From Bill: LCS III at Book Expo

[Bill_Powers1]

[From Bill Powers (2009.05.29.0822 MDT)]

Hello, all –

Here is an announcement from my publisher which I shamelessly post
as spam on CSGnet:

···

Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 09:50:07 -0400 (EDT)

From: Benchmark Publications
benchmark@benchpress.com

Reply-To: benchmark@benchpress.com

To: powers_w@frontier.net

X-ASG-Orig-Subj: LCS III at Book Expo

Subject: LCS III at Book Expo

No pictures?

Click here

Book Expo America May 28-31, NYC

Don’t miss
this new book in the New Titles Showcase

LIVING CONTROL
SYSTEMS III:

the fact of control

by William T. Powers

with 13 free interactive customizable models on CD

A revolutionary theory
of the behavior of living things was introduced more than 35 years ago in
William Powers’ acclaimed work, Behavior: The Control of Perception(Aldine-DeGruyter, 1973), recently revised and expanded (2nd ed.,
Benchmark Publications, 2005). Now known as perceptual control theory
(PCT), this exciting system of ideas has established beachheads in many
countries, initiated by leaders in academic, research and clinical
practices. For over 30 years, the Control Systems Group (CSG), champions
and early adopters of PCT, has sponsored yearly international meetings to
review new research and applications of perceptual control theory.

READ IT…TEST
IT…TEACH
IT.
Now with the publication of LCS-III, educators can offer their students
hands-on experience in learning, testing and creating simulations that
demonstrate the fact of control. LCS-III comprises three equally
important parts: a vivid, often funny PCT overview and software tutorial,
an extraordinary appendix of mathematical proofs by Dr. Richard Kennaway,
and elegant, engaging software demonstrations of PCT principles by Dr.
Bruce Abbott, based on Powers’ original models. Another leading PCT
educator/researcher wrote this prepublication review of Living Control
Systems III for the British publication,
Nature:

“The field of behavioural science, combining psychology,
sociology and neuroscience, has diversified over the last century such
that there is a desperate need for an integrative theory. William T.
Powers, medical physicist and engineer, proposes that ‘control’ is the
unifying process. Living Control Systems III is the latest in an
influential but contentious series of works in which Powers presents his
theory of perceptual control and illustrates its explanatory power…The
book is organized around an accompanying compact disc containing 13
computer simulations of perceptual control…from the tracking of moving
targets and the simulation of balance, to three-dimensional models of arm
coordination and the emergence of crowd behaviour. Powers uses a
combination of common sense reasoning, philosophical argument and
mathematical models to make his case. Throughout, the style is engaging
yet authoritative.”
-Warren Mansell, Senior Lecturer
School of Psychological Sciences
University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
NATURE | 13 November 2008
Reprinted with permission.

LCS-III goes to Book Expo AmericaBook Expo America
2009, the largest exposition and gathering of booksellers, publishers and
authors in North America takes place this year at the Jacob K. Javits
Center in New York City May 29-31.
Living Control Systems III: the fact of control will be exhibited in
the New Title Showcase directly inside the front doors.

Quality Paperback: ISBN 978-0-9647121-8-8 204 pgs +
CD $65 USD

&copy 2009 Benchmark Publications Inc.

ISBN 978-0-9647121-8-8

benchmark@benchpress.com
MORE
ABOUT…

Back cover
copy
LCS-III
and more PCT
books

Control
Systems
Group

PCT World
View
Book
Expo America
MAILBOX
Benchmark
Publications
Bill
Powers

Please forward this news to your book buyer, librarian or campus


bookstore

Benchmark Publications Inc. |
P.O. Box 1730 | Montclair | NJ |
07042

[MartinT]

[Martin Taylor 2009.05.29.10.36]

Congratulations. I hope it makes a big sale.

Incidentally, to my mind, your squared circle demo is the most
convincing demonstration that we control perception rather than action
that I have seen anywhere, yet you seldom (if ever) mention it here.

Martin

···

benchmark@benchpress.com
benchmark@benchpress.com
powers_w@frontier.net

No pictures?

Click
here

![[]](http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/business-left-corner.gif)

Book Expo America May 28-31, NYC

Don't

miss
this new book in the New Titles Showcase

LIVING

CONTROL
SYSTEMS III:

the fact of control

by William T. Powers

with 13 free interactive customizable models on CD

A

revolutionary theory
of the behavior of living things was introduced more than 35 years ago
in
William Powers’ acclaimed work, * Behavior: The Control of Perception* (Aldine-DeGruyter, 1973), recently revised and expanded (2nd
ed.,
Benchmark Publications, 2005). Now known as perceptual control theory
(PCT), this exciting system of ideas has established beachheads in many
countries, initiated by leaders in academic, research and clinical
practices. For over 30 years, the Control Systems Group (CSG),
champions
and early adopters of PCT, has sponsored yearly international meetings
to
review new research and applications of perceptual control theory.

---

READ
IT…TEST
IT…TEACH
IT.
Now with the publication of LCS-III, educators can offer their students
hands-on experience in learning, testing and creating simulations that
demonstrate the fact of control. LCS-III comprises three
equally
important parts: a vivid, often funny PCT overview and software
tutorial,
an extraordinary appendix of mathematical proofs by Dr. Richard
Kennaway,
and elegant, engaging software demonstrations of PCT principles by Dr.
Bruce Abbott, based on Powers’ original models. Another leading PCT
educator/researcher wrote this prepublication review of Living
Control
Systems III for the British publication,
Nature:

“The field of behavioural science, combining psychology,
sociology and neuroscience, has diversified over the last century such
that there is a desperate need for an integrative theory. William T.
Powers, medical physicist and engineer, proposes that ‘control’ is the
unifying process. Living Control Systems III is the latest in an
influential but contentious series of works in which Powers presents
his
theory of perceptual control and illustrates its explanatory
power…The
book is organized around an accompanying compact disc containing 13
computer simulations of perceptual control…from the tracking of
moving
targets and the simulation of balance, to three-dimensional models of
arm
coordination and the emergence of crowd behaviour. Powers uses a
combination of common sense reasoning, philosophical argument and
mathematical models to make his case. Throughout, the style is engaging
yet authoritative.”
-Warren Mansell, Senior Lecturer
School of Psychological Sciences
University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
NATURE | 13 November 2008
Reprinted with permission.

*LCS-III
goes to Book Expo America

• *Book
  Expo America
  2009, the largest exposition and gathering of booksellers, publishers
  and
  authors in North America takes place this year at the Jacob K. Javits
  Center in New York City May 29-31.

Living Control Systems III: the fact of control* will be exhibited in
the New Title Showcase directly inside the front doors.

Quality
Paperback: ISBN 978-0-9647121-8-8 204 pgs +
CD $65 USD

&copy 2009 Benchmark Publications Inc.

ISBN 978-0-9647121-8-8

benchmark@benchpress.com

MORE

ABOUT…

Back
cover
copy LCS-III
and more PCT
booksControl
Systems
GroupPCT World
View Book
Expo America

MAILBOX
Benchmark
Publications
Bill
Powers

**[    Please

forward this news to your book buyer, librarian or campus
](http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?m=1011153733383&ea=powers_w%40frontier.net&a=1102588163665)
bookstore**

[Bill_Powers1]

[From Bill Powers (2009.05.29.0851 MDT)]

Martin Taylor 2009.05.29.10.36--

Congratulations. I hope it makes a big sale.

Thanks, Martin.

Incidentally, to my mind, your squared circle demo is the most convincing demonstration that we control perception rather than action that I have seen anywhere, yet you seldom (if ever) mention it here.

I think I showed it first at the St. Louis meeting, around 2002 or so. I've shown it several times since at meetings. Unfortunately, it doesn't communicate very well just from being described in words, because the relationship between mouse movements and the motion of the dot used to trace the square is counterintuitive -- readers imagine the usual relationship between mouse and pointer, and think "Huh?"

I knew you would understand it, though.

Best,

Bill P.

[Fred_Nickols1]

[Fred Nickols (2009.05.29.0809 PDT)]

Is the squared circle demo on the CD that accompanies the book?

Regards,

Fred Nickols

Managing Partner

Distance Consulting LLC

nickols@att.net

www.nickols.us

“Assistance at a Distance”^SM

···

From: Control Systems Group Network (CSGnet)
[mailto:CSGNET@LISTSERV.ILLINOIS.EDU] On Behalf Of Martin Taylor
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2009 7:38 AM
To: CSGNET@LISTSERV.ILLINOIS.EDU
Subject: Re: From Bill: LCS III at Book Expo

[Martin Taylor 2009.05.29.10.36]

Congratulations. I hope it makes a big sale.

Incidentally, to my mind, your squared circle demo is the most convincing
demonstration that we control perception rather than action that I have seen
anywhere, yet you seldom (if ever) mention it here.

Martin

[From Bill Powers (2009.05.29.0822 MDT)]

Hello, all –

Here is an announcement from my publisher which I shamelessly post as
spam on CSGnet:

Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 09:50:07 -0400 (EDT)

From: Benchmark Publications benchmark@benchpress.com
Reply-To: benchmark@benchpress.com
To: powers_w@frontier.net
X-ASG-Orig-Subj: LCS III at Book Expo
Subject: LCS III at Book Expo

No pictures? Click
here

Book Expo America May 28-31, NYC
Don’t miss this new book in the New Titles Showcase
LIVING CONTROL SYSTEMS III:

the fact of control

by William T. Powers

with 13 free interactive customizable models on CD

A revolutionary theory of the behavior of living things was
introduced more than 35 years ago in William Powers’ acclaimed work, Behavior:
The Control of Perception (Aldine-DeGruyter, 1973), recently revised and
expanded (2nd ed., Benchmark Publications, 2005). Now known as perceptual
control theory (PCT), this exciting system of ideas has established beachheads
in many countries, initiated by leaders in academic, research and clinical
practices. For over 30 years, the Control Systems Group (CSG), champions and
early adopters of PCT, has sponsored yearly international meetings to review
new research and applications of perceptual control theory.

---

READ IT…TEST IT…TEACH IT.
Now with the publication of LCS-III, educators can offer their students
hands-on experience in learning, testing and creating simulations that
demonstrate the fact of control. LCS-III comprises three equally
important parts: a vivid, often funny PCT overview and software tutorial, an
extraordinary appendix of mathematical proofs by Dr. Richard Kennaway, and
elegant, engaging software demonstrations of PCT principles by Dr. Bruce
Abbott, based on Powers’ original models. Another leading PCT educator/researcher
wrote this prepublication review of Living Control Systems III for the
British publication, Nature:

“The field of behavioural
science, combining psychology, sociology and neuroscience, has diversified over
the last century such that there is a desperate need for an integrative theory.
William T. Powers, medical physicist and engineer, proposes that ‘control’ is
the unifying process. Living Control Systems III is the latest in an
influential but contentious series of works in which Powers presents his theory
of perceptual control and illustrates its explanatory power…The book is
organized around an accompanying compact disc containing 13 computer
simulations of perceptual control…from the tracking of moving targets and the
simulation of balance, to three-dimensional models of arm coordination and the
emergence of crowd behaviour. Powers uses a combination of common sense
reasoning, philosophical argument and mathematical models to make his case.
Throughout, the style is engaging yet authoritative.”

-Warren
Mansell, Senior Lecturer

School
of Psychological Sciences

University
of Manchester, Manchester, UK

NATURE

13 November 2008

Reprinted with permission.

LCS-III goes
to Book Expo America**Book Expo America 2009, the largest exposition and gathering of
booksellers, publishers and authors in North America takes place this year at
the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City May 29-31.
Living Control Systems III: the fact of control will
be exhibited in the New Title Showcase directly inside the front doors.

Quality
Paperback: ISBN 978-0-9647121-8-8 204 pgs + CD $65 USD

&copy 2009 Benchmark Publications Inc.

ISBN 978-0-9647121-8-8

benchmark@benchpress.com
MORE ABOUT… Back cover copy LCS-III and more PCT books Control Systems Group PCT World View Book Expo America
MAILBOX Benchmark Publications
Bill Powers

Please
forward this news to your book buyer, librarian or campus bookstore

Benchmark Publications Inc. | P.O. Box 1730 | Montclair | NJ |
07042

[Bill_Powers1]

[From Bill Powers (2009.05.29.0916 MDT)]

Fred Nickols (2009.05.29.0809 PDT) --

Is the squared circle demo on the CD that accompanies the book?

Yes, it's written up in chapter 9 and is on the CD.

Best,

Bill P.

[rsmarken]

[From Rick Marken (2009.05.29.1005)]

Bill Powers (2009.05.29.0822 MDT)--

Hello, all --

Here is an� announcement from my publisher which I shamelessly post as spam
on CSGnet:

I'm doing my "Psychology of Personal Control" seminar again this Fall.
I would love to use your book but I think it might be a bit too heavy
for this class; it's a one unit course and is oriented toward entering
Freshman (to introduce them to some special topics of interest to Ucla
Profs; it's really kinda neat) though often get upper class people.
But I'll look and see if it might be feasible. I'd love to do a course
based around that book!

Best

Rick

···

--
Richard S. Marken PhD
rsmarken@gmail.com

[Bill_Powers1]

[From Bill Powers (2009.05.29.1126 MDT)]

Rick Marken (2009.05.29.1005) --

I'm doing my "Psychology of Personal Control" seminar again this Fall.
I would love to use your book but I think it might be a bit too heavy
for this class; it's a one unit course and is oriented toward entering
Freshman (to introduce them to some special topics of interest to Ucla
Profs; it's really kinda neat) though often get upper class people.
But I'll look and see if it might be feasible. I'd love to do a course
based around that book!

Excellent idea. You may be right about the heaviness, but it should be possible to teach from the same book at several levels of difficulty. LCS3 101, 201, 301 ... and so on. Start with the interactive stuff and springboard your own course content from that. Once the book is in their hands, who knows -- some of them might even read things that weren't assigned!

Best,

Bill P.