E-grāmata: Magic and the Mind: Mechanisms, Functions, and Development of Magical Thinking and Behavior

"In this bold, innovative lifework, Eugene Subbotsky lays the foundation of a cognitive-developmental-cultural science of magic. Based on decades of experimental work, measuring responses to garden-variety magic (magic boxes, wands, incantations and transformations), this book offers a comprehensive review of literature, a radically new theoretical frame, and a detailed developmental account, all with the aim of understanding the irrational, creative and meaningful role of magic in the context of modern life."

-Carl N. Johnson, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh "Subbotsky has managed to integrate extensive research on the development of magical thinking into a coherent argument that ties together work on domain specificity, magical thinking, sympathetic magic, and religion. Magic and the Mind offers a fresh and provocative theoretical perspective."

-Margaret Evans, Ph.D., University of Michigan "This is a ground-breaking book on one of human nature's most fascinating quirks: magical thinking. Subbotsky has written a clear and engaging account of his extensive study of this curious aspect of our psychology, seen in both children and adults. His work makes an important contribution."

-Stuart Vyse, Ph.D., Connecticut College, author of Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition "In this compelling overview, Eugene Subbotsky shows that magical thinking is not a passing phase of childhood. His ingenious experiments demonstrate that it is a foundational and enduring mode of thought--even if, as adults, we profess scientific rationality. His book makes a major contribution to ongoing debate about the relationship between religion and science."

-Paul Harris, Ph.D., Victor S. Thomas Professor of Education, Harvard University "Magic and the Mind constitutes an extremely important contribution to our understanding of magic. [ ...] Subbotsky's work stands as an important challenge to this tradition [ of rational thinking], one that should help us develop a more eclectic approach to human knowledge that accepts its heuristic nature and embraces its many sources and forms." --Edward Bever, Project Muse