Ian McFadyen: Mind wars

Allen and Unwin $29.95

Review: Gilbert Wong

What does an ex-comedian do? In McFadyen's case the answer is write a decidedly odd cognitive-science book.

As a comedian McFadyen was one of the cast of Australian telly hit The Comedy Company. When that concluded, he turned to teaching scriptwriting and film and writing on the impact of new technology.

The idea he has had is not original, Richard Dawkins first used the word meme to describe an idea "virus" spreading through society; an idea that cognitive scientist Susan Blackmore has taken up.

McFadyen contributes a doctrine he calls tenetics. Tenets are the building blocks of belief systems, everything from religion to politics and gender wars and it is these that he says largely control human behaviour.

After a few chapters it begins to read like a "chicken or egg" argument. I was unconvinced.