The Connoisseur's Guide to the Mind

Roger C. Schank

"Deliciously wise .... A banquet of ideas!"
Robert P. Abelson,
Professor of Psychology,
Yale University

Roger Schank loves to eat and drink. He also loves to think about eating and drinking. Most of all, he loves to think about thinking about eating and drinking. And in The Connoisseur's Guide to the Mind he takes us on an idiosyncratic tour of restaurants and wineries in order ,to explain how we think and how we learn.

By showing what we do when we read a menu, select a wine, sample a dish, argue with a waiter, or recall a favorite meal, this fascinating and accessible book illustrates what kinds of mental operations we perform, why we do what we do, and how we remember-in general, what it means to be intelligent. With wit and insight, Schank reveals the importance of stereotypes in learning, the role of stories in explanation, the significance of "default fillers," the problem of "inference explosion," and the relationship of expectations and predictions to understanding.

Through lively anecdotes on topics ranging from three-star restaurants to Burger King, from vintage champagnes to jug wine, The Connoisseur's Guide to the Mind helps us comprehend the mental processes we have used throughout our lives without ever really thinking about them. Along the way, we learn where to find the best ham in Spain, how McDonald's differs from Lutece, what it means to be an expert, how to get by in a Korean restaurant without English menus, and how to learn by doing. Provocative, instructive, and amusing, The Connoisseur's Guide to the Mind is an adventure in learning for diners, drinkers, and readers.

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