The Principles of Psychology, Vols. 1-2 (2 Volumes in 1) (Hardcover)

by William James (Author), Gerald E. Myers (Introduction), Rand B. Evans (Introduction), Frederick Burkhardt (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Review
William James's "Principles of Psychology" has just been reissued in a triumphal new edition. Why reread a 1,300-page book that was written in the 19th century? Because it remains the single greatest work in American psychology. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
A permanent classic, like Locke's Essay and Hume's Treatise.
--John Dewey

The Principles of Psychology is simply a stunning achievement, a triumph of American scholarship...James's versatility, as both writer and thinker, is evident at every point throughout this book. There is nothing out of his range. He provide[s] a lucid, masterful summary of the evidence bearing upon a given topic; [and] consider[s] both the overt and tacit arguments involved in the research...Principles represents the cumulation and synthesis of doctrine and learning; it is hard to imagine anyone else as perfectly positioned to write the definitive text on psychology. (Psychology Today )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1376 pages
• Publisher: Harvard University Press; annotated edition edition (December 1, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674705599
• ISBN-13: 978-0674705593
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,677,084 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Broad, deep, brilliant, April 28, 2007

By	Paul Vitols (North Vancouver, British Columbia Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Principles of Psychology, Vols. 1-2 (2 Volumes in 1) (Paperback)

This 1400-page work in two volumes, published in 1890, is probably the best single survey of psychology ever written.

The work is of imposing size, but James covers such a wide field, so thoroughly and so engagingly, that to my own surprise I read both volumes cover to cover, back to back. The two volumes comprise 28 chapters, including "The Functions of the Brain", "Habit", "The Stream of Thought", "Attention", "Association", "Memory", "Imagination", "The Perception of Reality", "Reasoning", and "Will"--to name just a few that I found the most fascinating.

James's reasoning is sharp and subtle, his writing clear and vigorous. The qualities of his own mind, which come through in the prose, are astonishing: he is both skeptical and open-minded, deeply versed in the existing literature, and an original and fearless thinker. He must have been a fantastic prof.

I was a little afraid that the age of the book would make it antique, with fusty 19th-century notions that have long since been disproved. Not a bit! With few exceptions, the material is as fresh and relevant today as it was in 1890. Even the material on brain physiology and function, an area where the 20th century can claim to have made some progress, was sharp, perceptive, and interesting.

The advent of Freud, Pavlov, and others in the 20th century seemed to push certain theoretical ideas about the mind to the forefront, putting other, older ideas in the shade. My prejudice was that they had made 19th-century psychology irrelevant. I was wrong. There were many able minds studying psychology long before Freud, and their findings and views are well worth knowing. Among other things, James's book is a treasure-trove of psychological thinking up to the time of his writing, including many extracts by other researchers, both those he admires and those he is critical or dismissive of.

James, of course, was not merely a psychologist; he was also a philosopher. If I had to give a single reason why I think this book is excellent, it would be that James fearlessly tackles questions lying at the boundary of what today are seen as distinct disciplines. Here you'll find penetrating, persuasive insights into the nature of reasoning, logic, and the will, as well as the origin of aesthetic and moral ideas. James is as thoroughly versed in the works and ideas of Kant, Hume, Berkeley, Locke, and Mill as he is in those of his fellow psychologists. He confronts the thinking of the greatest minds with complete confidence, using his laserlike intellect to discover their obscurities and contradictions. He is their peer.

At the same time, James is humane and folksy in his style, often making references to his own experience, domestic life, and the little experiments he often performed on himself or his students. He writes with candor, humanity, and honesty. Time and again he comes to conclusions or makes observations that cut to the core of human experience altogether.

Technically this is a textbook surveying psychology, probably for a first-year introductory course. It bears almost no resemblance to the dry, cautious tomes that usually fill that role. It is an impassioned work by a learned, deep, and original mind explaining his own conclusions on this vast and elusive topic, based on long study, experiment, and careful thought. It is one of a kind. If you're interested in the human mind, this book is for you.