Kathleen Taylor (2)
Author of Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control
For other authors named Kathleen Taylor, see the disambiguation page.
Kathleen Taylor (2) has been aliased into Kathleen E. Taylor.
Works by Kathleen Taylor
Works have been aliased into Kathleen E. Taylor.
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Taylor, Kathleen
- Birthdate
- unknown
- Gender
- female
- Education
- MSc, The University of Stirling (Psychology)
BA, University of Oxford (Physiology, Philosophy)
Dr, University of Oxford (Neuroimmunology, Cognitive neuroscience) - Occupations
- science writer
Neuroscientist, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at the University of Oxford - Short biography
- Kathleen Taylor studied physiology and philosophy at the University of Oxford. After a research MSc at Stirling University, working on brain chemistry, she returned to Oxford to do a DPhil in visual neuroscience and postdoctoral work on cognitive neuroscience.
In 2002 she won two writing competitions, one for science writing and one for an essay in the humanities/social sciences, for which the prizes included an offer to submit a book proposal to Oxford University Press.
Her first book, Brainwashing, was published in 2004; her second, Cruelty, in 2009. Her third book, The Brain Supremacy, was published in October 2012, again with OUP.
http://www.ifbb.org.uk/about-us/patro... - Nationality
- UK
- Places of residence
- Warwickshire, UK
- Associated Place (for map)
- Warwickshire, UK
Members
Reviews
The subject matter of this book is extremely fascinating, and the author is quite thorough in her multi-faceted approach, including insights from neuroscience, psychology, history, sociology, even literature. Unfortunately, the poor structure of the book doesn't quite put it all together. This is only made worse by the fact that the author doesn't ever define the word used for the book's title, so that any instance of mental manipulation could be included under a vague umbrella. I think the show more book would have been more effective if the focus was narrowed to examples of mass manipulation by force and stealth, which is likely what readers are looking for in a book entitled Brainwashing. A little humor and personality would have went a long way, too. In the end, this book is a champion for critical thinking, which is good because you'll need it to navigate the awkward order of information and the author's occasional condescension of ideas she disagrees with. Take it all with a grain of salt, and you just might enjoy this well-researched but disorganized book. show less
This book is a very good overview of the various types, risk factors and causes of dementia. I particularly liked the fact that it tackled the stigma of dementia and looked at the condition as something that can be lived with, and well. The author has a relative with dementia and draws on that experience occasionally over the course of the book. The focus on patient-centred care was welcome, as was the statement that resources need to be allocated to help the caregivers as well, because the show more caregivers are risking their own health as well.
I also appreciated the very brief mention of the fact that clinical trials aren’t always the greatest because the drugs are tested mostly on male animals, not female animals. Historically, males have been preferred for clinical studies because allegedly women’s hormones are too dang unpredictable for the researchers to account for. Well, apparently men’s hormones fluctuate just as much as or even more than women’s, and less predictably. So HA.
I found this easier to follow than some of the Very Short Introductions because I’ve read a lot about dementia and about the mind and medicine more generally, but there were still a few acronyms that tripped me up (NPT, non-pharmacological treatments, or CSF, which I know is cerebrospinal fluid but I always have to stop and think about it).
I would certainly recommend this if you’re looking for a concise summary of what dementia is and potential avenues of treatment. show less
I also appreciated the very brief mention of the fact that clinical trials aren’t always the greatest because the drugs are tested mostly on male animals, not female animals. Historically, males have been preferred for clinical studies because allegedly women’s hormones are too dang unpredictable for the researchers to account for. Well, apparently men’s hormones fluctuate just as much as or even more than women’s, and less predictably. So HA.
I found this easier to follow than some of the Very Short Introductions because I’ve read a lot about dementia and about the mind and medicine more generally, but there were still a few acronyms that tripped me up (NPT, non-pharmacological treatments, or CSF, which I know is cerebrospinal fluid but I always have to stop and think about it).
I would certainly recommend this if you’re looking for a concise summary of what dementia is and potential avenues of treatment. show less
I got this book hoping that it would provide me with scientific evidence that would help me develop a more informed opinion on the controversial issue of brainwashing. Unfortunately, Taylor points out that it is ethically impossible to conduct controlled brainwashing studies, so I did not find the specific evidence I was looking for. What the book does provide, however, is a detailed discussion of what science can tell us about how we come to believe what we do, and how influence attempts show more can impact that process.
Taylor’s discussion of influence techniques is thorough, ranging from advertising and education through systematic techniques used by cult leaders to the physical abuse used on American prisoners during the Korean War. By diving into neuroscience to detail how concepts and ideas are established in the brain, Taylor offers insight into how different kinds of manipulation attempts try to change how people think about the world around them. Her discussion of how skilled manipulators work to link strong emotion to a new idea in attempt to bypass the critical thought processes that would make people stop and think is particularly important for people interested in cultic issues. show less
Taylor’s discussion of influence techniques is thorough, ranging from advertising and education through systematic techniques used by cult leaders to the physical abuse used on American prisoners during the Korean War. By diving into neuroscience to detail how concepts and ideas are established in the brain, Taylor offers insight into how different kinds of manipulation attempts try to change how people think about the world around them. Her discussion of how skilled manipulators work to link strong emotion to a new idea in attempt to bypass the critical thought processes that would make people stop and think is particularly important for people interested in cultic issues. show less
I bought this book in order to read more theoretical discussions about thought control. I did not get this in this book (although to be fair, I didn't read it in its entirety). What I got was chapter after chapter defending various social institutions with a definite right-wing slant. I also got amazing glimpses in the disturbed mind of the author (such as her comment about Lolitas roaming the streets or that it's people's fault if they fall for advertising). What I didn't get was actual show more information about thought control. This book is garbage (now literally, in my case). show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 6
- Members
- 310
- Popularity
- #76,068
- Rating
- 3.5
- Reviews
- 4
- ISBNs
- 80
- Languages
- 4
