Human Potentialities

by Gardner Murphy

Human Gardner Human Basic FIRST First Edition, First Printing. Published by Basic Books, 1958. Octavo. Hardcover. Book is very good, bookplate on flyleaf. Dust jacket is very good, price-clipped, edgewear. 100% positive feedback. 30 day money back guarantee. NEXT DAY SHIPPING! Excellent customer service. Please email with any questions. All books packed carefully and ship with free delivery confirmation/tracking. All books come with free bookmarks. Ships from Sag Harbor, New York.Seller 305975 Philosophy & Psychology We Buy Books! Collections - Libraries - Estates - Individual Titles. Message us if you have books to sell!

340 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 1975

About the author

Gardner Murphy was a psychologist specializing in social and personality psychology, and parapsychology. He served as president of the American Psychological Association, and of the British Society for Psychical Research, and for a time held the Hodgson Fellowship in Psychical Research at Harvard University. He later was professor and chairman of the Department of Psychology at City College in New York, worked as director of research for the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas, and was Director of the Parapsychology Foundation in 1951.

Reviews

[Whoof]

From what I can tell, Gardner Murphy appears to be seldom read today. Perhaps this is because he is labeled as a parapsychologist -- I don't know what's in his other books, but parapsychology only comes up in about two very brief sections throughout this long book. Even then, it isn't emphasized much or touted as something especially important or certainly true. In general this is sober, well-researched, and well-reasoned. If this label (his interest in parapsychological studies being, I must assume, a product of the times) is why he isn't read much, that's a shame.

I acquired this book because a professor was giving away many of his books to whatever students wanted them. This book was great! Murphy first lays out what he sees as the three human natures, these being, in essence: that given by biology, what has crystallized from culture, and the urge towards novel discovery. He's a good writer and while he sometimes writes in circles, there were a number of passages I found striking.

There are discussions of creativity, how humans strive towards more complex aesthetic sensory experiences and creations, bits on future possibilities for society, self-determination, development, and other intriguing psychological topics. The last section is a particularly good exposition of the relation of human and world--Murphy discusses the boundary as a gradient. There are many references to other writers which I am keen to check out at some point.

In some sense it is all over the place and somewhat strangely organized, but I didn't mind this too much.

Also, I noticed that this book is listed on an online merchant as "self-help." The title might make it seem like that, but it's actually an in-depth book about human psychology. Inspiring sure, but it isn't a self-help book. Wrong genre!