Nature's mind

by Gazzaniga, Michael S

In a treatise that takes the nature vs. nurture controversy to a new extreme, the author, using selection theory, dismantles psychoanalysis, chides doctors for not heeding the body's innate wisdom, and offers explanations for drug addiction, alcoholism, dieting, hypersexed behavior and compulsions. He advises parents to "set a context for opportunity" and to let the child do the rest. Emphasizing "feeling-in-control" as a key to well-being, he suggests that "disempowering" institutions such as welfare and homes for the elderly can be detrimental. Photos.