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In this major new book, eminent scientist Professor Sir Michael
Rutter gets behind the hype of the behavioral genetics debate to
provide a balanced and authoritative overview of the genetic
revolution and its implications for understanding human behavior. *
Written by one of the world's leading figures in child psychology
and psychiatry, Professor Sir Michael Rutter * Provides
non-technical explanation of genetics to diffuse the sensational
debates surrounding the topic * Sets out in layman's terms what
genes do, how much is nature and how much is nurture * Argues that
nature and nurture are not truly separate and gives examples of how
the two interact * Looks at the implications of genetic findings
for policy and practice * The book will inform public debate about
the implications of the Human Genome Project and, more broadly, the
field of genetic science
God: The Play is a story about an inquisitive college student named
Jude. He is a scholar and contender for valedictorian of his
graduating class. He has completed an academically demanding
program with a double major in English and drama, which requires a
thesis to graduate. Jude's professor gave him the thesis topic:
Does God exist, or not? He decides to write and perform a play to
fulfill this requirement, and he uses his fellow drama students as
the actors. God: The Play begins with a series of opinionated
characters presenting unconventional insights into the existence of
God. It is the intent of these composite characters to provide new
perceptions on old beliefs, including unique ideas about God. These
characters do not intend to leave the audience resting comfortably
in their current beliefs as an atheist, a member of a religious
sect, or a scientist. In their dialogue, the characters examine
human tolerance for believing in irrational, intangible ideas, even
if one's belief is non-belief. The characters use "dialectic
rhetoric" to "inquire, argue and persuade" in seeking the truth
about God's existence through "closed fist" and "open hand"
discussions as described by philosophers such as Zeno the stoic,
Hegel, Aristotle, Socrates, Plato and Cicero.
Communication disabilities are common, although their precise
nature and degree of severity vary greatly among individuals. They
are among the most handicapping of disabilities because they
isolate a person and in so doing restrict social, educational, and
occupational opportunities. One of the purposes of this book was to
bring together theoretical, practical, and clinical knowledge from
several disciplines that bear on language and communication into
some reasonably accessible form. The intent is to provide a broad
and multi-faceted view of language development and language
disorders. Thus, contributions from education, linguistics,
psychology, pediatrics, psychiatry, neurology, neuropsychology, and
speech therapy are included. They describe our current knowledge of
language development, suggest classifications for language
pathology, outline what is known of the epidemiology of language
difficulties, consider assessment and therapy, alternative
communication systems and the impact of the new technology on
communication aids. The variety of perspectives that it provides
will make it particularly useful to the range of specialists who
are concerned with the development of communication skills and
language disorders.
During the ‘Golden Era’ of economic growth between 1950 and 1973, mortality and physical illness declined in developed countries, but a number of psychosocial disorders increased. The authors of this volume search out the causes of the increased disorder in young people and target the disorders that rise in frequency in the teenage years: crime, alcohol and drug abuse, depression, anorexia and bulimia, and suicide. The extensive research findings on the mechanisms that lead to each of the disorders are reviewed. In addition, the authors consider a wide range of social and economic changes as possible explanations of trends in the disorders: the changing process of adolescent development, the family, the economy, the labour market, the mass media, and moral concepts and values are all discussed in depth. This international group of researchers bring together, for the first time, under the auspices of the Academia Europaea, data for a range of psychosocial disorders on time trends, on cross-national differences, on risk and protective factors for individuals, and on the developmental processes that link childhood with adult life. The Academia Europaea as a multinational, multidisciplinary organisation support in various areas this kind of study. The authors demonstrate that this inter-disciplinary approach, combining analysis of individual differences and aggregate trends, has great power and potential for future research. Practitioners, academics and policy makers in the fields of mental health, criminal justice, and social policy will find in this volume some surprising conclusions as well as useful guidelines for action, based on authoritative evidence from these unique studies.
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