1. The Unique Animal
by Don D. DavisHardback $30 or £18, Paperback $16 or £10
"To be sure Davis's concept of separated learning is powerful, particularly given the way that contiguity as a prerequisite for learning has dominated experimental psychology for decades. . . of intellectual interest to a broad audience both scientific and popular. . .his ideas are important and provocative. They clearly merit attention."
vol. 300, page 137
"A provocative thesis. . .defies most psychological learning theories since Watson, Thorndike and Guthrie that have maintained that contiguity is a necessary condition for learning in all species. . .his conclusions are unlikely to gain immediate or universal acceptance, but they certainly deserve to be considered and argued".
vol.19, Nos.11-12, page 1638
"The best part of the book is the first few chapters, decimating one after another of the proposed unique characteristics of man. This is brilliant, and is all the better for bringing in psychological and anthropological data. In this area the book makes a unique contribution".
"Humans are the only animals able to anticipate from experience what will be likely to happen more than 60 seconds into the future"
"Don Davis has proposed a deceptively simple answer to the central question of comparative psychology"
" . . . .This bare summary of theory does not do justice to other informative aspects of Davis's study, his thorough and systematic examination of vast fields of knowledge: levels of learning among animals, plausible speculations about 'pre-historical science,' the relation between hypothesis and 'social norms,' and more. The veracity of many of his conclusions--based as they are on past and current knowledge in anthropology, archeology, linguistics, and psychology--would seem to be strong indeed. His proposed theory attempts to provide a hypothesis which is both testable and falsifiable. Granted his facts and working definitions, the demonstrable proof of Davis's theory on its own terms may never be contested."
Journal of Mind and Behaviour
Vol.4, No.1, pages 131-3
"As far as I know it is an original idea and as far as I can see it is true. It seems to me to be one of those beautifully simple ideas which provoke the response 'of course, why didn't I think of that?' This is a very thought provoking idea . . ."
To read the complete reviews and comments concerning this book Comments & Criticisms
To read Chapter 1
2. Inducted Task Competence
by Don D. Davis$5 or £ 3
This is Davis's Masters thesis from the University of Missouri at Kansas City 1972.