All normal human beings alive in the last fifty thousand years appear to have possessed; in Mark Turners phrase; "irrepressibly artful minds." Cognitively modern minds produced a staggering list of behavioral singularities--science; religion; mathematics; language; advanced tool use; decorative dress; dance; culture; art--that seems to indicate a mysterious and unexplained discontinuity between us and all other living things. This brute fact gives rise to some tantalizing questions: How did the artful mind emerge? What are the basic mental operations that make art possible for us now; and how do they operate? These are the questions that occupy the distinguished contributors to this volume; which emerged from a year-long Getty-funded research project hosted by the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford. These scholars bring to bear a range of disciplinary and cross-disciplinary perspectives on the relationship between art (broadly conceived); the mind; and the brain. Together they hope to provide directions for a new field of research that can play a significant role in answering the great riddle of human singularity.
2015-06-22 2015-06-22File Name: B00V28FTBE
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Informative and entertainingBy C M GautierBeautiful book with funny drawing and curious facts. Our family was amazed by some of the information and got some giggles out of the book. Very informative and entertaining for all ages.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Worth Any PriceBy Joseph HeywoodThis book is wonderful! Its humor is made no less by the (very appropriate) frequent references to bodily fluids and functions. The facts are very interesting and almost shocking at times; even to well-educated adults. Great read!4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Wonderful book for curious mindsBy JanetSuch a fun book for curious little animal lovers! I purchased this as a gift for a friends son and he loved it. Also; I learned a few interesting facts myself! And the illustrations are just whimsical.
