The Story of Psychology

The most detailed account of the history of psychology...from early philosophers to modern day cognitive scientists. Ideal for anybody having an interest in man's search for the true causes of human behavior.

This book is an exploration; i.e. a first delving into a subject that one knows little about. Also for those who think they know something from reading pop explanations of psychology, but never really read the founding manuscripts. It starts with philosophy, because the Greeks were the first to even ask fundamental scientific questions, but it turns out that they weren't all that interested in what went on inside the mind, other than Socrates wanting to know what is the good life, or what is justice. But we're taken on a ride past this material just so the bases are covered. Only in the middle of the 19th century does the author start to get into the meat of the subject, with Wundt and Freud and the behaviorists such as Watson and Skinner. This is as far as I've gotten so far.It's a good read, and almost like a detective novel it has it's twists and turns. Well written; the novice will not get lost; takes time to explain the scientific background of the early days of psychology. Makes the point that psychological theory is still a lot of guesswork. This is reflected in the book when the author says one thing, only to contradict it a page or two later. I'm halfway through, so can't speak to the end parts, but the author is a admirer of Freud, saying that his theories of the mind have been confirmed in some cases by neuroscientists. An interesting and well-written book and I give it four stars.

Today, a junior majoring in both psychology and philosophy thanked me profoundly for the Introductory Psychology course he took with me as a first-year student; Hunt's book was our text. Reading Hunt's book cover to cover, he said, and being held responsible for its entire contents, provided invaluable foundations for all of his subsequent psychology courses--for all of his courses, he then added. I have long intended to write a review of this book, which I consider a tour de force both in its coverage and representation of psychology as well as in the quality of the writing. As I read it myself, I would again and again think to myself, here is where it would be helpful if Hunt cited such-and-such a study or critique--and, lo, the next paragraph would contain it. I have long been frustrated by introductory-psychology textbooks, which are typically far less authoritative than they should be and are burdened with pedestrian prose and numerous, often unnecessary graphics that are a constant distraction. They are, of course, far more expensive than Hunt's book. Thanks to the Internet, I found it easy enough to prepare PowerPoint presentations with pictures of the various philosophers and psychologists featured in this book, along with illustrations of research apparatus, statistical findings, and so forth. The absence of a test bank was no problem, for given the emphasis on individual facts over broad understandings in most if not all publisher-provided test banks, I've never found them useful. My only reservation is Hunt's brief treatment of and near-dismissive attitude toward human-science psychology; but that approach I was able to introduce and illustrate myself. In sum, this is a book I highly recommend, both for independent readers and as a textbook for Introductory Psychology.

I'm only past page 200 so far. I have to say that this book adds really great historical perspective when discussing the various psychologists and their theories. I used to think Sigmund Freud was a quack, but I really came to understand that Freud was a serious thinker: - Psych 101 classes don't give you any perspective to anyone's thinking. You also see how the various sciences are closely integrated and developed from each other. It is also clear from this book how the fields of psychology and psychiatry often tends to have atheistic leanings, and the motive behind the preference towards atheism: - indeed, to be regarded as a "science" psychology/psychiatry dismiss any unmeasurable elements such as soul and god. Hence the trend toward behaviorism and materialism, interpretations of phenomena according to only that which is measurable.Like I said, only on page 200 so can't review entire book. Hunt has a great sense of humor and you feel like he knew everyone personally that he refers to as he is very biographical in his accounts. Though some might find that it adds to much length to the discussion, I think it is great because you really get a feeling of the personalities and social contexts behind the theorizing. Thus there is no mystery to the theories themselves and they seem almost predictable. Indeed, Hunt does a little bit of psychoanalyzing the psychologists here.Highly recommended reading for those who like psychology. Very comprehensive.

I guess some of the other reviewers didn't like Hunt's proclivity to characterize important psychologists but for me this is one of the aspects of this book that make it great. Yes, I think this book is great. Any book that can span over two thousand years of thinking and keep it interesting is great just on that basis in my opinion. Within these several hundreds of pages is a comprehensive overview of psychological research and theory, making it an essential resource for anyone interested in the subject. Once read, a reader will see whole vistas of new subject matter to explore. Totally recommended!