The Three Faces of Mind: Developing Your Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Intelligences

This demanding self-help primer sets forth a system for personal growth and for unfolding one's intelligence based mainly on the theory, propounded by neuroscientist Paul MacLean and others, that the human brain consists of three distinct yet interdependent systems: the neocortex, controlling thoughts and images; the limbic system, located just below the neocortex, a font of desires and feelings; and the reptilian (basic) brain, stemming from our remote evolutionary past, concerned with preservation. In the authors' framework, these three systems govern 10 types of intelligence ranging from rational, associative, spatial and intuitive to affectional and motivational. Although some readers will find this schema overly complicated, others may agree with New Age guru Pearce that the manual is filled with unpredictable insights and mental and written exercises that can help one tap creativity, unlock emotions, learn to love and overcome destructive behavior patterns. Adventurous fans of Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence or Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences may find this a next step. (Dec.) FYI: De Beauport has applied this approach in her work with children at the Mead School for Human Development in Greenwich, Conn., which she founded. She also runs the adult-oriented Mead Institute in New York City, where Diaz is director.