Intuition is not some magical property that arises unbidden from the depths of our mind. This book shows us how we can hone our instinctive ability to know in an instant, helping us to bring out the best in our thinking and become better decision-makers in our homes, offices and in everyday life.

Why do memories fade? Why do we lose our tempers? Why do fools fall in love? This work explores the nature and history of the human mind. It looks at the computations and evolutions, and then considers how the mind lets us see, think, feel, interact, and pursue higher callings like art, religion and philosophy.

'What is a self, and how can a self come out of inaminate matter?' This book examines this riddle. Linking together the music of J S Bach, the graphic art of Escher and the mathematical theorems of Godel, as well as ideas drawn from logic, biology, psychology, physics and linguistics, it reveals the mysteries of human thought processes.

Describes various facets of human language - its biological origin, its uniqueness to humanity, it acquisition by children, its grammatical structure, the production and perception of speech, the pathology of language disorders and the unstoppable evolution of languages and dialects.

An attempt to answer the question, how much do our perceptions of things depend on our cognitive ability and how much on our linguistic resources? Eco undertakes a series of idiosyncratic explorations, starting from the perceived data of common sense, to expound a clear critique of Kant.

Explains how humans experience music and unravels the mystery of our perennial love affair with it. Using musical examples from Bach to the Beatles, this work reveals the role of music in human evolution, shows how our musical preferences begin to form even before we are born, and explains why music can offer such an emotional experience.

Discusses why your emotional intelligence is more important than your IQ.

Analyses what words actually mean and how we use them, and reveals what this can tell us about ourselves. This book shows how we use space and motion as metaphors for more abstract ideas, and uncovers the deeper structures of human thought that have been shaped by evolutionary history. It also explores the emotional impact of language.

An acclaimed text offering a systematic and accessible presentation of the theoretical foundations of higher mental processes.

One of the world's science superstars presents a brilliantly illuminating, entertaining and cutting-edge account of how language actually works

Looks at what happens when things go wrong with parts of the brain most of us don't know exist. This work shows the awesome powers of our mind and just how delicately balanced they have to be. It is suitable for those who have felt from time to time that certain twinge of self-identity and sensed how easily, at any moment, one might lose it.

In his work of popular science, Sir Roger Penrose takes us on a fascinating roller-coaster ride through the basic principles of physics, cosmology, mathematics, and philosophy to show that human thinking can never be emulated by a machine.

Can thought arise out of matter? Can self, a soul, a consciousness, an I arise out of mere matter? If it cannot, then how can you or I be here? This title argues that the key to understanding selves and consciousness is the 'strange loop' - a special kind of abstract feedback loop inhabiting our brains.

An account of how anthropological methods can be combined with cognitive theory in studies of cognition. Drawing comparisons with navigation, this study argues that cultural systems have cognitive properties of their own that differ from the cognitive properties of the individuals within them.

George Lakoff and Mark Johnson suggest that basic metaphors used in everyday speech not only affect the way we communicate ideas, but actually structure our perceptions and understandings from the beginning.

This volume is a theoretical and practical approach to the design of computer technology.

Revises the traditional view of consciousness by claiming that tautology and Descartes' dualism of mind and body should be replaced with theories from the realms of neuroscience, psychology and artificial intelligence.

Peter Gardenfors offers his theory of conceptual representations as a bridge between the symbolic and connectionist approaches. He aims to present a coherent research programme that can be used as a basis for more detailed investigations.