Sanjida O’Connell
Mindreading
Did you know that it is much easier to detect lying in a stranger than with someone you’ve known for a very long time? That if any animal is staring at you it can only mean one of three things: it either wants to fight, feed, or mate with you? How we react to one another socially is the most important aspect of our lives. Without a Theory of Mind, we could not predict what others are likely to do, feel or believe; we could not love, lie, cheat, communicate or develop mature relationships. Yet there are those who have no understanding of how other people think and feel: young children, autistics, and people with a rare disorder known as Asperger’s syndrome. Research indicates that great apes and possibly dolphins may possess an awareness of other beings’ minds and be able to adapt accordingly.
Goodreads Reviews
5* ‘I think this book is one of the key works to understand the theory of mind. O’Connell’s other books are also very good and add a lot to the cognitive studies, especially theory of mind.’ Tato
Hardcover: ISBN 0-385-48402-X William Heinneman 1997.
Paperback edition ISBN 0-7493-2264-O Arrow 1998