Featured Books
Click on the photo of the book you are interested in and you will be taken directly to the blog posting for that book.

Nim Chimpsky is the sometimes delightful but ultimately tragic case of the chimp who was raised was a child. Nim and was adopted shortly after birth into a chaotic New York family, he slept in a bed, played with his "siblings" and brushed his teeth and wore regular clothes. He also learned American sign language as a means of communication. Nim's ability to communicate is controversial, some believe he was only imitating his owners while others contend that he actually had the ability to create new and different word combinations. Regardless of his progress on the language front, he was a rambunctious chimp who was sometimes dangerous around humans and as a result went through many owners and lived in many places over his short life. Nim Chimpsky is an incredibly insightful view into both animals ability to learn language and the ethical dilemmas caused by this type of animal research.

This month for back to school we are including a special post highlighting a group of technology tools, including apps, websites, and online course materials useful for teachers of psychology. Whether you teach psychology at the high school or college level, the featured technology resources are designed to improve teaching and learning and increase student engagement. Please note that before using technology you should review your district policies about technology and receive approval.

The Drunkard`s Walk attempts to explain how we predict and add meaning to events that do not follow that reasoning. As the title suggests, a Drunkard will make progress by moving in some direction it does not mean you can get into the mind of the person by plotting their path. The Drunkard`s Walk addresses schemes and perceptual sets because our prior learning colours our current and future experiences. It also addresses cognitive biases and addresses errors in our thinking. Leonard Mlodinow uses real-life situation and practical applications to demonstrate that we can check these biases before acting. We can also learn to discern the difference between random events and those with predictable patterns.

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If you are interested in learning more about these books and many others, click on the Blog link at the top of the page. Each of the book review postings includes a brief explanation of the book, a related classroom activity, key psychological concepts referenced in the book, and other resources such as websites or podcasts.