Review by Choice Review
A more accurate title for this excellent volume might have been "Social Cognitive Neuroscience," since the book is primarily concerned with aspects of human social cognition as studied through the methods of cognitive neuroscience (e.g., functional MRIs, clinical neuropsychology). Aspects of social neuroscience that have been more thoroughly studied in animal models--for example, biological mechanisms of parenting behavior, pair bonding, social stress and effects of social stimulation on neural plasticity--are generally not addressed. That said, the 19 essays, written by leading researchers, provide a comprehensive overview of ongoing work in the rapidly growing subfield of social cognitive neuroscience in humans. Subsections focus on topics such as neural representation of other people and social groups and regulation of social behavior. A subsection on "navigating social life" offers a somewhat miscellaneous yet still intriguing set of ideas. Although much of the material covered here has been treated in other volumes--e.g., Social Neuroscience: People Thinking about People, ed. by John Cacioppo, Penny Visser, and Cynthia Pickett (CH, Oct'06, 44-0920); Foundations in Social Neuroscience, ed. by Cacioppo et al. (2002); Essays in Social Neuroscience, ed. by Cacioppo and Gary Berntson (CH, Apr'05, 42-4673)--these original essays bring the reader up to date. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, researchers, professionals. R. Compton Haverford College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
