The Psychology of Economic Decisions: Volume I: Rationality and Well-Being (The Psychology of Economic Decisions, Volume 1)

Book Description

Psychologists and economists often ask similar questions about human behaviour. This volume brings together contributions from leaders in both disciplines. The editorial introduction discusses methodological differences between the two which have until now limited the development of mutually beneficial lines of research. Psychologists have objected to what they see as an excessive formalism in economic modelling and an unrealistic degree of sophistication in the behaviour of individuals, while economists criticize the absence of a general psychological framework into which most results can be fitted and the lack of welfare implications in their theories. The editors encourage scholars to exploit the strengths of each discipline - the ability of psychologists to understand the feelings and motivation of individuals; and the experience of economists to develop normative frameworks. The editors then highlight the links between the contributions by grouping them according to central themes in the study of rationality and well-being: 1. The causes and consequences of 'irrational behaviour'; 2. The role of anticipatory feelings and imperfect self-knowledge on decision-making; 3. The way in which memory of past events and cost of thinking affect current decisions; 4. The interaction between anticipated and remembered utility and its effects on the welfare of individuals; 5. Experimental practice on how to perform controlled experiments to test hypotheses. This exciting volume provides an excellent point of entry for anyone interested in the interface between economics and psychology.

Customer Reviews:

Serious Attempt to Join Psychology and Economics.......2006-02-16

This is the first of two volumes of papers by very prominent economists and psychologists with the aim of developing a better model of the relationship between choice and welfare than either discipline currently possesses. The book is sufficiently important that I will comment separately on the various chapters, returning to this review to edit periodically, as I go through the book.

The first chapter, by Roy F. Baumeister, explains why people make choices that are "irrational," in the sense of not contributing to their well-being. The economist will note that we do not use the term "irrational" for this phenomenon. Rather, "irrational" in economics means lacking consistent preferences. There is a tendency for psychologists to use the term anyway they please, and indeed, economists are generally no more coherent in their use of the term. I have given up on the term "rational" altogether for this reason. For instance, in this review I will refer to the rational actor model as the Beliefs, Preferences, and Constraints (BPC) model. This chapter may be useful for a novice, but it is analytically weak and excessively general. It includes really incorrect assertions, such as "A rational being should by definition pursue enlightened self-interest." (p. 3). This consigns altruistic and virtuous (e.g., truth-telling) activity to irrationality, which is a mistake. Consistent with this, the author suggests that self-destructive activities should emphasize tradeoffs and counterproductive strategies. Aside from the lack of analytical clarity of these phenomena, they again exclude critical choice forms, such as acting out of obligation, keeping promises, and sacrificing for one's family and society.

The second chapter, by Kent C. Berridge, has a fine description of the neurological basis for the difference between "decision" and "experienced" utility, but hooked up to a completely naïve understanding of the economists' BPC model. Like other psychologists in this book, he therefore ends up not adjudicating economics and psychology, but denying economic theory altogether. This, by the way, is common among psychologists, who appear to love to describe behavior as "irrational" as a way to win brownie points in a disciplinary battle with economics. It should not have been tolerated by the editors of this book, because it is destructive of the project of developing a unified model of the individual decision-maker. In this case, Berridge considers and experiment where subjects are given subliminal visual cues that are either "happy" or "angry", verifies that subjects were not aware of the cues and their self-reported emotional state was not effected. However, those shown the "happy" cues preferred more of a sweet soft drink than those shown the "angry" cues. Berridge holds that this is "irrational." It is no such thing. Human choice depends on preferences, beliefs and constraints. Preferences are a function of the state of the individual, and hence are not unchanging. Hunger, thirst, sexual drive, previous consumption history, and a host of other parameters affect choice. Moreover, most of our mental activity is not available to our consciousness, so whether we are aware of our current state or not is quite irrelevant. Burridge's argument is thus symptomatic of the psychologist's inability to deal maturely with economic theory, in a way that could produce a unified model. This is a fine paper if you start with section 3.

The third chapter, by the prominent behavioral economist George Loewenstein and well-known coauthors, argues that the pursuit and assessment of happiness can be self-defeating. This is quite correct, of course. For instance, if I constantly ask myself if the music I'm listening to is good or bad, I cannot really enjoy it. Similarly, hard work, honesty, and self-sacrifice might produce more happiness than attempting always to stimulate the pleasure centers. Much interesting material is presented here. However, the authors go to great lengths to alienate economists, making absurd statements whose sole value is to dump on economic theory. For instance, they hold that "ordinal" utility theory is a mistake, and we should return to Bentham's "cardinal" utility of pleasure and pain. In fact, individual choice deviates consistently and profoundly from pleasure maximization, and it is a great step forward for economics to recognize this over the past half-century. Experienced utility is very important, but it is not a superior theory to the BPC model, which takes the relationship between choice and welfare as an empirical problem to be unraveled. Of course, the authors know this, but they cannot resist making absurd statements whose sole value is to piss off most economists.

More to come...

The Psychology of Economic Decisions: Volume I: Rationality and Well-Being

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The Psychology of Economic Decisions: Volume I: Rationality and Well-Being
Juan D. Carrillo Isabelle Brocas
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKZGP0

Book Description

Boards play a crucial role in ensuring that public and nonprofit publicly accountable and perform well. Following various failures and scandals they face increasing scrutiny, pressure and expectations. Serious questions have been raised about the ability of boards to govern effectively. br br Such concerns have stimulated a renewed interest in organizational governance, and a growing literature on the subject. Much of the current literature, however, has been criticized for underestimating the constraints and conflictions demands that boards face and recommending unrealistic solutions. There have been relatively few detailed empirical studies of what boards do in practice. This book fills that gap by bringing together analyses based upon some of the best recent empirical studies of public and non-profit governance in the UK. br br Using a new theoretical framework that highlights the paradoxical nature of governance the book throws light on the questions at the heart of recent debates about nonprofit boards: br * Are boards publicly accountable or is there a democratic deficit? br * Are boards able to exercise real power, or does management run the show? br * What do boards do? Are they effective stewards of an organization's resources? Can they play a meaningful role in setting organisational strategy? br * What effect are regulatory and other changes designed to improve board effectiveness having? br br The book will be essential reading for academics and students with an interest in the governance and management of public and nonprofit organizations. It will also be of value to policy-makers and practitioners who wish to gain a deeper understanding of how boards work and what can be done to improve their performance.

Book Description

The increasing population densities of Asia, Africa and Oceania are in conflict with the ecosystem. A growing demand for food and fiber causes agriculture to rely heavily upon chemical fertilization, herbicides and pesticides. Rising industrial output creates higher contamination from cadmium, lead, selenium, and other metals. Soils and Groundwater Remediation explores the toxic levels of metals, radionuclides, inorganics, and anthropogenic organic compounds found in the soils and groundwater of Asia, Africa and Oceania. This 14 chapter book reviews the distribution, transformation, and dynamics of the pollutants. The authors also reflect on the impact of Acid-rain. The contributors to this book are well-known scientists from Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia, and Kenya. The authors address their findings to researchers, educators, government regulators, and students. As the title suggests, the book is ultimately concerned with remediation. Huang and Iskandar feel "the potential for restoring ecosystem health ... in these areas is enormous." The contributions of Soils and Groundwater Remediation will bring science closer to achieving that possibility.

Soil and Groundwater Remediation;: Asia, Oceania, and Africa

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Soil and Groundwater Remediation;: Asia, Oceania, and Africa

Manufacturer: Lewis Publishers
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Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

This collection of revised and new essays argues that biology is an autonomous science rather than a branch of the physical sciences. Ernst Mayr, widely considered the most eminent evolutionary biologist of the 20th century, offers insights on the history of evolutionary thought, critiques the conditions of philosophy to the science of biology, and comments on several of the major developments in evolutionary theory. Notably, Mayr explains that Darwin's theory of evolution is actually five separate theories, each with its own history, trajectory and impact. Ernst Mayr, commonly referred to as the "Darwin of the 20th century" and listed as one of the top 100 scientists of all-time, is Professor Emeritus at Harvard University. What Makes Biology Unique is the 25th book he has written during his long and prolific career. His recent books include This is Biology: The Science of the Living World (Belknap Press, 1997) and What Evolution Is (Basic Books, 2002).

Customer Reviews:

Mayr's unique views on biology.......2007-09-21

A very enjoyable and interesting book by the unique Ernst Mayr. This slim book covers a surprising amount of ground and does so at the level a non-expert can appreciate and enjoy.

Personally I found Mayr's answer to the title question less than satisfying. There do seem to be things fundamentally different about biology as compared to the other sciences, but exactly what are these differences? Mayr claims the key difference is that biological entities, in addition to being subject to the physical laws that govern all (even inanimate) objects, also must follow the "programmed" instructions of their genetic code. Mayr seems to view genetic information as completely separate from the physical world and therefore beyond the purview of the deterministic models of the "physicalists" he so enjoys deriding. But this doesn't seem right. Though Mayr has little use for reductionists, at least a reductionist lives with the fact that a gene is fundamentally a section of a molecule and is thus ultimately subject to exactly the same (and no more) laws and processes that govern everything else. Biological processes are so hideously complex that proper application of the known laws and successful prediction are not possible - but this doesn't mean the laws themselves are no longer valid or insufficient. Still, I think Mayr is correct to point out the shortcomings of deterministic approaches that proceed under the assumption that they will be able to overcome the insurmountable complexities and give us reliable predictions of complicated biological phenomena.

Chapters 5-7 on Darwinism are fantastic - extremely interesting and insightful. I do not agree with much of what Mayr has to say about the "object of selection" issue in Chapter 8... but then again I'm only me while Mayr is Mayr. Mayr is especially hard on Richard Dawkins and the "selfish gene" viewpoint; but anyone who has read Dawkins' books (The Selfish Gene and The Extended Phenotype) knows that he (Dawkins) has convincingly addressed and countered all of the objections raised by Mayr. More importantly, as Dawkins points out, a serious problem for those like Mayr who believe the individual organism to be the object of evolutionary selection is that they can't explain why the individual organism exists in the first place. Mayr speaks eloquently of needing to pose and answer "Why?" questions in evolutionary biology, but this is one of the biggest "Why?" questions out there and he dodged it.

The final three chapters on the species problem, the origin of humans, and the search for extraterrestrial life are all wonderful, chock full of profound and simple insights and observations.

A delightful book, full of original ideas.......2007-05-17

This book collects many of Mayr's most important contributions to the philosophy of biology. The majority of the essays stem from previously published papers, though they appear here in considerably revised forms, having been revised by Mayr shortly before his passing. As such the essays reflect his last thoughts on the relevant issues in philosophy of biology. Ernst Mayr was certainly qualified to write about these topics, having been one of the world's foremost evolutionary biologists (dubbed by some as the "Darwin of the 20th century") and a key figure in the so-called Modern Synthesis, along with Fisher, Dobzhansky and others. Mayr had devoted the last few decades of his life to the study of the history and philosophy of biology and he continues to be regarded as an authority in this area.

The essays are not presented in a haphazard manner. Instead they link up with one another thematically. The major issues that are analyzed in the essays concern the autonomy of biology as a scientific discipline (separate from physics and chemistry). Most philosophers of science have tried to impose upon biology the conceptual framework of the strictly physical sciences and have thereby, according to Mayr, failed to make any significant contributions to the field. Indeed, one cannot begin to fully understand and appreciate the nature of biology without understanding the essential differences that characterize the study of the inanimate world from that of the living world. Living systems are orders of magnitude more complex and for Mayr this is primarily due to their being subject to `dual causation'. On the one hand, living things are subject to the same natural laws as inanimate objects (e.g., the thermodynamic laws, etc.) but they are also uniquely controlled by genetic programs which have no analogue in the inanimate world. Mayr draws out the full implication of these genetic programs and shows how they add a new level of complexity to the study of nature - for example, with the discovery of genetic programs, we could begin to have natural explanations for processes that once invoked spooky teleological mechanisms. According to Mayr, the establishment of biology as an autonomous, bona fide science was a three-step process, that involved: (1) discarding erroneous principles that dominated the study of biology right up to the beginning of the 20th century (this primarily concerns the rejection of vitalism and cosmic teleology), (2) demonstrating that certain fundamental principles of the physical sciences do not apply to biology (strict determinism and reductionism, essentialism and the concept of natural laws, etc.) and (3) establishing certain fundamental principles that are specific to biology (primarily, genetic programs, emergence and the role of stochastic processes). For Mayr every science is characterized both by the features it shares with all sciences ("the organization and classification of knowledge on the basis of explanatory principles") and features that are unique to it (e.g., the role of mathematics in physics). It is especially interesting to read Mayr's work in comparison with the writing of some of the more extreme reductionists such as E.O. Wilson, for whom the dream of 'consilience' is to be achieved by reduction to the laws of physics (for Mayr, a fundamental impossibility).

Mayr proves to be particularly insightful on some of the following issues: the nature of theory construction in biology (which is based largely on concepts, rather than natural laws - in contrast, theory construction in the physical sciences largely proceeds from the basis of natural laws), the difference between reduction and analysis in the study of complex systems, the difference between functional and evolutionary biology, the concept of emergence, the part played by experimentation in science and the role of historical narratives in evolutionary biology, the relevance of the Kuhnian thesis to biology, the history of teleological concepts in biology and the structure of Darwinian theory. Mayr shows how Darwin's theory actually consists of five main strands that are partly independent of one another. Thus, the theory of common descent enjoyed enthusiastic acceptance shortly after 1859 (largely because it provided a theoretical framework for the work of naturalists and taxonomists) while the theory of natural selection was not fully accepted until several decades into the 20th century. The book's final essay presents a highly forceful and cogent critique of the SETI program.

The essays are a delight to read and will be enjoyed by anyone with a more than casual interest in biology. They present Mayr's original ideas on the topics at hand and mark an important contribution to the philosophy of science. Reading the book should be a requirement for a true understanding of the science of biology.

The deep mojo of Biology.......2007-03-20

This was a book that finally answered my wife's questions. She is a theologian (main stream, liberal. Evolution is OK) and deals with science and religion frequently. She kept asking me of my biochemical research "is it predictive?". What she was asking was from my studies in protein structure could I predict the Taj Mahal? I mumbled a great deal during those conversations.

In this book Mayr give voice and coherence to the chaos that is biology. It is not the science of physics, where one equation rules all. Choices, and accidents happen, and they shape future development. That is who we are.

I recommend this book to anyone really interested in what biology is, and what is can say about how it has arrived in this place and time.

duke out

Splendid, If Difficult to Read, Overview on the Scientific Uniqueness of Biology.......2006-12-14

Ernst Mayr will definitely be missed, having been one of the leading architects of the Modern Synthetic Theory of Evolution, the leading theoretical evolutionary biologist interested in understanding the processes behind speciation, and then, late in life, both a distinguished historian and philosopher of the science of biology. His final book, "What Makes Biology Unique? Considerations on the Autonomy of a Scientific Discipline", demonstrates convincingly why biology should be considered independent from the empirical experimental sciences of chemistry and physics; one of the several well-argued, quite innovative, and technical essays which were published elsewhere before being edited together in this essay collection. For Mayr, the main distinction between Biology and these other sciences is the fact that there is inherited genetic information which is passed from one generation to another within species, observing that such information can not be tested rigorously via an empircal experimental approach to science. He also compares and contrasts reductionist and analytic approaches to scientific research, observing that a reductionist approach often leads to inaccurate predictions. He also argues persuasively that "Darwinism" is actually composed of six different - though intricately related - evolutionary theories, observing how Darwin's ideas have had an immense impact on current scientific thought. Another of his essays is a comprehensive overview on the nature of the species problem and speciation; a task well suited to Mayr since he is still regarded by most evolutionary biologists as the foremost authority on the process of speciation. And he makes a very persuasive argument demonstrating why Biology does not adhere at all to Thomas Kuhn's theory on scientific revolutions. In this terse volume's concluding essays, Mayr does a fine job assessing the evolutionary history of human beings and offers a thoughtful, if unsympathetic critique on SETI (the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence.). Although Mayr's arguments may seem a bit obtuse, and thus, difficult to read for someone unfamiliar with evolutionary biology, these splendid essays should be viewed as brilliant, though final, examples of both the keen intellect and elegant writer that Ernst Mayr was during his dual careers as a distinguished evolutionary biologist and a distinguished historian and philosopher of science.

Physics, biology, and teleology. .......2005-02-25

This is a very clear summary of the state of Darwinian theory from one of the founders of the Neo-Darwinian Synthesis. Mayr's career stretches almost the full century of the emergence of the second phase of Darwinism after its eclipse in the generation after Darwin. Despite the excellent summary of the overall terrain Mayr's account brings home the limits of current biological and evolutionary thought. For even as he insists, rightly I think, on the autonomy of biology with respect to physics, the key issue in that regard, teleology, is rejected in the name of the very physicalism he criticizes. Mayr's several critical references to Kant and his well-known third Critique of Judgment show a defensive quality, and it is ironically just there that the key to the methodology Mayr is seeking might be found. It is true that Kantian thinking tends to refect the stage before modern biology when the science of Newton was dominant. But this Newtonian side to Kant is matched with precisely that critique of the limits of physics that Mayr is struggling with. The whole point of Kant's critique was to explore the terra incognita of the 'organism' as opposed to the physical object. In general there is an irony to Darwinism. It proceeds dialectically against teleological thinking, only to be forced to rediscover it sooner or later, in a form shorn of the metaphysical baggage that has obscured the breakdown to a sound biological methodology. Otherwise,a useful and interesting work.

An elder's view of a young theory.(What Makes Biology Unique?)(Book Review): An article from: American Scientist

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An elder's view of a young theory.(What Makes Biology Unique?)(Book Review): An article from: American Scientist

Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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What Makes Biology Unique? Considerations on the Autonomy of a Scient

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What Makes Biology Unique? Considerations on the Autonomy of a Scient
Ernst Mayr
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000M4UJAU

Book Description

Stunning photography and beautiful illustrations truly capturing the magic of the Turks & Caicos Islands in this new book.

Over the last decade the Turks and Caicos Islands, situated just south of the Bahamas, have won international acclaim as a premier scuba diving destination and luxury retreat. While the unrivaled marine life and wondrous beaches serve as the main magnet, these islands have much more to offer the discerning tourist.

The Turks and Caicos Islands takes the reader on a colorful journey throughout this small archipelago, exploring its natural delights and amazing history, from Taino Indian occupation to future island developments. The brilliant turquoise of the waters that are home to the famous coral reefs and the many species of marine life have been captured on film using sophisticated underwater camera techniques. And, the flora and fauna of the islands are not only described in detail but are also accompanied by fine illustrations. This book truly is a tribute to a beautiful unspoiled part of the world.

Customer Reviews:

A Comprehensive and Beautiful Publication!.......2001-05-01

Do you ever experience that feeling of "goosebumps" running up and down your body when something - an emotion, a work of art, a courageous act - deeply moves you? That is how I felt when Julia & Phil Davies showed me a preview copy of their new book, Turks and Caicos Islands - Beautiful by Nature. I had previously been given the opportunity to read the copy, which itself is an awesome compilation of facts and information about the natural history and heritage of these Islands. However, the combination of the well-researched text, Phil's spectacular photography and Julia's meticulous drawings of selected species tremendously impressed me. Finally, in one comprehensive and beautiful publication, TCI-philes will be able to learn all about the country's magical wonders and how they came to be.

The 176 page, over-sized hardcover book includes 182 color photographs from all around the Islands and 60 hand-drawn illustrations. The lively chapters lead readers from the land and reef's formation through detailed descriptions of marine, bird, animal and plant life to Islanders' sea-based heritage and how recent change and development has affected Turks & Caicos culture. Besides serving as a one-of-a-kind resource for visitors and residents, the book seems destined to be used as an educational text in local schools.

Julia and Phil spent two years in the Turks & Caicos researching the book and shooting the photos and another two years writing the text, completing the drawings and designing the layout. Their creation is truly a life's masterpiece and stunning tribute to the Islands.

The First Major Publication to focus exclusively on the TCI.......2001-05-01

If you live in the Islands, you've probably already seen a copy of Phil and Julia's beautiful book, and l hope you've already bought a copy or two. For those who have not seen it yet, I urge you to search it out. Except for Bertie Sadler's historical survey of our country, Turks Island Landfall, this book is the first major publishing effort that focuses on the Turks & Caicos Islands exclusively.

Primarily a photo-essay, Beautiful by Nature is held together by the impressively astute and coherent narrative that outlines the entire history of the Turks & Caicos Islands.

Chapter One starts in the far geologic past. We are introduced to the millennia-long formation of the shallows, reefs, and sand flats that preceded the final emergence of our Island platforms. Chapter Two is a brief and readable short course in Island biogeography. We learn how the first signs of life came to these brand new Islands in the form of windblown seeds, migrant birds from north and south, and wave- washed, castaway snails, lizards, and snakes.

Finally, Chapter Three brings us to our Islands' human populations. In concise historical sketches, the authors outline the successive migrations that have populated these Islands and how these populations have impacted the land: Taino Indians from the south, Bermudian saltrakers from the north, and British Loyalists from North America. Chapter Four covers the Turks & Caicos Islands as we know them today. There is a section on the Salt Islands of Grand Turk, Salt Cay and South Caicos with their colonial charm and laid-back feel. The modern development of Providenciales is highlighted in another. And the final chapter is an outline of the country's plans for the future and a plea that the ever- quickening pace of modern development doesn't catch the Islands off-guard.

Buy this book. Buy it for the stunning photographs and Julia's charming illustrations. It's well worth it. But please, read it, too. The Davies' love for the Turks & Caicos Islands is obvious. And their ability to share it with us in beautiful pictures and well-chosen words is a gift.

The Turks & Caicos Islands: Beautiful By Nature
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The Turks & Caicos Islands: Beautiful By Nature
Julia Davies
Manufacturer: Interlink Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N63D6Y

Taiji Sword, Classical Yang Style: The Complete Form, Qigong & Applications (Martial Arts-Internal)
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The book and video provide a complete teaching of Taiji Jian

Reference, not instructional

Very good book about Yang Sword

Taiji Sword, Classical Yang Style: The Complete Form, Qigong & Applications (Martial Arts-Internal)
Yang Jwing-Ming
Manufacturer: YMAA Publication Center
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Taiji Sword, Classical Yang Style (YMAA Tai Chi)

Taijiquan, Classical Yang Style: The Complete Form and Qigong

Taijiquan, Classical Yang Style DVD (YMAA Tai Chi) Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming

Taiji Sword

Yang Family Michuan Taiji Sword Martial Applications

ASIN: 1886969744

Book Description

One of the most notable Taiji teachers demonstrating the most popular of the many Taiji Weapons in this long-awaited, comprehensive guide.

Customer Reviews:

The book and video provide a complete teaching of Taiji Jian.......2007-07-10

This book is an excellent tool to teach the Taiji Jian and along with the video, you'll be able to capture the flavor and nature of energy patterns that are detailed in the book. I disagree with the previous reviewer in that he states that you need an instructor adjunct to this book. If the instructor has a different methodology, this book would circumvent the instructor and you'd end up creating your own methodology between the two. Why not simply learn from Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming, his clear and concise instruction is replete with all the necessary information that anyone could want with regards to Taiji Jian principle, exercise and practice. I highly recommend both the book and DVD for a complete practice.

Reference, not instructional.......2003-05-07

If you are getting ready to learn the Yang style Taiji sword, then this book should be on your shelf. If you are trying to learn on your own- go out and get a real teacher.

There are several things in this book that help suplement the instruction you can find in many Taiji schools that teach the sword. But this book is a supplement, not a replacement for that instruction.

Many schools only teach the form, not the reality behind it. They will give you a sword and say, "do it like this." Going through the motions does not mean that you understand what is going on. This book can help fill in the gaps.

A typical experience of someone learning the taiji sword is to come home after a long session and then find he/she can not even remember the sequence that the form is supposed to be in. This book can help jog your memory and help you in the sessions between training. But, again, if there are no training session with a teacher, you should just leave this book aside for now.

I should point out that this book is for the traditional form and not the 32 sequence form that seems so common now.

Very good book about Yang Sword.......2000-04-26

The book is a great source for the Yang tai-chi sword, easy to follow and filled with exercises and some applications, but, you also need the video, because always is good to see other people doing the form.

Customer Reviews:

A comprehensive guide.......2006-02-23

This guide is an excellent resource for any same-sex couple planning a wedding...or even just dreaming about the big day. Covering both "traditional" ceremonies and offering descriptions of more "alternative" options, the authors provide down-to-earth insights and advice. The guide also features comments from many real-life couples, and it is comforting to read the words of the many who have gone before. Highly recommended pre-wedding reading.

Timely, Informative & Entertaining.......2006-01-19

"Tess Ayers & Paul Brown have the freshest, most unexpected addition to every wedding reference section--a wonderfully witty, sophisticated guide to same-sex weddings. This first book of its kind is packed with real-life stories and a wealth of practical answers couples won't find from Emily Post. 40 photos. Ayers and Brown rework traditional wedding-planning. Their book's three sections deal with the decision-making process, wedding logistics, and actual step-by-step planning, for which they provide checklists to carry a couple through the big event. Along with such practical matters as the rules for wedding gifts and what a photographer provides, Ayers and Brown deal with such fine points for gays and lesbians as considering what to call him or her (bride? groom?), gender-bending wedding fashions, alternative invitations, and whether and how to change one's name. Timely, informative, and entertaining."--© zebraz

Fun Light hearted approach to life........2005-03-21

My coworker had bought this and I had borrowed it and laughed so hard from reading it. It makes you laugh at yourself. Its a way to remind us breeders how uptight we need not be.

How Normalizing!.......2004-09-17

This is a good book, primarily because it uses a standard model, wedding guide, to meet the needs of a specific community, gays & lesbians. Bravo!

Now it is time for the update!

Needs an update.......2004-06-02

I bought this for my sister when she told me she was going to have a commitment ceremony. I was honored when she asked me to be her Maid of Honor. The book isn't bad or anything but it could use some updating. My sister said only some of the information was helpful to her. There aren't many books on the market for this topic though. So if you can't find anythign else it's worth buying.

The Essential Guide to Lesbian and Gay Weddings

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The Essential Guide to Lesbian and Gay Weddings
Tess; Brown, Paul Ayers
Manufacturer: Harper San Francisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEZX5E

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