Author Archives: Pat Higo

Its a jungle in there: how competition and cooperation in the brain shape the mind

jungleDavid A. Rosenbaum

The saying “It’s a jungle out there” refers to a competitive environment in which you’d better hone your skills if you hope to survive. And you’d better do what you can to keep a roof over your head, food in your belly, a leaf on your loins, and a mate who’ll help pass on your genes to the next generation of jungle Jims and Janes.
Distinguished professor and cognitive psychologist David Rosenbaum takes this metaphor of surviving in the wild and applies it to the competitive arena within the brain. He argues that the overarching theory of biology, Darwin’s theory, should be the overarching theory of cognitive psychology, the science of mental functioning. He explores this new and intriguing idea by showing how neural elements compete and cooperate in a kind of inner jungle, where only the fittest survive. Competition within your brain does as much to shape who you are as the physical and figurative competition you face externally.
Just as the jungle night seethes with noisy creatures beckoning their mates, issuing their warnings, and settling their arguments, you might have trouble falling asleep at night because the thoughts in your head are fighting for their chance at survival. Rosenbaum’s pursuit of this bold idea explains why we are shaped into who we are, for better or worse, because we are the hosts of inner battlefields.
Written in a light-hearted tone and with reference to hypothetical neural “creatures” making their way in a tough environment, Rosenbaum makes cognitive psychology and his theory easy to understand and exciting to ponder. Rather than rely on the series of disconnected phenomena and collection of curiosities that often constitute cognitive psychology, It’s a Jungle in There provides a fascinating way to place all cognitive phenomena under one flourishing tree.

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Gamestar Mechanic for Dummies (EBOOK)

gamestarJacob Cordiero

Level up from gamer to creator with Gamestar MechanicDo you think you can design the ultimate video game? It’s more than just flashy effects and cool graphics. Gamestar Mechanic helps you build the skills you need to become a master designer. Go on Quests, collect your Sprites and design your very own game that you can publish instantly and receive feedback from other users. You can also take an online game design course where an expert instructor is right there to help you. Gamestar Mechanic For Dummies will show you how to get the most out of the site and build your very best game. Author Jacob Cordeiro, author of Minecraft For Dummies and a former Gamestar Mechanic teacher, shows you all the tips and tricks and teaches you the principles behind your design.

  • Go through all of the phases of game design
  • Plan, design and build your own video game
  • Take a more active role in your gaming
  • Share your game with others and get feedback
  • Learn the principles of good game design

Gamestar Mechanic offers an online community for collaboration, support and sharing, and makes learning valuable skills feel like gameplay. Gamestar Mechanic For Dummies will help you get the most out of your game creation experience.

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The guns at last light: the war in Western Europe 1944-1945

gunsRick Atkinson

The magnificent conclusion to Rick Atkinson’s acclaimed Liberation Trilogy about the Allied triumph in Europe during World War II

It is the twentieth century’s unrivaled epic: at a staggering price, the United States and its allies liberated Europe and vanquished Hitler. In the first two volumes of his bestselling Liberation Trilogy, Rick Atkinson recounted how the American-led coalition fought through North Africa and Italy to the threshold of victory. Now he tells the most dramatic story of all—the titanic battle for Western Europe.

D-Day marked the commencement of the final campaign of the European war, and Atkinson’s riveting account of that bold gamble sets the pace for the masterly narrative that follows. The brutal fight in Normandy, the liberation of Paris, the disaster that was Operation Market Garden, the horrific Battle of the Bulge, and finally the thrust to the heart of the Third Reich—all these historic events and more come alive with a wealth of new material and a mesmerizing cast of characters. Atkinson tells the tale from the perspective of participants at every level, from presidents and generals to war-weary lieutenants and terrified teenage riflemen. When Germany at last surrenders, we understand anew both the devastating cost of this global conflagration and the enormous effort required to win the Allied victory.

With the stirring final volume of this monumental trilogy, Atkinson’s accomplishment is manifest. He has produced the definitive chronicle of the war that unshackled a continent and preserved freedom in the West.

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