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Psychology - Essential Thinkers, Classic Theories, and How They Inform Your World
Why is eyewitness testimony sometimes misleading? How does evolution explain what qualities people seek in online dating partners? These questions and many more are addressed in a convincing, thorough, and funny overview of why we are the way we are.
--Dave Haaga, Ph.D., Department Chair and Professor of Psychology, American University
Why do we do the things we do, think the thoughts we think, and feel the ways that we feel? Dr. Andrea Bonior has spent more than fifteen years in the field of psychology helping people discover -what makes them tick?- In her clinical practice, as well as various mental health agencies and counseling centers, she draws upon sound psychological principles to address anxiety disorders and depression, relationship issues, grief and loss, and other issues. As a mental health columnist and public speaker, Dr. Bonior encourages people to fuel their energy by connecting with themselves and cultivating the relationships around them.
Psychology bridges the gap between the theoretical and real-life, creating a space where you can explore how you and others fit into it all. Dr. Bonior looks at the biggest names, ideas, and studies in the history of psychology and translates their meaning to everyday situations and relationships. Both accessible and applicable, this reference book offers a foundational understanding of the study of the mind, as well as compelling insight into your own thoughts and behaviors.
Dr. Bonior covers the major fields of psychological study, including:
Cognitive Psychology
Behavioral Psychology
Psychoanalytical Psychology
Personality Psychology
Developmental Psychology
--Dave Haaga, Ph.D., Department Chair and Professor of Psychology, American University
Why do we do the things we do, think the thoughts we think, and feel the ways that we feel? Dr. Andrea Bonior has spent more than fifteen years in the field of psychology helping people discover -what makes them tick?- In her clinical practice, as well as various mental health agencies and counseling centers, she draws upon sound psychological principles to address anxiety disorders and depression, relationship issues, grief and loss, and other issues. As a mental health columnist and public speaker, Dr. Bonior encourages people to fuel their energy by connecting with themselves and cultivating the relationships around them.
Psychology bridges the gap between the theoretical and real-life, creating a space where you can explore how you and others fit into it all. Dr. Bonior looks at the biggest names, ideas, and studies in the history of psychology and translates their meaning to everyday situations and relationships. Both accessible and applicable, this reference book offers a foundational understanding of the study of the mind, as well as compelling insight into your own thoughts and behaviors.
Dr. Bonior covers the major fields of psychological study, including:
Cognitive Psychology
Behavioral Psychology
Psychoanalytical Psychology
Personality Psychology
Developmental Psychology
230 pages, Paperback
Published September 20, 2016
604 people are currently reading
353 people want to read
About the author
Andrea Bonior
4 books48 followersAndrea Bonior, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and author of the popular weekly mental health column Baggage Check in the Washington Post Express. Her expertise has appeared in such places as CNN.com, MSNBC.com, and Good Housekeeping. In addition to maintaining a private psychotherapy practice, Andrea serves on the faculty of Georgetown University. She lives with her family in Maryland."
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
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February 6, 2019Great book. It delivers what it promises. A short yet comprehensive overview of the field. It has a very good flow as well.
August 13, 2017
A clear, effective, and informational overview of the big thinkers and ideas in psychology. Each section is split into a general history and description, how the topic influenced other thinkers, and how the ideas apply to our own lives -- Bonior is an inviting and warm teacher, and obviously very sympathetic to her clients and her readers. As a midpoint between a full blown encyclopedic textbook and a general overview, it's great; I knew nothing about psychology outside what everyone knows, and everything was very graspable without being patronizing.
It would have been nice, though, to see some more cohesion between the general topics. The book seems to propose that each type of psychology should be considered in isolation from the others (behavioral psychology and humanistic psychology are so anthithetical they need a restraining order from each other), and yet hints at the intermix real-world therapists and counselors employ to understand their clients.
It also seemed odd how...anticlimactic it ended. For a textbook, it's fine, but Bonior had such an approachable, friendly tone and a well-planned trajectory through history, only to just drop the momentum and go "Ok. Here's a glossary." I don't know exactly what it needed (not a rehash chapter, definitely), but some more striking final note/lecture would've helped round off the experience.
It would have been nice, though, to see some more cohesion between the general topics. The book seems to propose that each type of psychology should be considered in isolation from the others (behavioral psychology and humanistic psychology are so anthithetical they need a restraining order from each other), and yet hints at the intermix real-world therapists and counselors employ to understand their clients.
It also seemed odd how...anticlimactic it ended. For a textbook, it's fine, but Bonior had such an approachable, friendly tone and a well-planned trajectory through history, only to just drop the momentum and go "Ok. Here's a glossary." I don't know exactly what it needed (not a rehash chapter, definitely), but some more striking final note/lecture would've helped round off the experience.
May 16, 2017
Ive always been facinated with this subject but have not read many books on it. Psychology by Andrea Bonior, Ph.D. is just the thing ive been looking for. The way the info is hand picked and structured does a great job of helping compartmentalize the different areas of psychology as well as providing a basic but thorough historical line of progression.
Part one entitled The Canon breaks it down into seven sections of study, including the major theorists and their contributions as well as impact on the field. One of my favorites were Biological Psychology which talks about the connection between the body and brain. I also took a special interest in Developmental Psychology since I've worked teaching two-year-olds, although it goes much further than just child psychology, exploring all developmental stages of life. The key experiment sections were also helpful in putting the text into perspective by giving examples.
Part two called Definitions, includes what is although shortened, my favorite part of the book which is on Abnormal Psychology. This is where they cover many disorders from mood to neurocognitive and provide descriptions for better understanding and diagnosis.
Im so glad to have this in my library to reference. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review or influenced in terms of my review.
Part one entitled The Canon breaks it down into seven sections of study, including the major theorists and their contributions as well as impact on the field. One of my favorites were Biological Psychology which talks about the connection between the body and brain. I also took a special interest in Developmental Psychology since I've worked teaching two-year-olds, although it goes much further than just child psychology, exploring all developmental stages of life. The key experiment sections were also helpful in putting the text into perspective by giving examples.
Part two called Definitions, includes what is although shortened, my favorite part of the book which is on Abnormal Psychology. This is where they cover many disorders from mood to neurocognitive and provide descriptions for better understanding and diagnosis.
Im so glad to have this in my library to reference. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review or influenced in terms of my review.
December 6, 2018
This book isn’t mind blowing, but it’s really good for what it is. A plain and simple little primmer on the history of psychology.
I just took a history and systems of psychology class, and this book functioned as a easy breezy brief supplemental reference guide.
It helped simplify and clarify some of the theories and figures covered in greater detail in the primary text I was reading.
It was perfect for that use. And it was also entertaining and interesting on it own.
Sold 4 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I just took a history and systems of psychology class, and this book functioned as a easy breezy brief supplemental reference guide.
It helped simplify and clarify some of the theories and figures covered in greater detail in the primary text I was reading.
It was perfect for that use. And it was also entertaining and interesting on it own.
Sold 4 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
March 17, 2019
A good introductory read for those interested in psychology, which reads easier for beginners than a standard textbook would. Of course, this means that the book does not go into great depth on most topics, but is sufficient for an overview level knowledge.
February 21, 2020
A very informative summary of numerous psychological works spanning more than 150-years, naming all the great minds, and how their findings affect us today.
December 1, 2016
The book is a tour through the different areas of psychology presented in snippets on various pioneering psychologists in their field(s). Areas covered are biological, behavioral, psychotherapy, cognitive, developmental, personality, and social. In addition Andrea Bonior gives some basic definitions of important basic assumptions use in psychology and descriptions of some of the more common mental illnesses. The book also contains a glossary. Some of the psychologists presented were William James, Ivan Pavlov, B. F. Skinner, Sigmund Freud, Carl Young, Viktor Frankl, Carl Rogers, Alfred Binet, Elizabeth Loftus (memory researcher), Jean Piaget, Noam Chomsky, Abraham Maslow, and Stanley Milgram (of six degree and authority experiments fame).
My list of notes and comments is rather lengthy, but here they are:
(All numbers are Kindle locations; any italics are in the original quotes)
218: After stating Descartes’ contribution Bonior states: “Indeed, stripping away all assumptions before beginning an experiment is now something we see as a fundamental element of research.” Isn’t testing our assumptions a major part of doing experiments. Besides, ridding ourselves of all assumptions is not possible in my opinion; the best we can do is be aware of what they are and try to clearly communicate them.
452: “. . . adopting powerful body language, and then feeling more confident; faking it till you make it . . .” I had recently seen a Ted Talk on this (can’t recall the researcher), but instead of faking it till you make, she suggested that you fake till you become it.
816: “By unconscious he [Freud] meant thoughts and feelings operating beneath the threshold of ordinary awareness.” I think that all thought and emotions are produced by the brain before we are consciously aware of them.
1179: Presents Viktor Frankl’s (a Nazi concentration camp survivor) idea of “. . . the way of actual living, you can stunt yourself. It is said that Socrates once declared the unexamined life not worth living. But it has also been pointed out that the unlived life is not worth examining.” This struck me as funny, but true.
1412: Quoting Virginia Satir, it is written:”’I am me. In all the world, there is no one else like me.’” This reminded of a time when looking up on a clear night at the stars I thought, even if I am an insignificant speck in the universe, I was still a part of it all.
2290: According to Gordon Allport, “. . . at any moment we are capable of acting with conscious free will and are not overwhelmingly driven by the unconscious.” This is not so under the traditional view on freewill. Is only true of freewill if it is, as I have come to think of it, a feeling or emotion.
2755: In relating Stanley Milgram’s famous experiment on authority, Bonior tells us that: “It is worth noting that the infliction of psychological harm on the participants-many of whom expressed distress both during and after the experiment . . .” My reflection on this quote is that Nazi collaborators didn’t seem to have distress at their actions. Possibly, this is because they were indoctrinated with anti-semitism for years. There have been studies that have shown some soldiers were distressed at having to shoot Jews in Ukraine and had to be plied with alcohol, but this was in no way true of all these solders.
2782: Again, “. . . yet Milgram’s series of experiments revealed that most people, in certain conditions, will act in ways they don’t personally believe is right.” I question how realistic the authority experiment really was. The environment seems pretty artificial.
2971: Relating Philip Zambardo’s Stanford Prison experiment, it is noted that it started out “. . . with the prisoners mocking the guards.” While there are other criticisms of this experiment beyond the ethical, I thought that this mocking behavior might have helped to bring on the guards’ violent behavior.
Overall, I liked the book. I was not naive to most of the material in the book, but still there were lots of interesting points, as you might tell from all my comments. I like the structure of the book where for each psychologist Bonior provided biographical information, their works, how it has influence psychology today, and what it might mean for the reader. I did think that the glossary, as in most books, was redundant.
My recommendation would be for anyone interested in psychology and all the faces it presents.
I will note that this book review is out of the reading order of the books I have finished because I borrowed it through Amazon Prime and wanted to return by at least the early part of December, so I could borrow another book.
My list of notes and comments is rather lengthy, but here they are:
(All numbers are Kindle locations; any italics are in the original quotes)
218: After stating Descartes’ contribution Bonior states: “Indeed, stripping away all assumptions before beginning an experiment is now something we see as a fundamental element of research.” Isn’t testing our assumptions a major part of doing experiments. Besides, ridding ourselves of all assumptions is not possible in my opinion; the best we can do is be aware of what they are and try to clearly communicate them.
452: “. . . adopting powerful body language, and then feeling more confident; faking it till you make it . . .” I had recently seen a Ted Talk on this (can’t recall the researcher), but instead of faking it till you make, she suggested that you fake till you become it.
816: “By unconscious he [Freud] meant thoughts and feelings operating beneath the threshold of ordinary awareness.” I think that all thought and emotions are produced by the brain before we are consciously aware of them.
1179: Presents Viktor Frankl’s (a Nazi concentration camp survivor) idea of “. . . the way of actual living, you can stunt yourself. It is said that Socrates once declared the unexamined life not worth living. But it has also been pointed out that the unlived life is not worth examining.” This struck me as funny, but true.
1412: Quoting Virginia Satir, it is written:”’I am me. In all the world, there is no one else like me.’” This reminded of a time when looking up on a clear night at the stars I thought, even if I am an insignificant speck in the universe, I was still a part of it all.
2290: According to Gordon Allport, “. . . at any moment we are capable of acting with conscious free will and are not overwhelmingly driven by the unconscious.” This is not so under the traditional view on freewill. Is only true of freewill if it is, as I have come to think of it, a feeling or emotion.
2755: In relating Stanley Milgram’s famous experiment on authority, Bonior tells us that: “It is worth noting that the infliction of psychological harm on the participants-many of whom expressed distress both during and after the experiment . . .” My reflection on this quote is that Nazi collaborators didn’t seem to have distress at their actions. Possibly, this is because they were indoctrinated with anti-semitism for years. There have been studies that have shown some soldiers were distressed at having to shoot Jews in Ukraine and had to be plied with alcohol, but this was in no way true of all these solders.
2782: Again, “. . . yet Milgram’s series of experiments revealed that most people, in certain conditions, will act in ways they don’t personally believe is right.” I question how realistic the authority experiment really was. The environment seems pretty artificial.
2971: Relating Philip Zambardo’s Stanford Prison experiment, it is noted that it started out “. . . with the prisoners mocking the guards.” While there are other criticisms of this experiment beyond the ethical, I thought that this mocking behavior might have helped to bring on the guards’ violent behavior.
Overall, I liked the book. I was not naive to most of the material in the book, but still there were lots of interesting points, as you might tell from all my comments. I like the structure of the book where for each psychologist Bonior provided biographical information, their works, how it has influence psychology today, and what it might mean for the reader. I did think that the glossary, as in most books, was redundant.
My recommendation would be for anyone interested in psychology and all the faces it presents.
I will note that this book review is out of the reading order of the books I have finished because I borrowed it through Amazon Prime and wanted to return by at least the early part of December, so I could borrow another book.
May 12, 2018
This was a good book that grazed the horizons of different forms of psychology. This book has pointed me into searching a specific area of psychology. The misaligned design through out the whole book made me abhor the imagery used. I felt like not noticing those flaws in a psychology book was a type of psychoanalytic test for the reader. This book will point you in the right direction of psychology in
which to investigate.
which to investigate.
January 2, 2019
Gives a birds-eye view of all the big ideas (with their originators) of psychology. The author makes the sometimes theoretical nature of the ideas more relatable through a "What's in it for me" section. All in all, a very pleasant way to learn about psychology by means of understanding how its different branches (behavioral, biological, psychotherapeutic, etc.) are organized by a coherent set of ideas.
May 19, 2021
It was an interesting read, explained major psychologists spanning from the 1800s to the present. It gave an overview of their work and showed the wide variety of perspectives in the psychology world. I would recommend this to people who have no background in psychology or want to get ahead in classes. The chapters were short and easy to read.
Overall pretty good.
Overall pretty good.
July 1, 2021
Quick review of 100 years of psychology's eveloution
I picked this because my daughter has her PhD. in Developmental Psychology and I wanted to understand some of what she studied. The short histories of key psychologists and review of different aspects of the field helped me learn more than I expected.
I picked this because my daughter has her PhD. in Developmental Psychology and I wanted to understand some of what she studied. The short histories of key psychologists and review of different aspects of the field helped me learn more than I expected.
January 10, 2022
DNF. I've been reading this off and on for almost five years. I made it to 65%. It's easy to pick up and read a chapter about a psychiatrist then read (many) other books in between. This book is easy to read and has good summaries and explanations. Each chapter ends with "What About Me" and that helps make this history book relevant to today.
May 9, 2017
Very useful
This book is a concise overview of psychology. It does not cover neuroscience or the senses or memory, but otherwise will make a readable and inexpensive general psychology textbook.
This book is a concise overview of psychology. It does not cover neuroscience or the senses or memory, but otherwise will make a readable and inexpensive general psychology textbook.
January 9, 2023
Good overview and encompass wide variety of the contributors to the science. Approachable format and non-technical for novies. Worthy of a quick read, especially if any loved ones invovled or simply want to be better informed.
August 15, 2019
A fast and informative read on some key figures figures in psychology and their contributions.
October 25, 2019
Great Overview
This is a great overview of Psychology essentials. Very useful references for more in depth research into different fields of Psychology and practices.
This is a great overview of Psychology essentials. Very useful references for more in depth research into different fields of Psychology and practices.
November 4, 2019
What a good summary on the main currents/theories of psychology. If you are looking for a well-written and easy to read overview, this is a good start!
May 28, 2022
insight
It’s about the human condition and methods of coping with hard reality and it’s problems. If I could choose a discipline it would be humanism.
It’s about the human condition and methods of coping with hard reality and it’s problems. If I could choose a discipline it would be humanism.
June 29, 2022
Excellent overview of the most relevant psychologist arranged by Schools of thought.
December 28, 2024
Too general
October 9, 2016
Great overview
Great overview of the history of psychological thinking. Covers the hall of fame of psychology and the different schools of thought.
Great overview of the history of psychological thinking. Covers the hall of fame of psychology and the different schools of thought.
Read
December 4, 2017This a very interesting general introduction to psychology, focusing on the essential theories of the most important psychologists.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews