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Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind (Hardcover)
by Gary Marcus (Author)

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Reviews :
From Publishers Weekly
Why are we subject to irrational beliefs, inaccurate memories, even war? We can thank evolution, Marcus says, which can only tinker
with structures that already exist, rather than create new ones: Natural selection... tends to favor genes that have immediate
advantages rather than long-term value. Marcus (The Birth of the Mind), director of NYU's Infant Language Learning Center, refers to
this as kluge, a term engineers use to refer to a clumsily designed solution to a problem. Thus, memory developed in our prehominid
ancestry to respond with immediacy, rather than accuracy; one result is erroneous eyewitness testimony in courtrooms. In describing
the results of studies of human perception, cognition and beliefs, Marcus encapsulates how the mind is contaminated by emotions,
moods, desires, goals, and simple self-interest.... The mind's fragility, he says, is demonstrated by mental illness, which seems to
have no adaptive purpose. In a concluding chapter, Marcus offers a baker's dozen of suggestions for getting around the brain's flaws
and achieving true wisdom. While some are self-evident, others could be helpful, such as Whenever possible, consider alternate
hypotheses and Don't just set goals. Make contingency plans. Using evolutionary psychology, Marcus educates the reader about mental
flaws in a succinct, often enjoyable way. (Apr. 16)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description
Are we noble in reason? Perfect, in God's image? Far from it, says New York University psychologist Gary Marcus. In this lucid and
revealing book, Marcus argues that the mind is not an elegantly designed organ but rather a "kluge," a clumsy, cobbled-together
contraption. He unveils a fundamentally new way of looking at the human mind -- think duct tape, not supercomputer -- that sheds
light on some of the most mysterious aspects of human nature.

Taking us on a tour of the fundamental areas of human experience -- memory, belief, decision-making, language, and happiness --
Marcus reveals the myriad ways our minds fall short. He examines why people often vote against their own interests, why money can't
buy happiness, why leaders often stick to bad decisions, and why a sentence like "people people left left" ties us in knots even
though it's only four words long.

Marcus also offers surprisingly effective ways to outwit our inner kluge, for the betterment of ourselves and society. Throughout,
he shows how only evolution -- haphazard and undirected -- could have produced the minds we humans have, while making a brilliant
case for the power and usefulness of imperfection.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews :
A Beautiful Kluge., February 21, 2008
By Erik A. Olson "Seeker Reviews" (Ridgefield, WA United States)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
We'd all like to believe that we're rational and clear-headed, and that our mind, will, and emotions are reliable (except, perhaps,
when it comes to romance and chocolate). However, "Kluge" indicates that our Rube Goldberg brain often doesn't work quite as
optimally as we believe it does. Thankfully, Gary Marcus' mind functioned well enough to bring us this fine book.

Reading about the brain is probably the ultimate act of navel-gazing, since it's the seat of who we are, and its function determines
a large part of our destiny. I was glad to see a well-done and accessible analysis of our most important organ. I found the author's
breakdown of the mind enlightening, like with the relationship between memory and context. Why can't I find my clipboard? Because I
put it in an unfamiliar place - duh. He also compares our faulty context-dependent memory to the more accurate and systematic way a
computer accesses information. Bottom line, we come up short in the total recall department.

Mr. Marcus is firmly in the evolutionary camp, so creationists may take issue with "Kluge." Mr. Marcus believes that a patchwork
brain like ours couldn't be the product of a rational, superior creator. Instead, evolution fashioned our brain based on what worked
for humanity's genetic propagation, not to imitate what is perfect or holy. "Good enough for survival" was evolution's mantra, as
opposed to forming an "image of God," as most creationists advocate. But the author isn't demeaning towards believers, so persons of
faith can at least take comfort in that.

As the whole the book was eye-opening, with chapters on concrete themes ("Memory") and more abstract topics ("True Wisdom" - yes,
there's a little cognitive self-help advice). Some of the chapters were a bit more compelling than others, but that's mainly a
personal preference thing. No matter the subject, each chapter contained one or more "a-ha" moments. For example, I identified with
the blinding effect pleasure has on my higher cognitive functions. I've certainly made some dumb rationalizations in order to gain
immediate gratification, only to look back after the fact and ask, "What was I thinking?" Of course, I wasn't firing on all
cylinders - my "grab bag of crude mechanisms" devoted to pleasure was easily tricked.

My only real gripe with "Kluge" was with the tantalizing, yet too-small bits the author threw out about certain subjects. I wish he
had spent more time on, say, sociopathy. He devotes all of one sentence and a footnote to this topic, but I wanted more analysis,
since the idea that brain structure might be responsible for a Hannibal Lecter would be fascinating (and somewhat ironic) reading.
Indeed, a deeper dip into the link between morality and brain formation/function would have been intriguing (or perhaps
disconcerting to a person of faith who believes in the theology of sin and freedom of the will). In addition, Mr. Marcus' take on
the idea of changing the brain, vs. simply "doing better," would also have been welcome, since that theory seems to be in vogue
these days. I suppose these topics were beyond the book's scope, so I can't complain too much.

"Kluge" is a good read on its own, but I recommend going through it in conjunction with some complementary books: "The Thing About
Life is that One Day You'll be Dead," by David Shields, "Sperm Are From Men, Eggs Are From Women," by Joe Quirk, and "The Reluctant
Mr. Darwin," by David Quammen.
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An elegant analysis of our inelegant minds, January 26, 2008
By Ashley M. Sheridan "amazonfox" (Vernon, CT United States)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
In "Kluge," psychologist Gary Marcus looks to the many and varied foibles, inconsistencies, and inaccuracies of the human mind and
concludes that our brains are not, in fact, models of brilliance and efficiency, but are rather cobbled-together systems, designed
for one purpose and pressed into action for another - the classic definition of a kluge.

The most famous kluge is probably the case of the carbon scrubbers on the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission. Crunched for time, engineers
managed to create a system out of duct tape and socks (seriously) that worked adequately enough to clean the air on the space
module- even though none of the materials they used were designed for, or optimal for, the job at hand. The result was ugly and
inefficient - but it kept the astronauts alive. Likewise, Marcus argues, evolution has endowed humans with a hodgepodge of genetic
material - the DNA equivalent of duct tape - with which to build all the sophisticated systems that supposedly set us apart from
other creatures, like language, memory, and reason. The result is, for example in the case of language, "a vocal apparatus more
byzantine than a bagpipe made up entirely of pipe cleaners and cardboard dowels."

It's delightful metaphors like this that make "Kluge" such an entertaining read. Marcus is a talented writer as well as an
insightful psychologist, and what emerges from his theory is both fascinating and well-argued. In each chapter, he looks at one
aspect of the human mind whose fallacies he traces to the kluge effect. Our tendency to make irrational choices, for instance, isn't
necessarily the case of a single, poorly designed system. Rather, it's caused by two separate systems in conflict - our older, more
primitive hindbrain, and our evolutionarily newer, deliberate forebrain. Each system on its own is pretty good at what it's designed
to do, whether reacting from instinct or reasoning through logic. It's when the multiple layers of our brains try to work together
that we get breakdowns and inconsistencies - like choosing the transient pleasure of chocolate cake over the deliberate, long-term
goal of losing weight.

Marcus does a great job selling his theory. I heard echoes of Bill Bryson and Matt Ridley in his conversational, often humorous
writing style. It's clear that Marcus doesn't just study the human mind; he loves it for the very quirks and eccentricities that
define it. His book has a clear thesis - that the kluge effect is further proof of the theory of evolution - but I wish he had done
a bit more to clearly connect his thesis to the evidence he provides. Still, I understand it's a fine line to walk, and by keeping
the book slim and streamlined he's made for a much better read. Anyone interested in human psychology or evolution will greatly
enjoy this well-written, well-researched account of "Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind." Comment | Permalink | Was this
review helpful to you?
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The Human Brain: A Marvelous but Flawed Hodgepodge, March 27, 2008
By Michael R Gates (Nampa, ID United States)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
Gary Marcus' KLUGE: THE HAPHAZARD CONSTRUCTION OF THE HUMAN MIND offers cogent evidence that the human brain is not the product of a
supernatural engineer but is, instead, the result of thousands of years of frequently haphazard evolutionary adaptations. That's not
to say that the human brain isn't a marvel of nature (it is!) nor does Marcus claim that humans aren't capable of amazing acts of
cognition (they are!). Marcus is simply pointing out that there are faults or shortcomings in the "engineering" of the human brain,
which themselves demonstrate that our mental faculties are merely a biological kluge that has been pieced together by evolution as
our ancestors faced the need for more or different types of survival tools. Study of our mental shortcomings, Marcus says, not only
helps us to understand the way that evolution works in general--that is, biological mutations and adaptations are, by necessity,
built on top of previous mutations and adaptations--it also offers opportunities for us to better understand the specific evolution
of our race. In addition, Marcus shows how an understanding of the mental and intellectual foibles of our species can help us, as
individuals, maximize the positive functions of our brain and minimize the negative shortcomings.

While Marcus writes for an educated audience and offers up numerous studies and research projects to back up his argument, KLUGE is
not a stuffy academic document. It is written in a colloquial style that as fun to read as it is informative, and any intelligent
person with an open mind will find the book to be a quick read that is both thought provoking and entertaining. Highly recommended
for anybody who would like a better understanding of the kluge that is their brain.