage with the book).
 It works . . . but you can fix it! April 12, 2008
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
"If it works, don't fix it!", runs the old adage. Any engineer will tell you, however, that this is false confidence. What works today may not work tomorrow when conditions change. Animal brains worked for many millions of years. Then Homo sapiens arose somewhere in Africa with an enlarged, busy brain. Combined with walking and handiness, that brain accomplished - and still accomplishes - wondrous things. Until you wonder where you left your car keys. Gary Marcus, in this fluidly written review, backed by a wealth of references, explains how the workings of our brain have been built up over time, with bits added or enhanced through the ages. It makes us a unique species, but it's anything but a fine design. Instead it's what engineers call a "kluge" - an inelegant, marginally efficient product of evolutionary bits cobbled together well enough to get the job done.
Using the fact of our brains having an evolutionary foundation, Marcus shows how Shakespeare's and the Bible's depictions of the brain are flawed. We have poor, erratic memories, we make irrational decisions, and we'll believe things that are patently untrue - sometimes with real tenacity. Our brains are built up from very ancient structures, probably using the same processes, with added complexity developing over time ["This worked last time, but it's not working now. Cobble something up to fix it."]. Knowing that readers might be overwhelmed with data overload [our memories can't handle it!], the author focusses on a half-dozen aspects of brain "design" demonstrating the positive features and the shortfalls. Memory, Belief, Choice, Language, Pleasure and "Things Fall Apart" - distractions. In each case, he explains how the system is usually depicted, what might be the ideal process, and how it actually works.
The opening segment on Memory lays the groundwork for the entire book. "If evolution is so good at making things work well, why is our memory so hit and miss?" Marcus compares human memory with computer memory. Nothing is lost on the computer's disk and any stored information can be retrieved. It was clearly "designed" for that task. Human memory, on the other hand, lacks access, lacks specificity, lacks reliability. We can retrieve old memories, but can't recall what we had for dinner yesterday. Nor can we assume that old memory, which seems so vivid, is valid. Marcus describes computer memory as "postal code" memory due to the system's design in making an "address book" used to find data. Human memory, along with that of other animals, is "contextual" - recollection comes within a frame of reference. That might be good or bad, depending on the circumstances, but it's hardly reliable or consistent.
The author's use of comparison in memory is followed by similar scenarios in the other sections. Language is particularly vague and imprecise, why does each language have its own version of the sound of a dog's bark. Yet, our brains allow us to work out meaning in contextual ways. Choice seems to be one of the most irregular mechanisms in our brains, since we continue to avoid shifting from decisions resulting in long-term benefits for short-term gains. Those limited scope decisions likely have links with the brain's pleasure centres, hence the current rise in addictions - even video games take time better spent at exercise or learning.
The conclusion of this book may come as a surprise. The unthinking may tend to see this section as one of those "self-help" manuals so common today [and which are designed to overcome the "kluge" aspects of our minds]. Here, Marcus is able to line out a set of recommendations for improving how we use our brains. He recognises that the idea of the human brain as a kluge will find little appeal with some people. That's a prejudice that must be overcome. Evolution, he reminds us, has produced things of tremendous beauty. If the brain falls short, it has the capacity to examine imperfection and understand it. More importantly, those imperfections of the brain can be addressed. Who is capable of that? You are. Don't miss this book. It's about you. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
[NOTE: As the Amazon Vine programme doesn't ship to Canada, this reviewer thanks publisher Houghton Mifflin for providing an ARC of this book]
"Engaging Book, but Unproven Conclusions" April 12, 2008
2 out of 11 found this review helpful
Gary Marcus, NYU Psychology Professor, offers a fascinating look at the often patchwork design of the human mind -- how evolution has adapted the millennia of biological, environmental and psychological experiences to the current state of humanity. The work is imminently useful from a purely scientific perspective in exploring how man has developed (and continues to develop) as well as how we can use our "haphazard" biological structure to gain greater insight into the workings of an imperfect, yet continuing evolving species.
The failure of the book is in the strident conclusions made by the author concerning the existence of God in either theory or reality. There is major "jumping to conclusions" between the nature and occurence of evolution and the existence of God. In particular, he offers the "imperfection" of humanity (by the arbitrary standards of a scientific approach akin to engaging in an engineering or a construction project) as evidence that evolution, not creation is the sole force in the universe. This does justice to neither the concept of creation, nor of the unfolding miracle of evolution.
The reality is that creation and evolution are not incompatible, particularly if one considers the former as an ongoing process rather than the singular event expressed in the poetry of Genesis. In the unfolding drama of Creation, one can see the guiding hand of God (or, if you prefer, the Creator, First Cause, etc.) in both the beauty and logic of science, which is manifested in the great gift of evolution as explored by scientists, philosophers and theologians, whose work is not mutually exclusive.
One believes in God ultimately through revelation and faith, but one can also come to a rational exposition of God through the use of science and reason. Science can be an obstacle to faith if it views the latter as a primitive concept or superstition used to explain the unexplainable. At the same time, faith can remain an obstacle to reason for those who seek to deny the human potential inherent in the ever unfolding miracle of science and knowledge. In a sense, faith deals with mysteries of nature, while science deals with unlocking those mysteries. Moving forward requires that both persons of faith and science recognize the limitations of their particular points of view to synthesize an approach to humanity that offers the possibility of both current understanding and the ever-present reality that remains beyond that understanding. An open exploration and dialogue cannot help but advance the understanding of humanity both in relation to both nature and eternity. That some things are beyond our current scientific understanding does not mean that they do not exist. Similarly, scientific truth should not threaten our faith, unless that faith is rooted in ignorance and prejudice.
Nevertheless, KLUGE does provide a rational explanation of how the human mind works. I would recommend that those interested in exploring how faith and reason (creation and evolution) are compatible, also explore Christoph Cardinal Schonborn's recent book, Chance or Purpose? Creation, Evolution and a Rational Faith for a comprehensive and intelligent synthesis. One can remain a person of faith, while recognizing the inherent truth and beauty contained in scientific inquiry as a natural consequence of evolution.
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