“Susan Schneider has written a wide-ranging and highly entertainingguide to the many ways that the behavior of humans and other animals—from bugs tobonobos—is shaped by consequences. Schneider knows the science and loves her subject,and the result is an enjoyable and enlightening book for anyone who is curious aboutbehavior and what makes it tick.” —MarkS. Blumberg, PhD, F. Wendell Miller Distinguished Professor, University of Iowa,and author of Freaks of Nature: What Anomalies Tell Us about Development andEvolution
“This engaging, thoroughly researchedbook could not be more timely or useful. In an age of biomedical reductionism (“It’sall in our brains or genes”) and psychological pessimism (“I am who I am, and Ican’t help it”), Schneider provides a crucial corrective. Bringing the timelesscontributions of B. F. Skinner into the twenty-first century, she shows how therelationship between the brain and behavior is a two-way street, how change reallyhappens, and why a proper understanding of consequences can improve our lives, relationships,and society." -Carol Tavris, PhD, coauther of Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)
“A remarkable book. Skinner might have won over far more people hadhe had The Science of Consequences in his arsenal. It’s marvelous.” —Paul Chance, PhD, former editor of PsychologyToday and author of Learning and Behavior
“This book is a kind of love letter to a simple yet profound truism,and it explains how consequences influence not only our behavior but our brainsas well.” —Amy Sutherland, author of What Shamu Taught Me about Life, Love, and Marriage
“This book will be an eye-opener. . . . [Schneider] shows how flatworms, rhinos,day-old infants, and adults with dementia—all creatures great and small—are in thebusiness of getting rewards. . . . With telling examples from everyday life . .. this book places the puzzling miscellany of human experience in much-needed context.” —George Ainslie, author of Picoeconomics
“In this important and enjoyable book, Susan Schneider shows howbehavioral consequences shape the molecular activities of cells, the wiring of brains,the minds and choices of individuals, and the intricate social worlds of human beings.With humor and compassion…she demonstrates the power and subtlety of the scienceof consequences.” —Eva Jablonka, professorat the Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Tel-AvivUniversity, Israel; coauthor of Evolution in Four Dimensions
“While the research in this area often can be difficult to digest,Schneider’s writing style, everyday examples, and humor make it easy. I truly enjoyedthis book; it’s an important contribution to advancing understanding about the fundamentallaws of behavior. A good read on an important topic.” —Aubrey C. Daniels, author of Bringing Out the Best in People
