I read this for a physiological psychology class but didn't read every chapter (only those that were assigned). After the class was over I planned to I read this for a physiological psychology class but didn't read every chapter (only those that were assigned). After the class was over I planned to read the skipped chapters... but haven't actually gotten around to that. I don't see my opinion of the book changing after finishing it, so I might as well give my 2¢ worth.
It was informative and straightforward, nothing too difficult. Of course as with any textbook there's plenty of detail to get lost in, but a student's success is up to that individual's abilities alone since nothing in the text was ever confusing or written badly.
I figure it's a five-star rating for the information given but overall the book didn't quite reach "it was amazing" status. Since this is the only textbook I've read on the subject I can't say whether it's better or worse than any other of its kind, but I can't think of any reason not to recommend it.
However, if your teacher makes reading this book a painful experience... please, please give the teacher a bad review, not the book!...more
I'm reviewing this textbook a couple of months after finishing it, but I can still say for sure that it is an interesting and informative read. I readI'm reviewing this textbook a couple of months after finishing it, but I can still say for sure that it is an interesting and informative read. I read it straight through, chapter by chapter, before the start of the class so that during the (short winter) semester it would more a review of the material than it would be otherwise.
As it turns out, the teacher says 'You don't need the book, just write down what I say and you'll be fine'. I'm glad I did read the book, though, since I was able to fill in any gaps his lectures contained (and there were quite a lot---he probably only taught about 1/5 of the material that might be covered during a regular semester).
While I can't point out any specific highlights of the text, or any positives or negatives, or how well it helped in relation to topics covered in class, I can say it was worth the read just for sake of general knowledge. ...more
This is the first book about autism that I've read and I found it be an interesting one. Grinker preseRead this book for a medical anthropology class.
This is the first book about autism that I've read and I found it be an interesting one. Grinker presents a history of autism diagnoses, how autism is being perceived and treated in different parts of the world, and also about his own autistic daughter.
All in all it is a good introduction to autism and a great look at the history of psychology/psychiatry/mental illness (through the specific lens of autism). I only had one moment of uncertainty: when Grinker and his wife fight their daughter's school system for the help they think she deserves, there's little exploration about the cost (not just financial) of getting that help. He does feel guilty at one point ("I often wonder if our successes deprived another child of the services he or she needed."), but that's it. My lingering question is "How much extra money and time should be devoted to intensive individual attention if the money isn't always there to provide for those other students who aren't so in need?" I realize that's a whole other topic and book, but it makes the author come off as pushy, even though the results for his daughter were positive. Every student deserves the best in education, but are some more deserving than others?...more
Read this for a medical anthropology class. Darwinian medicine is a very interesting look at not only how our body deals with sickness but more importRead this for a medical anthropology class. Darwinian medicine is a very interesting look at not only how our body deals with sickness but more importantly why it reacts to disease (or becomes diseased) in the first place, exploring what exactly in the evolution of our bodies causes these types of reactions or pathologies.
Since I read this book chunks at a time over a few months I don't know how it all works together, but it is a bit of a slog at times to get through. What irked me the most, though, were long explanations for certain questions that ended in some variation of "but that's only a guess". I understand that this is a new way to approach the subject and conjecture is routine, but with so many instances of complicated explanations ending with shrugged shoulders, it gets a little wearisome.
Interesting but not riveting, this 16 year old book could certainly make due with an update!...more
I read this textbook for a Medical Anthropology class, and while it's full of interesting information it is a bit dry. The presentation of the facts cI read this textbook for a Medical Anthropology class, and while it's full of interesting information it is a bit dry. The presentation of the facts can be puzzling or awkward at times and there are many missing or incorrect words (which really disrupts the flow of reading). It also suffers from a lack of coherence in that there are lots of stories and explanations but there's no real tying together of the disparate facts within chapters.
Sometimes I would read through something and either wonder why so much text was devoted to it or why so little, which may be more about what interests me but it happened quite a lot. Also, more than once the text seemed to be leading to a larger point only to have it abruptly end and switch topics, never to revisit it, leaving me in a kind of lurch.
I haven't read any other medical anthropology textbooks, and I don't know if I ever will, so I can't compare this to anything else except other textbooks in anthropology (to which it compares very differently). It has a "close to final draft" feel to it, so maybe in future editions it can be cleaned up and polished a bit more.
Interesting, learned a lot, but rough around the edges....more
To be honest I didn't read every single page, but I read and re-read enough of the text over the course of a semester to definitively say this book isTo be honest I didn't read every single page, but I read and re-read enough of the text over the course of a semester to definitively say this book is pretty good. Concepts are explained simply enough, but the book overall loses major points for numerous (too numerous!) incorrect answers in the answer key. As in any math or science textbook there are concepts that are hard enough to understand to begin with, but working 20 minutes to get an answer that is not the answer in the book, only to later learn it IS the right answer, is really the shits. Makes you learn everything thoroughly but not always in the best way....more
Loading...
