I totally agree with the previous negative review, so I'll just add my own disappointments here. I am currently taking a cognitive science course, and this is the textbook we're using. It's new this year, and I have a hunch it won't be on the menu for next semester.

It seems like at least a third of the text in this book is dedicated to sentences like this: "We have just now read [topic A], which was [description of topic A], and next we will cover topic B, and after that we'll cover topic C." This fluff/dust makes the book hard to read, and there is very little "meat" in between.

Here's an actual quote that made me laugh out loud this morning: (page 167)

"Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT). This technique was first developed in the 1970s. [short explanation of what it is, then new paragraph: ] Positron Emission Tomography (PET). This imaging proceedure (developed in the 1980s) was developed later than computerized axial tomography." Well, how about that, they even attempt to teach me about time: the 1980s came after the 1970s!!

Don't buy this book.

I read "Cognitive Science An Introduction to the Study of Mind" not for a course requirement, but because I was interested in the topic. The book provided a comprehensive and readable account of this new field. It explained ideas in a way that I could follow, not having had any specialized training in the different areas. The figures effectively broke up the text and helped to explain and expand upon concepts introduced in the chapters. The exercises and web links at the chapter endings invite to reiterate and explore topics in greater detail. There was also a web site with practice exams and electronic flash cards. I can see that it would be useful for an undergraduate if assigned for a course.

What a horrible book. If you are a professor looking for a textbook for an interdisciplinary cognitive science class, absolutely DO NOT use this one. If you want to learn anything about the subject, DO NOT buy it. This horrible excuse for a textbook was written rate, it's cheaply presented with useless and confusing diagrams and tables.

All in all, my undergraduate class could have put together a better text. Throughout the course we were consistently correcting and refuting the text. Our professor only ordered it for the class because he had not read it. This book is a waste of time, money, trees, effort, and space. Avoid it at all costs.