The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Deny Science and Reality by Chris

Description: The Republican Brain by Chris Mooney Bestselling author Chris Mooney uses cutting-edge research to explain the psychology behind why todays Republicans reject reality-its just part of who they are. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Bestselling author Chris Mooney uses cutting-edge research to explain the psychology behind why todays Republicans reject reality-its just part of who they are. From climate change to evolution, the rejection of mainstream science among Republicans is growing, as is the denial of expert consensus on the economy, American history, foreign policy and much more. Why wont Republicans accept things that most experts agree on? Why are they constantly fighting against the facts? Science writer Chris Mooney explores brain scans, polls, and psychology experiments to explain why conservatives today believe more wrong things; appear more likely than Democrats to oppose new ideas and less likely to change their beliefs in the face of new facts; and sometimes respond to compelling evidence by doubling down on their current beliefs. Goes beyond the standard claims about ignorance or corporate malfeasance to discover the real, scientific reasons why Republicans reject the widely accepted findings of mainstream science, economics, and history-as well as many undeniable policy facts (e.g., there were no "death panels" in the health care bill).Explains that the political parties reflect personality traits and psychological needs-with Republicans more wedded to certainty, Democrats to novelty-and this is the root of our divide over reality. Written by the author of The Republican War on Science , which was the first and still the most influential book to look at conservative rejection of scientific evidence. But the rejection of science is just the beginning...Certain to spark discussion and debate, The Republican Brain also promises to add to the lengthy list of persuasive scientific findings that Republicans reject and deny. Back Cover Praise for the Republican War on Science "Nothing short of a landmark in contemporary political reporting." Salon.com "Mooney has bravely tackled a gigantic and complex topic." The Washington Post " The Republican War on Science does score some major hits when it takes on ideological campaigns against embryonic stem cell research and for intelligent design." The New York Sun "Mooneys very readable, and understandably partisan, volume is the first to put the whole story, thoroughly documented, in one place." Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Addresses a vitally important topic and gets it basically right." The New York Times "Chris Mooney [is] one of the few journalists in the country who specialize in the now dangerous intersection of science and politics. His book is a wellresearched, closely argued, and amply referenced indictment of the right wings assault on science and scientists. In almost every instance, Republican leaders have branded the scientific mainstream as purveyors of junk science and dubbed an extremist viewpoint always at the end of the spectrum favoring big business or the religious Right sound science. Rightists argue that the consensus itself is flawed. Then they encourage a debate between the consensus and the extremist naysayers, giving the two apparently equal weight. Thus, Mooney argues, it seems reasonable to split the difference or simply to argue that there is too much uncertainty to, say, ban a suspect chemical or fund a controversial form of research." Scientific American "A careful reading of this wellresearched and richly referenced work should remove any doubt that, at the highest levels of government, ideology is being advanced in the name of science, at great disservice to the American people." Neal Lane , former Director, National Science Foundation Flap Why do so many Republicans believe manmade climate change is a hoax? The two most common explanations are that the deniers are uninformed or that they have been bought off by corporate money. Bestselling author Chris Mooney isnt buying either of those arguments. In fact, as he points out, the better educated a conservative is, the more likely he is to dismiss climate change concerns. How can that be? Part of the answer lies with motivated reasoning the psychological phenomenon of preferring only evidence that backs up your belief but in The Republican Brain , Mooney explains that is just the tip of the cognitive iceberg. There is a growing body of evidence that conservatives and liberals dont just have differing ideologies; they have different psychologies. How could the rejection of mainstream science be growing among Republicans, along with the denial of expert consensus on the economy, American history, foreign policy, and much more? Why wont Republicans accept things that most experts agree on? Why are they constantly fighting against the facts? Increasingly, the answer appears to be: its just part of who they are. Mooney explores brain scans, polls, and psychology experiments to explain why conservatives today believe more wrong things; appear more likely than Democrats to oppose new ideas; are less likely to change their beliefs in the face of new facts; and sometimes respond to compelling evidence by doubling down on their current beliefs. The answer begins with some measurable personality traits that strongly correspond with political preferences. For instance, people more wedded to certainty tend to become conservatives; people craving novelty, liberals. Surprisingly, openness to new experiences and fastidiousness are better predictors of political preference than income or education. If you like to keep your house neat and see the world in a relatively black and white way, youre probably going to vote Republican. If youve recently moved to a big city to see what else life has to offer, youre probably going to vote Democrat. These basic differences in openness and curiosity, Mooney argues, fuel an "expertise gap" between left and right that explains much of the battle today over what is true. Being a good liberal, Mooney also has to explore the implications of these findings for Democrats as well. Are they really wishywashy flipfloppers? Well, sometimes. Cant they be just as dogmatic about issues close to their hearts, like autism and vaccines, or nuclear power? His research leads to some surprising conclusions. While the evolutionary advantages of both liberal and conservative psychologies seem obvious, clashes between them in modern life have led to a crisis in our politics. A significant chunk of the electorate, it seems, will never accept the facts as they are, no matter how strong the evidence. Understanding the psychology of the left and the right, Mooney argues, should therefore fundamentally alter the way we approach the hesaidhesaid of public debates. Certain to spark discussion and debate, The Republican Brain also promises to add to the lengthy list of persuasive scientific findings that Republicans reject and deny. Author Biography Chris Mooney is the bestselling author of The Republican War on Science , the host of the "Point of Inquiry" podcast, and the author of "The Intersection" blog for Science Progress. In addition to three books, in the past he has written for Mother Jones , the American Prospect , Harpers , the Washington Post , USA Today , and Slate . He has appeared on The Last Word , The Daily Show , The Colbert Report , Book TV , Science Friday , Morning Joe , and Fresh Air , among other programs. Table of Contents Introduction: Equations to Refute Einstein 1 PART I POLITICS, FACTS, AND BRAINS 17 Prelude: Liberal Fresco on a Prison Wall 19 1. Denying Minds 26 2. Smart Idiots 42 PART II THE "NATURE" HYPOTHESIS: DANGEROUS CERTAINTY 57 3. Political Personalities 59 4. For God and Tribe 77 5. Dont Get Defensive 89 6. Are Conservatives from the Amygdala? 111 PART III ENTER THE "ENVIRONMENT": TURNING AGAINST CHANGE 127 7. A Tale of Two Republicans 129 8. The Science of Fox News 147 PART IV THE TRUTH: WHOS RIGHT, WHOS WRONG, AND WHO UPDATES 169 9. The Reality Gap 171 10. The Republican War on Economics 187 11. The Republican War on History 202 12. What the Frack Is True? 219 PART V THE POLITICAL LABORATORY 239 13. A Liberal Confronts New Data 241 Conclusion: Rescuing Reality 261 Acknowledgments 275 Notes 279 Index 311 Review The Republican Brain is a fascinating and invigorating book, providing nourishment for enquiring minds...if youre keen to understand the madness of the forthcoming presidential election, The Republican Brain is an extremely good place to start (bookgeeks.co.uk, 14th May 2012) Mooney follows up his hard-hitting 2005 book with a more nuanced analysis of the reasons why the American right has come to take up positions opposed to the scientific mainstream on issues such as climate change and stem-cell research. (Financial Times, June 2012) Long Description Praise for the Republican War on Science "Nothing short of a landmark in contemporary political reporting." Salon.com "Mooney has bravely tackled a gigantic and complex topic." The Washington Post " The Republican War on Science does score some major hits when it takes on ideological campaigns against embryonic stem cell research and for intelligent design." The New York Sun "Mooneys very readable, and understandably partisan, volume is the first to put the whole story, thoroughly documented, in one place." Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Addresses a vitally important topic and gets it basically right." The New York Times "Chris Mooney [is] one of the few journalists in the country who specialize in the now dangerous intersection of science and politics. His book is a wellresearched, closely argued, and amply referenced indictment of the right wings assault on science and scientists. In almost every instance, Republican leaders have branded the scientific mainstream as purveyors of junk science and dubbed an extremist viewpoint always at the end of the spectrum favoring big business or the religious Right sound science. Rightists argue that the consensus itself is flawed. Then they encourage a debate between the consensus and the extremist naysayers, giving the two apparently equal weight. Thus, Mooney argues, it seems reasonable to split the difference or simply to argue that there is too much uncertainty to, say, ban a suspect chemical or fund a controversial form of research." Scientific American "A careful reading of this wellresearched and richly referenced work should remove any doubt that, at the highest levels of government, ideology is being advanced in the name of science, at great disservice to the American people." Neal Lane , former Director, National Science Foundation Review Text "Drawing on a growing body of empirical research, he provides an intelligent, nuanced and persuasive account of how conservatives and liberals tend to differ at the level of psychology and personality" (Financial Times, April 2012) Review Quote The Republican Brain is a fascinating and invigorating book, providing nourishment for enquiring minds…if youre keen to understand the madness of the forthcoming presidential election, The Republican Brain is an extremely good place to start (bookgeeks.co.uk, 14th May 2012) Mooney follows up his hard-hitting 2005 book with a more nuanced analysis of the reasons why the American right has come to take up positions opposed to the scientific mainstream on issues such as climate change and stem-cell research. (Financial Times, June 2012) Details ISBN1118094514 Author Chris Mooney Year 2012 ISBN-10 1118094514 ISBN-13 9781118094518 Format Hardcover Imprint John Wiley & Sons Inc Place of Publication New York Short Title REPUBLICAN BRAIN Language English Media Book DEWEY 324.2734 Pages 336 Subtitle The Science of Why They Deny Science and Reality Publisher Turner Publishing Company Country of Publication United States Publication Date 2012-04-01 AU Release Date 2012-04-01 NZ Release Date 2012-04-01 US Release Date 2012-04-01 UK Release Date 2012-04-01 Audience Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:44029754;

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