KLUGE The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind

Our minds, say author Gary Marcus, are made up of "kluges"—haphazard collections of parts that manage to work in spite of themselves. Examining some key elements of our mind—memory, belief, decision making, language, and happiness—Marcus attempts to prove his theory that a well-designed mind would work better and, especially, make more sense. Alas, in this too-brief book, Marcus only scratches the surface with anecdotes rather than giving any solid theories. In addition, the deliberate, pedantic narration by Stephen Hoye makes listening to this book a chore. Hoye's sarcastic tone further confuses the anecdotes that make up this book, suggesting that they aren't to be taken seriously. This reading makes a less-than-interesting book a tough and uninteresting listen. K.M. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]