An Introduction to the History of Psychology [Hardcover]

B. R. Hergenhahn (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0534551823 | ISBN-13: 978-0534551827 | Publication Date: November 7, 2000 | Edition: 4

Dreams puzzled early man, Greek philosophers spun elaborate theories to explain human memory and perception, Descartes postulated that the brain was filled with "animal spirits," and psychology was officially deemed a "science" in the 19th century. The Fourth Edition of Hergenhahn's best-selling text continues to provide students with a comprehensive view of the history of psychology by showing that most of the concerns of today's psychologists are manifestations of themes that have been a part of psychology for thousands of years.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I think (Hergenhahn) is clear, not overly burdened with jargon and it carries a sense of the "professor" talking to the "student."..."It is thorough and useful for courses that cover both the short history of psychology and the long past. It is well written and contains along with the necessary facts a lot of interesting materials that make the characters come alive. It appears to be a book that wishes to stay on the cutting edge of the market and that wins it a high rating in my book."

"I typically have a few students in each class who tell me how absorbing they found reading the book..." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

A former chair of Hamline's psychology department at Hamline University, Dr. Hergenhahn has been awarded for excellence in teaching, has authored several widely adopted textbooks and numerous journal articles.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 656 pages
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 4 edition (November 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534551823
• ISBN-13: 978-0534551827
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #476,229 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars good, for a text book, January 3, 2006

By 

J. Zelnik (New Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Introduction to the History of Psychology (Hardcover)

I am finding more and more that text books give the worst account of history. This book proved that point. For an overview of the history of psychology, the book was okay. However, I found many times that the theories of the psychologists were so watered down, one can hardly get a good idea of their original studies and propositions. I know it is difficult to read each and every work of each and every psychologist, but this text book is a waste of time for anyone who really wants to understand how ideas developed. In addition, I get really annoyed when writers do not quote the original author. Most of the quotes in this book were taken from other text books or biographers.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough & Highly Readable, July 7, 2008

By 

NeuronalContortionist (Wichita, KS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Introduction to the History of Psychology (Hardcover)

I read this book for a senior undergrad level History of Psychology course. The book begins by explaining with excellent clarity the definitions and importance of the -isms (eg. dualism, monism, determinism) and uses these basic characteristics to categorize the various approaches to Psychology described throughout the text.

I also appreciate that the text frames the history of Psychology in terms of a bigger scientific picture by discussing in Ch 1 Kuhn and Popper and the idea of paradigmatic shifts and then by showing how Psychology is subject to the same cycles and biases as any other scientific discipline. The book does go into great detail about the more influential persons in Psychology's history, but I found that this really reinforces their human-ness and serves as evidence for the basis for the shifts between dominant philosophies. In my opinion, Hergenhahn does not describe Psychology's personalities to the point of neglecting of their ideas. He seems to me to do a wonderful and readable job of integrating the two.

Yes, there are an incredible number of details thoughout the text. These details served to enhance my appreciation of both persons and their ideas. The details also served to greatly enhance my GRE scores, thank Goodness! The details follow each other well and do serve to give a broader picture of the history of Psychology.

This text is one of the best I've read because it both gives an overall picture AND includes the details to back up and reinforce this picture. I enjoyed reading this text and found it fascinating as well as educational.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly incomplete, December 11, 2011

By 

Daniel C. Scott - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: An Introduction to the History of Psychology (Hardcover)

Text books are by no means expected to be thorough and exhaustive of their subject. However, Hergenhan's garbage brings this incompleteness to a new and frustrating level. As stated by several other reviewers, the profiles of the individuals covered in this book are so vague and watered down that they border complete inaccuracy. In many cases, Hergenhan has completely missed an individual's point and this is especially prevalent in his treatment of pre-Enlightenment philosophers. And the bias! In covering the Classical Greek and neo-Platonic philosophers, he draws almost exclusively from Whitehead and Russel! These two logical positivists most definitely have an agenda in their analysis of these earlier philosophers, and Hergenhan offers no alternative sources. Furthermore, there are wide swaths of his book where citations are scarce or nonexistent. Jesus, St. Paul, St. Augustine and Averroes receive one citation each. His section on the "Dark Ages" is completely false and offers zero citations, and he fabricates historical claims in order to support his own post-Enlightenment bias. For instance, claiming the high middle ages were known for the abuse and execution of the mentally ill, when in fact medieval standards of mental healthcare exceeded those of the modern world until the late 19th century. (Monks and nuns often ran what we would call group or community homes for the mentally ill). Aquinas also receives no citations, even though his philosophical thought was the spring board for almost all later philosophical endeavors. Finally, even when citations are found, Hergenhan almost never cites the writing of the actual person he's covering. All in all, he deigns to speak as an authoritative expert on all topics, without having the decency to utilize or even read the individuals he covers.