Inspired by the abundance of unique personalities available on dating websites, a renowned neuroscientist examines the science of what makes you, you. David J. Linden has devoted his career to understanding the biology common to all humans. But a few years ago he found himself on OkCupid. Looking through that vast catalog of human diversity, he got to wondering: What makes us all so different? Unique is the riveting answer. Exploring everything from the roots of sexuality, gender, and intelligence to whether we like bitter beer, Linden shows how our individuality results not from a competition of nature versus nurture, but rather from a mélange of genes continually responding to our experiences in the world, beginning in the womb. And he shows why individuality matters, as it is our differences that enable us to live together in groups. Told with Linden's unusual combination of authority and openness, seriousness of purpose and wit, Unique is the story of how the factors that make us all human can change and interact to make each of us a singular person.
As a scientist, David Linden had devoted his career to understanding the brain processes and behaviors that are common to us all. That is, until a few years ago, when he found himself on OKCupid. Looking through that vast catalog of human difference, he got to thinking, where does it all come from? Why does one person have perfect pitch, a taste for hoppy beer, and an aversion to bathroom selfies? That is, what makes you, you, and me, me? In Unique, David Linden tells a riveting and accessible story of human individuality. Exploring topics that touch all of our lives-among them sexuality, gender identity, food preferences, biological rhythms, mood, personality, memory, and intelligence-Linden shows that human individuality is not simply a matter of nature versus nurture. Rather, it is a product of the complex, and often counterintuitive, interplay between our genetic blueprints and our experiences. Experience isn't just the how your parents reared you, but the diseases you have had, the foods you have eaten, the bacteria that reside in your body, the weather during your early development, and the technology you've been exposed to. Drawing all those factors together, Linden argues that human individuality is key to how we live as individuals and groups and explores how questions of individuality are informing social discussions of morality, public policy, religion, healthcare, education, and law. Like Carl Zimmer's She Has Her Mother's Laugh and Robert Sapolsky's Behave, Unique unveils a new vista on the intricacies of human existence. But, for all its brilliance and insight, this is no weighty academic tome. Told with Linden's unusual combination of authority and openness, seriousness of purpose and a great sense of humor, Unique sets a new standard for what popular science can be"--
This textbook introduces the reader to some of the most common psychological disorders, from schizophrenia, depression and substance abuse to disorders of childhood, adolescence and ageing. Coverage of these disorders is combined with a comprehensive grounding in the fundamentals of neurobiology and the principles of psychopharmacology that underpin their treatment. Written by David Linden, Scientific Director at the School of Mental Health and Neuroscience at Maastricht University, The Biology of Psychological Disorders sits at the intersection psychology, psychiatry, biology and neuroscience. Aimed primarily at undergraduate psychology students, it is also of relevance to trainee psychiatrists and clinicians. New to this Edition: - Two completely new chapters on the immune system and mental health, and on environmental influences on brain development - Incorporates recent advances in genetics and psychopharmacology - Updated chapters in accordance with the DSM-5 - Discusses biological aspects of psychological interventions and psychological disease models - Suitable for neuroscience curriculum for trainee psychiatrists - New 'controversies' feature that promotes critical thinking skills by exploring the validity of disease concepts and evidence bases
You've probably seen it before: a human brain dramatically lit from the side, the camera circling it like a helicopter shot of Stonehenge, and a modulated baritone voice exalting the brain's elegant design in reverent tones. To which this book says: Pure nonsense. In a work at once deeply learned and wonderfully accessible, the neuroscientist David Linden counters the widespread assumption that the brain is a paragon of design--and in its place gives us a compelling explanation of how the brain's serendipitous evolution has resulted in nothing short of our humanity. A guide to the strange and often illogical world of neural function, The Accidental Mind shows how the brain is not an optimized, general-purpose problem-solving machine, but rather a weird agglomeration of ad-hoc solutions that have been piled on through millions of years of evolutionary history. Moreover, Linden tells us how the constraints of evolved brain design have ultimately led to almost every transcendent human foible: our long childhoods, our extensive memory capacity, our search for love and long-term relationships, our need to create compelling narrative, and, ultimately, the universal cultural impulse to create both religious and scientific explanations. With forays into evolutionary biology, this analysis of mental function answers some of our most common questions about how we've come to be who we are.
An introduction to Neuroimaging and Neurophysiology in Psychiatry, this book explains the basic physics and physiology behind the main techniques of neuroimaging, including MRI and PET, and non-invasive neurophysiology. This title covers all the clinically relevant aspects of neuroimaging and neurophysiology methods. It includes individual chapters on techniques, diagnostic disease markers, and neurophysiological treatments to ensure psychiatrists are familiar with the clinical relevance of reported abnormalities. With the latest research, Neuroimaging and Neurophysiology in Psychiatry is an invaluable and easy-to-read reference that will help practising psychiatrists in the evaluation of the use of neuroimaging methods in clinical, research, and forensic settings.
Interest in techniques to control the brain and thereby improve its function has surged, yet how realistic are these expectations and what are the ethical implications? This book reviews the main techniques of controlling brain processes for medical purposes, situating them within ethical and legal debates on autonomy and fairness.
The "New York Times" bestselling author of "The Compass of Pleasure" examines how our sense of touch is interconnected with our emotions Dual-function receptors in our skin make mint feel cool and chili peppers hot.
From the New York Times bestselling author comes a "hugely entertaining" (NPR.org) look at vice and virtue through cutting-edge science As he did in his award-winning book The Accidental Mind, David J. Linden—highly regarded neuroscientist, professor, and writer—weaves empirical science with entertaining anecdotes to explain how the gamut of behaviors that give us a buzz actually operates. The Compass of Pleasure makes clear why drugs like nicotine and heroin are addictive while LSD is not, how fast food restaurants ensure that diners will eat more, why some people cannot resist the appeal of a new sexual encounter, and much more. Provocative and illuminating, this is a radically new and thorough look at the desires that define us.
The Amazing Balancing Man By David Linden This is the personal story of one person balancing pursuing his dreams and putting bread on the table. Born during the Great Depression to a barber and a homemaker in Albany, New York, Davids prospects were not very bright. However, his parents, who immigrated from Russia and Austria shortly after World War I, instilled in him the belief that you could do anything you wanted, as long as you did the work needed to prepare for it. He left high school before graduating to work and bring in a little extra income to help out the family. This was his first balancing act: finish high school or help the family. It wasnt a lot of money, but it helped stretch the family budget a bit, and taught him valuable lessons about doing every job as well as he could and always trying to do better. David, it turns out, was an excellent salesman, regularly winning bonuses and recognition for tripling and quadrupling a departments sales. Whenever he needed to put bread on the table or a roof over his head, David could always get a job as a salesman. He was very good at it, but was not particularly passionate about sales. As a teenager, David enjoyed participating in all sports and started developing a love of physical fitness, reveling in what he could get his body to do and enjoying the cheers of the crowd when he made a great play. It was while learning and practicing diving and some basic gymnastics at a local park with a pool that he started becoming aware of the strength and gratification he received from cheers and applause, especially from the attractive girls. When the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus was came to town and he saw Ove Unus The Talk of the Universe perform a one-finger handstand and heard the thunderous applause, David knew that was what he passionately wanted to do perform acrobatics for live audiences! He taught himself the art, building up the necessary physical and mental skills, watching others perform, and studying pictures of acts to figure out how to do them. Along the way he recruited others to join him, met and became friends with other performers, first in the Albany area and then at Muscle Beach, California, and around the Western Hemisphere. David performed with many circuses around the United States and Canada. In 1976 he joined the Harlem Globetrotters for a five month tour of the United States, Canada, and South America, performing his acrobatic and plate-spinning acts during half time. During one show in South America, he had a major fall which left him nearly paralyzed from his waist down. In only five weeks, he rehabilitated himself and rejoined the tour. He continued performing acrobatics and selling shoes and fitness equipment as needed to put bread on the table for another twenty years. In his seventies, he retired from acrobatics and tried retiring, but couldnt stand the quiet, so he re-invented himself as a stand-up comedian. The mental and physical preparation for appearing before an audience and the applause for a performance well done are as essential to Davids well-being as having blood pump through his veins. Without the former, the latter is of little importance. Ultimately the story is about balancing ones inner passions that define personal success against societys measures of success.
The pursuit of pleasure is a central drive of the human animal. Now, award-winning neuro-scientist David J. Linden explains how recent research has enabled us to decipher how and when pleasure takes control of the brain--and won’t let go. Combining cutting-edge science with entertaining anecdotes, Linden illuminates how behaviours that lead us to ecstasy can just as easily become compulsive. Why are nicotine and heroin addictive while LSD is not? Why has the search for safe appetite suppressants failed? And in the future, will it be possible to activate our pleasure circuits at will? This eminently enjoyable and provocative book delves beyond what we like into why we can’t stop ourselves from liking it--even when we think we can.
I grew up Jewish in Philadelphia, got Bar Mitzvah and drifted away from God as many do. In 1986 I moved to Florida. In 2004-2005 I noticed a co-worker who had great qualities in the way she lived and asked to go to church with her. In the spring of 2005 I began to attend Christ Fellowship and discovered Jesus Christ God's Son and invited Him into my life. I got baptized in June of 2005 and started to attend Bible Studies. I started to teach Advanced Men's Discipleship in 2006, in 2007 began to serve as a volunteer on staff, and was teaching many classes. Today I take classes online at Liberty University, have completed Christ Fellowships Biblical Leadership program Kaleo, and continue to lead and serve God's Kingdom. I married that inspirational co-worker Carol Jean in 2007 and together we minister to all we come in contact with and delight in serving God and celebrating our wonderful marriage.
The persecution of the Huguenots in France, followed by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, unleashed one of the largest migration waves of early modern Europe. Focusing on the fate of French Protestants who fled to the Dutch Republic, Experiencing Exile examines how Huguenot refugees dealt with the complex realities of living as strangers abroad, and how they seized upon religion and stories of their own past to comfort them in exile. The book widens the scope of scholarship on the Huguenot Refuge, by looking beyond the beliefs and fortunes of high-profile refugees, to explore the lives of ’ordinary’ exiles. Studies on Huguenots in the Dutch Republic in particular focus almost exclusively on the intellectual achievements of a small group of figures, including Pierre Bayle and the Basnage brothers, whereas the fate of the many refugees who joined them in exile remains unknown. This book puts the masses of Huguenot refugees back into the history of the Refuge, examining how they experienced leaving France and building a new life in the Dutch Republic. Divided into three sections - ’The Economy of Exile’, ’Faith in Exile’ and ’Memories in Exile’ - the book argues that the Huguenot exile experience was far more complicated than has often been assumed. Scholars have treated Huguenot refugees either as religious heroes, as successful migrants, or as modern philosophers, while ignoring the many challenges that exile presented. As this book demonstrates, Huguenots in the Dutch Republic discovered that being a religious refugee in early modern Europe was above all a complex and profoundly unsettling experience, fraught with socio-economic, religious and political challenges, rather than a clear-cut quest for religious freedom.
Friedrich Hayek’s 1944 Road to Serfdom is a classic of conservative economic argument. While undeniably a product of a specific time in global politics – which saw the threat of fascism from Nazi Germany and its allies beguilingly answered by the promises of socialism – Hayek’s carefully constructed argument is a fine example of the importance of good reasoning in critical thinking. Reasoning is the art of constructing good, persuasive arguments by organizing one’s thoughts, supporting one’s conclusions, and considering counter-arguments along the way. The Road to Serfdom illustrates all these skills in action; Hayek’s argument was that, while many assumed socialism to be the answer to totalitarian, fascist regimes, the opposite was true. Socialist government’s reliance on a large state, centralised control, and bureaucratic planning – he insisted – actually amounts to a different kind of totalitarianism. Freedom of choice, Hayek continued, is a central requirement of individual freedom, and hence a centrally planned economy inevitably constrains freedom. Though many commentators have sought to counter Hayek’s arguments, his reasoning skills won over many of the politicians who have shaped the present day, most notably Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.
The most complete and up-to-date guide to battery technology and selection Thoroughly revised throughout, Linden's Handbook of Batteries, Fourth Editions provides authoritative coverage of the characteristics, properties, and performance of every major battery type. New information on emerging battery systems and their applications is included in this definitive volume. International experts offer unparalleled technical guidance on using leading-edge technologies, materials, and methods in new designs and products, and selecting the most suitable battery for a particular application. All of the in-depth data you need is contained in this comprehensive resource. The book will be useful to graduate students, battery researchers, applications engineers, and all others interested in the state-of-the-art in battery technology. Linden's Handbook of Batteries, Fourth Edition covers: PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION PRIMARY AND SECONDARY BATTERIES SPECIALIZED BATTERY SYSTEMS FUEL CELLS AND ELECTROCHEMICAL CAPACITORS Includes new chapters on: Battery modeling Battery electrolytes Lithium-ion batteries Battery selection for consumer electronics Batteries for electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid vehicles Batteries for electrical energy storage systems Batteries for biomedical applications Button cell batteries Batteries for military and space applications, including reserve water-activated and reserve military batteries Electrochemical capacitors
Randall Collins traces the movement of philosophical thought in ancient Greece, China, Japan, India, the medieval Islamic and Jewish world, medieval Christendom, and modern Europe. What emerges from this history is a social theory of intellectual change, one that avoids both the reduction of ideas to the influences of society at large and the purely contingent local construction of meanings. Instead, Collins focuses on the social locations where sophisticated ideas are formed: the patterns of intellectual networks and their inner divisions and conflicts.
As a child, we all remember back in school when the sheriffs came to our class and spoke to us about the importance of telling the truth, how their job was to protect the community from criminals of all types; they instilled in us to always report a crime when you witness one. Even the vehicles they drove proclaimed to "protect and serve." We believed in and instilled those values in our children. When I grew up, I experienced quite the opposite of what I was taught, which was if you speak out against law enforcement that is involved in corruption, you will suffer irreparable consequences. This autobiography tells the truth about what happened when we "did the right thing" that we believed was our duty by calling out corruption in local law enforcement and the irreparable repercussions we suffered at the hands of the very people who were supposed to protect us. These past years I have prayed for the strength to forgive those who trespassed against us, but as the years went on, those involved continued with their lives, receiving promotions, pay raises, buying new homes, and obtaining new jobs; they, in a nutshell, went on with their daily lives as if it was just another day. With no thought to the ruins they had left our lives in. For us, there would be no new home, no job, and no raise; there would be nothing but trying desperately to put our lives back together. And the realization that those illegal acts we saw? Maybe we should have never done the right thing and turned a blind eye; then, we might have been left alone. Instead, in the end, doing the right thing costs us everything.
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