Description: What is the true definition of the mind? What does it do? And what happens when things go wrong? Presenting an exhaustive, fascinating tour of the mind, this superb reference provides lucid answers to these and many other complicated questions about the mind and its functions that have baffled mental health professionals and laypersons alike.

Thematically organized, each section consists of an introductory essay followed by specially selected entries drawn from Richard Gregory's famous Oxford Companion to the Mind. Focusing on psychological processes, and the underlying physiology, that are central to everyday experience, the book expertly examines everything from the hardware of the mind -- the biological basis of behavior -- to consciousness, learning, and mental disorders, to practical examples of minds in action -- such as driving a car. Although the bulk of the text is based on selections from the existing Companion, this Guide includes five entirely new entries based on the latest research -- cognitive defects, connectionist models of mental processes, connectionist models of mental deficits, images of the brain in action, and schizophrenia -- bringing it into the forefront of cognitive research.

By exploring in authoritative detail the everyday mysteries of the mind, but without bogging down the reader in complex scientific information, this extraordinary book is a necessary source for all mental health professionals and an ideal reference for all those broadly curious about the biological and cognitive functions behind our actions.

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