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morgan_blackledge's review against another edition
3.0
OMG Damasio is a hand full.
I think he's trying to kill me.
The book starts out very readable (which is uncharacteristic of Damasio), then (about half way through) the book becomes nearly unreadable (which is typical of Damasio).
I am an educated reader. I teach affective and developmental psychology. I am not a researcher or a specialist but I can say that none of the material in this book is unfamiliar to me. But I'm often lost as to the larger point Damasio is trying to make.
I attribute this to Damasio's prolix writing style. Much of the book feels like he's barfing data onto page after page with out connecting any of it back to the central metaphor of the book.
I find this to be the case with a lot of European intellectuals. They (big generalization, lots of exceptions e.g. Dawkins) don't seem to value economy, clarity or functionality in their writing. The older I get, the more I respect writers who do.
I'll finish this book, I'll read the rest of his books, but dear god what a chore..
I think he's trying to kill me.
The book starts out very readable (which is uncharacteristic of Damasio), then (about half way through) the book becomes nearly unreadable (which is typical of Damasio).
I am an educated reader. I teach affective and developmental psychology. I am not a researcher or a specialist but I can say that none of the material in this book is unfamiliar to me. But I'm often lost as to the larger point Damasio is trying to make.
I attribute this to Damasio's prolix writing style. Much of the book feels like he's barfing data onto page after page with out connecting any of it back to the central metaphor of the book.
I find this to be the case with a lot of European intellectuals. They (big generalization, lots of exceptions e.g. Dawkins) don't seem to value economy, clarity or functionality in their writing. The older I get, the more I respect writers who do.
I'll finish this book, I'll read the rest of his books, but dear god what a chore..
rixx's review against another edition
4.0
Didn't hold much new information for me, because its contents have grown so accepted and foundational in the 25 years since publication. Nevertheless it provides a solid fundamental overview in a very readable way, despite also dealing in a bit of technical details.
rheckner's review against another edition
4.0
Started and read the first part in March during my last semester of undergrad, but put it aside after classes moved to online. A very interesting book.
hdoro's review against another edition
- The sample was enough to get the gist: our emotions have deep roots in our body and are intertwined with our rationality, so there's no rational being like Descartes prescribed. The whole "I'm rational and hence emotions don't affect my judgment" is scientifically wrong.
- reviews say it's very thorough and detailed, and I'm not sure it's worth my time
biabiaabiaaa's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.0