In this book, Kate Distin proposes a theory of cultural evolution and shows how it can help us to understand the origin and development of human culture. Distin introduces the concept that humans share information not only in natural languages, which are spoken or signed, but also in artefactual languages like writing and musical notation, which use media that are made by humans. Languages enable humans to receive and transmit variations in cultural information and resources. In this way, they provide the mechanism for cultural evolution. The human capacity for metarepresentation - thinking about how we think - accelerates cultural evolution, because it frees cultural information from the conceptual limitations of each individual language. Distin shows how the concept of cultural evolution outlined in this book can help us to understand the complexity and diversity of human culture, relating her theory to a range of subjects including economics, linguistics, and developmental biology.

Culture is a unique and fascinating aspect of the human species. How did it emerge and how did it develop? Richard Dawkins has suggested that culture evolves through meme - that is, cultural replicators subject to variation and selection in just the same ways that genes are in the biological world. In this sense human culture is the product of a mindless evolutionary algorithm. Does this imply, as some have argued, that we are meme machines and that the conscious self is an illusion? Kate Distin's highly readable and accessible book presents for the first time a fully developed and workable concept of cultural DNA. She argues that culture develops both through memetic evolution and human creativity, and that mimetic evolution is perfectly compatible with the view of humans as conscious and intelligent. This book should find a wide readership amongst philosophers, psychologists, sociologists, and will also interest many non-academic readers.

Winner of the NAGC Celebrating Gifts and Talents 2007 "Most Important Book" Gold Award Gifted Children is a lively and informative exploration of the mystery of the gifted mind and the social and emotional needs of gifted children and their families. The authors give an insight into what is 'normal' for gifted children, acknowledge the difficulties they experience, and offer pointers for parents on how to support them at home, in the interaction with siblings and other family members, and at school. The authors identify self-acceptance and communication with others as key skills for gifted children, whose exceptional abilities in fields ranging from music and maths to linguistics and art are often complicated by poor social skills, dyslexia or other difficulties. This excellent book, written by counsellors who are also parents with first- hand knowledge of living and working with gifted children, is an accessible and positive guide full of constructive advice and encouragement for other parents. It includes practical information such as useful contact details, as well as opportunities for reflection.

In this book, Kate Distin proposes a theory of cultural evolution and shows how it can help us to understand the origin and development of human culture. Distin introduces the concept that humans share information not only in natural languages, which are spoken or signed, but also in artefactual languages like writing and musical notation, which use media that are made by humans. Languages enable humans to receive and transmit variations in cultural information and resources. In this way, they provide the mechanism for cultural evolution. The human capacity for metarepresentation - thinking about how we think - accelerates cultural evolution, because it frees cultural information from the conceptual limitations of each individual language. Distin shows how the concept of cultural evolution outlined in this book can help us to understand the complexity and diversity of human culture, relating her theory to a range of subjects including economics, linguistics, and developmental biology.

Culture is a unique and fascinating aspect of the human species. How did it emerge and how did it develop? Richard Dawkins has suggested that culture evolves through meme - that is, cultural replicators subject to variation and selection in just the same ways that genes are in the biological world. In this sense human culture is the product of a mindless evolutionary algorithm. Does this imply, as some have argued, that we are meme machines and that the conscious self is an illusion? Kate Distin's highly readable and accessible book presents for the first time a fully developed and workable concept of cultural DNA. She argues that culture develops both through memetic evolution and human creativity, and that mimetic evolution is perfectly compatible with the view of humans as conscious and intelligent. This book should find a wide readership amongst philosophers, psychologists, sociologists, and will also interest many non-academic readers.