Our Minds, Our Selves: A Brief History of Psychology

by Keith Oatley

An original history of psychology told through the stories of its most important breakthroughs--and the men and women who made them

In Our Minds, Our Selves, distinguished psychologist and writer Keith Oatley provides an engaging, original, and authoritative history of modern psychology told through the stories of its most important breakthroughs and the men and women who made them. The book traverses a fascinating terrain: conscious and unconscious knowledge, brain physiology, emotion, mental development, language, memory, mental illness, creativity, human cooperation, and much more. Biographical sketches illuminate the thinkers behind key insights: historical figures such as Darwin, Piaget, Skinner, and Turing; leading contemporaries such as Michael Tomasello and Tania Singer; and influential people from other fields, including Margaret Mead, Noam Chomsky, and Jane Goodall. Enhancing our understanding of ourselves and others, psychology holds the potential to create a better world. Our Minds, Our Selves tells the story of this most important of sciences in a new and appealing way.

Genres: Psychology, History

376 pages, Paperback

Published March 10, 2020

Reviews

[Katia N]

It is not a history, rather the survey of the current thread in Psychology. And it might be too superficial for anyone who knows at least a bit about the subject. Maybe it would be suitable for a teenager considering further studies. For the readers who are interested in more meaningful overview The Ten Types of Human: Who We Are and Who We Can Be covers a similar ground, but so much better imho.

[Seyma Uluköylü]

I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who is interested in psychology. It gives a great overview of the development of psychology as a science but also introduces all major streams (such as social psych, educational psych, developmental psych, etc.) and mentions all the important names of the pioneers throughout history. I only gave it 4 points though because sometimes it stretches out too much with examples. This is not a bad thing per se, it’s just that - as a psych grad student- I just found myself getting impatient. But that aside, great book!

[Shelbycat]

Not bad, interesting in parts.

[Peym]

The least concern of this book is history

[Kashif]

Could be summarised in a few chapters. Not sure who the target is. As a general trader, the obvious things were obvious and the specifics were too specific to follow.

Zoned out so many times reading the drivel.

[Patrick Irving]

A simple and engaging summary of what we have learned about the mind up until now, and a message about the role psychology can have in helping us live better lives.

[Cal Davie]

An interesting read detailing the history of psychology. It draws on various themes throughout the discipline and is a decent introduction to those interested in the field.