Customer Reviews

Psychology

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I approached the book with scepticism but to my surprise and to the credit of the author and the profession of psychology, they don't proclaim to know it all. The limits of science and psychology are acknowledged and talked about which I think was well needed, like the rest of us they are only human too. You can see that a lot of time and energy has gone in to making this book what it is. Psychology and all the terminology that goes with it make it appear to the laymen as being quite arcane and only for academics and those interested in university courses. This book brings it all out and explains it in a way that not only makes the subject matter interesting but easier to grasp than if presented in a book of lesser quality. The content matter helps you to see the human condition from a logical and thoroughly researched angle and is certainly of college quality as that is what the book was originally intended for.

If you are considering studying psychology or would just like to know what it is all about then certainly buy this book the content is comprehensive with information and chapters to do with learning, sensation, the developing person, states of consciousness, emotion, memory, personality, psychological disorders and many more with too much to detail here.

The sections of the text that explain the scientific method are interesting and could be applied to most areas of life. As I learnt we tend to make errors of judgments all of the time in relation to other countries, cultures, people, and just about everything else. That is one of this books best points and also one of it's main themes and that is that it's all about thinking smarter, thinking outside the box, avoiding assumptions and the overuse of heuristics, examining matters in a more methodical and careful way and developing the ability to see events and issues from another perspective and more objectively. In short and as is stated in the book "Don't believe everything you think".

To gain a good understanding of the concepts presented in the book requires concentration and quite a lot of time spent reading because the text is so comprehensive.

Just a few snippets of the information that I found interesting were;
1. Psychology had its roots in philosophy
2. Everything psychological is biological, we are a mind embodied.
3. Sleep deprivation and how our sleep debt can accumulate for up to two weeks.
4. The differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
5. Theory X vs. Theory Y workplace managers.
6. Howard Gardner's theory that intelligence is divided into 8 categories words, music, numbers, space, self, people, body/movement, nature.
7. Self reliant individualism vs. socially connected collectivism with the pros and cons of both.
8. Operant conditioning and classical conditioning and how cognition plays it's part.
9. The different parenting styles such as Authoritative, Authoritarian, and just plain old destructive indifference.
10. The fundamental attribution error (This is one that everyone should know)

Because this book is 700+ pages, interesting illustrations and photographs add to the overall quality of the book and assist the reader to understand the text, though the web site that accompanies the book helps you to reinforce what you have already read and learnt. The Psychsim 5 online tutorials were I thought very good with animations, flash cards, and various other online activities that all combine to make for some very interesting, interactive learning.

The bottom line: The book presents you with a foison of facts and an extraordinary amount of knowledge that you can use in your every day life as-well to understand yourself and others better or prepare and use for a university course, it also goes a long way to blowing popular and often wrong and ill informed bubble gum psychology out of the water. Psychology with this book is fun and you will get a lot out of it, well worth the money even with the US dollar converted to Australian.

Here's a thought, it wouldn't hurt to see some of this material about psychology taught in schools and the workplace to up people's emotional intelligence, and more to the point why is it not common practice already?

Myers' Psychology, Seventh Edition, is smart and informative; one of the best introductions to the subject I've read. The research is up to date, and the descriptions are vivid. Well written, well thought out... and well done!

Dr. Henry R. Toof
Cambridge, MA

This book is beautifully written making it an enjoyable read. David Myers does a superlative job of expressing Psychology in a way that's not only intriguing, but also equally detailed and engaging. I read every page of this book for my introduction to Psychology class, and it was immensely helpful not only for psychology but also a myriad of other subjects.

The online curriculum and tests that Myers provides were also extremely helpful for class. This has to be the best structured textbook I have ever read. Kudos and many thanks for the author.

This is the first College class I'm taking, and this makes it so easy and fun to learn! I enjoy reading it. I got the review book as well, however, I've gone through that once and I wouldn't reccommend getting it. Anyways, if you are looking to buy a new one check out Barnes and Noble, they have it for really cheap, especially if you have the BN card.

I love this book, I'm 16 and I have no trouble understanding it (though I am smarter than your average teen). It's quite interesting and explains a lot. It's the perfect introduction to psychology for someone like myself looking to pursue it as a career.

I finished reading this book about a month ago. I loved it. It covers many aspects of human behavior, albeit much of it rather superficially- but that's to be expected from an introductory Psych text, where a LOT of ground is covered in ~700 pages! Dr. Myers's writing style is very engaging, and the book is a joy to read. Practically every sentence in the book is backed up by at least one scientific study (the References section is downright intimidating... 97 pages!). The book is full of illuminating graphs & illustrations, quotes, captions, even relevant and humorous comic strips. Each section concludes with a "Review and Reflect" section that briefly summarizes the material and tests your understanding (answers are in the back).

I began reading this book in my spare time for my own enjoyment, and to sort of brush up on the introductory material (I'm a Psych major in school). During that time, I transferred schools and was told I would have to retake Intro-Psych because it didn't transfer credit. I sped up my reading so that I finished the book literally 2 nights before the semester started. So far, the class has been a breeze, and looks like it will continue to be. I feel more than prepared. Thanks, Dr. Myers, for writing such a great introductory text on Psychology.

I absolutely love this book. I'm one of those dorks who keeps her college textbooks (some, not all.) This is the one I have turned to the most of all of them, and always with reward.

Most of the reviews here cover everything well, but I want to add one comment. One of my favorite things about this book is a minor one: there are quotes by famous people in the margins, every few pages, that are really humorous and/or insightful. I look forward to coming across of those quotes while I read.

The book reads more like a feature article in a magazine rather than a textbook. I guess that's why it's the only textbook I have that I enjoy reading from.

My comments are based on the 5th edition, which was current during my college freshman year in 1997, so I'm sure the 8th edition has improved greatly. Thanks to the publishers for continuing to publish a quality book. I hope more colleges adopt this one.

its a great book to start your studies with psychological concepts and helps to think from diffrent ways.

This is the best textbook I've ever used. It is interesting and engaging. The content is excellent, but the charts, photos, quotes, cartoons, etc. make studying even more enjoyable. If you want to learn the basics of pyschology, but this book!

I'm using this book for an AP class and it is very helpful. It is very clear, gives good examples and has detailed pictures. Very well done.