Arnheim, Gestalt and Art: A Psychological Theory

Book Description

Arnheim, Gestalt and Art is the first book-length discussion of the powerful thinking of the psychologist of art, Rudolf Arnheim. Written as a complete overview of Arnheim’s thinking, it covers fundamental issues of the importance of psychological discussion of the arts, the status of gestalt psychology, the various sense modalities and media, and developmental issues. By proceeding in a direction from general to specific and then proceeding through dynamic processes as they unfold in time (creativity, development, etc.), the book discovers an unappreciated unity to Arnheim’s thinking. Not content to simply summarize Arnheim’s theory, however, Arnheim, Art, and Gestalt goes on to enrich (and occasionally question) Arnheim’s findings with the contemporary results of gestalt-theoretical research from around the world, but especially in Italy and Germany. The result is a workable overview of the psychology of art with bridges built to contemporary research, making Arnheim’s approach living and sustainable.

Arnheim, Gestalt and Art: A Psychological Theory.(Book review): An article from: Journal of Phenomenological Psychology

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Arnheim, Gestalt and Art: A Psychological Theory.(Book review): An article from: Journal of Phenomenological Psychology
Thomas F. Cloonan
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, published by Thomson Gale on September 22, 2006. The length of the article is 3145 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Arnheim, Gestalt and Art: A Psychological Theory.(Book review)
Author: Thomas F. Cloonan
Publication: Journal of Phenomenological Psychology (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 37 Issue: 2 Page: 272(8)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Amazon.com

Claiming inspiration from Lawrence Krauss's The Physics of Star Trek, the Jenkinses focus on the biological logic (or illogic) behind the alien ecologies in Star Trek--the original TV series and all of its sequels and movie spinoffs. The best parts are the biological bloopers, even though only a fan will truly appreciate them. For instance, how did the Klingons evolve forehead ridges between the original and the new series ... and why do all the planets look like California?

The science in the book helps the authors hypothesize about how humanoid life might have evolved throughout the universe (panspermia revisited). They offer simple evolutionary theories to explain the various head shapes and behaviors of fictional alien species. An entertaining read for a Star Trek science nerd. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

It's a routine mission. The Enterprise-D is in synchronous orbit over a Class-M planet to be surveyed for possible colonization. Commander Riker calls the life science team to its station, then Captain Picard orders a "search for life signs." As the principal investigator on this mission, you're up.

What do you do now? With Life Signs: The Biology of Star Trek, you'll know exactly what to do. In this vastly entertaining and informative volume, a research geneticist at a world-renowned medical center and a noted psychiatrist investigate the myriad questions Star Trek raises about "new life and new civilizations." They draw surprising conclusions about everything from the likelihood that any humanoid could be blue in color to the climate on the Vulcan homeworld to what caused the dramatic physiological changes in the Klingon race between the twenty-third and twenty-fourth centuries (something even Klingons themselves avoid discussing).

Life Signs: The Biology of Star Trek pays special attention to the Federation's astonishing technological advances, probing the accuracy and effects of these developments. How might the food replicators work? (And how would replicated food taste?) Is there any scientific basis for all that hyper-high-tech equipment in sickbay? Will it ever be possible to genetically enhance intelligence (the way Dr. Bashir's wits were sharpened when he was a boy)?

The Jenkinses also chart the remarkable parallels between the Star Trek universe and our own. They find earthly analogues to the Pon farr that puts Vulcans in heat every seven years. They hunt down common creatures reminiscent of the "crystalline entity" and the silicon-based Horta. They even introduce us to the billions of life-forms residing in our own bodies and induce us to wonder whether Jadzia Dax's Trill symbiont is really such a far-fetched notion after all.

Throughout, this engaging and authoritative book bristles with insights on the cutting edge of contemporary biology. Discover how close we are to cloning humans. Examine implants and prosthetics that might make the Borg proud. Watch NASA wrestle with the perils of extended space travel as it plans for a three-year-long manned mission to Mars. And learn where no one has gone before or ever will go as the Jenkinses highlight some of Star Trek's more notable biological bloopers.

Whether you run your own genetics lab or you ran screaming from high-school biology class, Life Signs: The Biology of Star Trek will heighten your appreciation for the mind-expanding magic of Star Trek.

Customer Reviews:

Much Better.......2007-01-20

If you read To Seek Out New Life, I'm sorry. There Andreadis claims to love Star Trek, and spends most of the book proving how false the science of the show is. She forgets the cardinal rule of a Trekkie- apologize for the show. Yes, it has problems in physics. Yes, there are continuity errors. Yes, the biology isn't always up to snuff. But you love the show, so you try to make it work. You try to find a work-around. And then, if you absolutely can't, you admit there was a mistake.

This is the tradition the Jenkinses boldly go with. They use Star Trek to have fun with biology, and understand more about new life. What would Horta psychology be like? Why do Gorgons make us uncomfortable? Where do we find Trill-like species here on Earth? The Jenkinses use Trek to help us understand more about life, in the process fully explaining the biology, but not in such detail to bore the unscientific reader. This is what was great about the show. It entertained, yes, but it took us beyond. It made us struggle with philosophy, history, anthropology, and science. It made us think about new possibilities, and use our imaginations to understand the world around us. It is in this tradition that the Jenkinses lead us.

A solid, worthy book, even for non-Trekkers.......2000-06-26

The doctors Jenkins may not have Dr. Lawrence Krauss's easy way of turning hard science into a page-turner, but their work is an entertaining, informative, accessible book.

The book covers topics from a wide range of biological study, including how the structure of faces affect psychology, why 'silicon-based life' is a possibility while 'aluminum-based life' is not, practical applications of gene therapy, and the traditional chapter of bloopers committed by the Star Trek writers (including the intriguing question of why it is that Captain Picard is the only member of the Enterprise bridge crew who can't seem to grow his own hair back). The single chapter on the biology of love and romance covers such wide-ranging topics as the possible mating customs of various Star Trek races, the biology of inter-species reproduction (including the surprising revelation that you may turn out differently depending on whether your mother or your father was the Vulcan), and the distinctions between biological, psychological, and sociological concepts of gender.

If you're looking for a book heavy on information and light on gushing asides about how wonderful it would be if we all lived in the Star Trek universe, you'll enjoy this book.

Fantastic travel : Star Trek's beings, biological vision.......1998-11-30

A fantastic, professional written book, focusing on the most unbelievable (and unthought) aspects of the Star Trek's beings. Now you can understand the most different behaviors and acts of some aliens of ST universe, once believed illogical and strange for you. And you can see it through the eyes of two medical doctors, which give you complete and comprehensive explanation. Recomended for the Star Trek fans (Old Series, New Generation, Deep Space 9, etc.) and everyone who's interest for understanding more how our Terran lifeforms are and how theoretical (????) ET's would be.

Thinking about getting this book? Make it so!.......1998-10-04

This latest entry in the "Science of Star Trek" series examines several important concepts in the field of biology, with an emphasis on genetics. While including many references to various Star Trek episodes, the book's primary mission is to educate the reader, particularly in regard to cutting-edge research and theories. The authors do a great job in presenting this information in a manner that is easily understood, and all Trek fans will be delighted that many glaring "bloopers" (such as, why do so many aliens look so similar to humans? And what exactly happened to the Klingons?) are thoughtfully addressed. In short, this book is a worthy addition to a Star Trek fan's library.

Fascinating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......1998-09-03

This was not the ultra-heavy science book I'd been lead to believe by the title, but it was very a informative and fascinating look at the different humanoids of Star Trek and what really constitutes a life. Definitely for the science fan, the Sci-fi fan, and the Star Trek fan. I don't know that non-Trekkers would like it because they may or may not get it. But definitely a good read.

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Life Signs : The Biology of Star Trek
Robert & Susan Jenkins Jenkins
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews:

Great Guide in Your Pocket.......2005-10-01

Plilip Sweeny takes us on a journey through Cuba's rich musical heritage. In this compact edition, the reader is introduced to the major musical elements and artists that contributed to the development of Cuba's contemporary music culture. In addition, this booklet is a great guide to the recordings that capture Cuba's musical traditions of Rumba, Son, Bolero, Trova, and the music that emerged throughout the 20th century.
This is guide is a must have for the enthusiast of Cuban music.

This Book Fills in the Gaps.......2004-09-29

This Rough Guide packs far more information in its pocket sized format than most of the other currently available full-sized books on the topic of Cuban Jazz. Most other books on the topic would have you think that Cuban music began with Desi Arnaz and ended with the now graying artists featured in Buena Vista Social Club. This Rough Guide discusses Son, Bolero, Mambo and other musical styles, describing their origin and the (not widely known) artists who first popularized them. And ... it picks up with the new generation of musicians that bring that work current. I used the book's comprehensive descriptions (together with Amazon's "Listen to Samples" features) -- to build a broad collection that begins at the beginning and ends at the end.

The Rough Guide to The Music of Cuba: The Rough Guide to Music (Rough Guide World Music CDs)

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The Rough Guide to The Music of Cuba: The Rough Guide to Music (Rough Guide World Music CDs)
Rough Guides
Manufacturer: Rough Guides
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1858283655

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Interesting Story

Great book about a great company

*real* life experience of a *passionate* entrepreneur

Great Company, Great Story, Inspiring Read

Fascinating True Stories

Raising the Bar: Integrity and Passion in Life and Business: The Story of Clif Bar & Co.
Gary Erickson , and Lois Lorentzen
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

In April of 2000, Gary Erickson turned down a $120 million offer to buy his thriving company. Today, instead of taking it easy for the rest of his life and enjoying a luxurious retirement, he's working harder than ever. Why would any sane person pass up the financial opportunity of a lifetime?

Raising the Bar tells the amazing story of Clif Bar's Gary Erickson and shows that some things are more important than money. Gary Erickson and coauthor Lois Lorentzen tell the unusual and inspiring story about following your passion, the freedom to create, sustaining a business over the long haul, and living responsibly in your community and on the earth. Raising the Bar chronicles Clif Bar's ascent from a homemade energy bar to a $100 million phenomenon with an estimated 35 million consumers, and a company hailed by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. four years in a row. The book is filled with compelling personal stories from Erickson's life-trekking in the Himalayan mountains, riding his bicycle over roadless European mountain passes, climbing in the Sierra Nevada range--as inspiration for his philosophy of business. Throughout the book, Erickson--a competitive cyclist, jazz musician, world traveler, mountain climber, wilderness guide, and entrepreneur--convinces us that sustaining one's employees, community, and environment is good business.

If you are a manager, executive, business owner, or board member, Raising the Bar is your personal guide to corporate integrity. If you are a sports enthusiast, environmentalist, adventure lover, intrigued by a unique corporate culture, or just interested in a good story, Raising the Bar is for you.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Story.......2007-08-12

My favorite health/nutrition bars are CLIF and LUNA. My mom was the one who actually gave me one first, and I couldn't believe how wonderful they tasted. It was the product packaging that led me to the CLIF website and, eventually, this book. The book is about the founder of CLIF, Gary Erickson, and how he went from a mountain biker with no money to a mountain biker with heaps of money. The story is, at times, inspirational and it is especially interesting to read about the actual company policies and commitment to being organic and environmentally aware. These statements seem to run throughout the book and make you really believe in the goodness of the CLIF company. It almost seems too good to be true - the values that the company holds, their interest in being organic and leaving minimal impact on the earth, and supporting important causes, etc. There is a lot of focus in the book on the almost-sale of the company and the dissention that ensued between Gary and his partner. I'm sure she (the partner) would have a completely different tale to tell, but it seems that it got pretty ugly towards the end. A lot of the story is also missing; we don't get much of the background of how he came to actually make the CLIF bar - just simple references to mom's kitchen. If you're at all interested in autobiographical stories and have an interest in learning more about this company, then the book is a good, solid read. It lends insight into the dynamics of CLIF and makes you even more interested in the products - which are really terrific.

Great book about a great company.......2007-05-21

I would recommend this book to anyone who thinks that all of corporate america has no soul. It has a good story and engages the reader throughout.

*real* life experience of a *passionate* entrepreneur.......2007-02-03

The books makes you feel like Gary is talking directly with you. His passion is infectious.

It was rather disturbing.. though in a positive way.

Great Company, Great Story, Inspiring Read.......2006-01-17

This is a fascinating book about the creation of Clif Bar and the business philosophy of its co-founder Gary Erickson. It's a good story, but at times it seems too good to be true. While reading it, I wasn't fully convinced that there wasn't some authorial bias, so I did some Google-based research on the Internet. This confirmed many of the assertions in the book, so I believe Erikson to be the genuine article -- someone committed to building a great company and sticking to his idealistic principles for sustaining his employees, customers, and suppliers as well as sustaining his community and the planet.

It seems that the best way to build a principled company is to keep it privately owned with no intention of ever going public. In fact, Erickson has talked to people like Mo Siegel of Celestial Seasonings, Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry's and Gary Hirshberg of Stoneyfield Farms and comes to the conclusion that nothing less than 100% ownership is acceptable. As he puts it, "I didn't want to become a slave to Wall Street--I'm an entrepreneur who cherishes freedom."

Earlier in Clif Bar's history, Erickson touted his 50/50 partnership with Lisa Thomas, but as he points out in the book, 50% ownership can lead to a stalemate when important decisions have to be made. He hardly mentions his former partner after the first chapter, which describes the point in 2000 when he walked out on a deal to sell the company for $120million. It appears that this was the significant emotional event that drove his effort to build Clif Bar into a great company and to leave it behind as his legacy. As his wife Kit puts it, Clif Bar is the way Erikson expresses himself in the world. This statement seems fully borne out by the rest of the book.

He starts the history of Clif Bar with a personal story of going on a 100 mile bike ride that turned unexpectedly into a 175 mile ride. This was what he calls the first epiphany bike ride and was sustained by only 6 power bars and a banana. As the story goes, it was when he found that he couldn't force down the 6th bar that he decided to make his own. This was the epiphany. It's celebrated every year by a company-sponsored bike event that follows the same route.

Such epiphanies occur frequently, but we're not many of us built like Erickson, so we don't tend to turn our ideas into such a formidable reality as he has done.

One disappointment is that -- after the initial drama of not quite selling the company -- the book mostly skirts the misgivings and failures on the way to building Clif Bar into what it is now. It would have been interesting to learn more about the decisions -- and particularly the failures -- that occurred on the way to building a radical corporate culture at Clif Bar that's in sharp contrast to the competitive, winner-takes-all, bottom-line culture of most of corporate America.

However, there are many good reasons to read this book. It's full of great stories and metaphors. His management ideas are workable, and he's created one of the best mission statements I've seen. This is given in the form of five "aspirations:" Sustaining Our Brands; Sustaining Our Business; Sustaining Our People; Sustaining Our Community; Sustaining Our Planet. He elaborates these in a very creative way. Each aspiration is illustrated and supported by an image of a Clif Bar wrapper, with the "Nutrition Facts" and "Ingredients" replaced by a list of accomplishments achieved during one year of business. These show that the mission of Clif Bar is not an empty one.

The aspirations condense Clif Bar's mission and values down to just seven words, thus satisfying one criterion for a good mission statement. Erikson clearly lived and promulgated these values for some years before formalizing them and writing them down on paper. He also works continuously to meet the company's aspirations. It seems obvious to measure and assess a company based on the achievement of its mission, but that's not what most companies do. Employees may get a poster to pin up in their cubes, but usually there's little evidence that the leaders of the company are acting in accordance with the corporate values and the annual report generally pays only lip service to values other than the shareholder value and the financial results.

At the end of the book, Erikson sums up his achievements at Clif Bar by saying that Clif Bar's business model is like a jazz score, and that the people of Clif Bar are like jazz musicians. "The core is jazz: the freedom to improvise in the creation of beautiful things, products, and people." This is a nice idea and an appropriate metaphor for the whole book, a tale about the raising of Clif Bar improvised around the stories of his life.

The book is an entertaining -- and at some points dazzling -- composition, but it is also important as a model. Erikson does something valuable by giving us one more book that shows how to build a successful, socially responsible company. This adds to a growing number of such books including Joy at Work (Dennis Bakke), The Living Company (Arie De Geus), and Saving the Corporate Soul (David Batstone).

Raising the bar is a great read, but most of all it's important for its ideas and the example it provides. Erikson is an inspiring model for others. He doesn't believe that taking care of people is just a way to make them work harder. As Erikson puts it, "We believe that if we provide meaningful work as well as something beyond work, people will do their jobs well and lead healthier, more balanced lives."

Fortunately, Erikson's is not an isolated example, and more and more people are practicing the belief that stewardship and sustainability is more important than maximizing shareholder profit. If you're working to start a sustainable, socially responsible, learning organization, this is essential reading. If not, at least read the book and spread the word about Clif Bar -- it's a great product and behind it lies a great story.

Graham Lawes

Fascinating True Stories.......2005-02-27

Interesting and fun read. Many important life and business lessons tied together. As a cyclist, skiier, and small business founder and owner, I can relate to many of the adventures and lessons of life and business woven neatly together in this book.

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