Psychology

by Daniel L. Schacter, Daniel T. Gilbert, Daniel M. Wegner

The science makes it the book for you .
An introduction to psychology doesn’t have to be science-challenged to be student-friendly. After all, what more powerful tool is there for captivating students than the real science behind what we know? Dan Schacter, Dan Gilbert and Dan Wegner’s skillful presentation centers on a smart selection of pioneering and cutting-edge experiments and examples. They effectively convey the remarkable achievements of psychology (with the right amount of critical judgment) to introduce the field’s fundamental ideas to students.

The writing makes it the book for your students.
But it is not just the science that sets Psychology apart—its the way Schacter, Gilbert, and Wegner write about it. Each is a world-renowned researcher and accomplished classroom teacher. Each has written popular books that get to the heart of what fascinates people about psychology. Read any chapter of Psychology —any page—and you’ll see why. Bracing, easy to read, rich with captivating examples that make the ideas clear, concrete and relevant, Psychology communicates in a way that elevates and inspires students. It is anything but just another textbook.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Textbooks, Reference, Science, Education, Academic

800 pages, Hardcover

First published December 28, 2007

About the author

Daniel L. Schacter is Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. His research has focused on psychological and biological aspects of human memory and amnesia, with a particular emphasis on the distinction between conscious and nonconscious forms of memory and, more recently, on brain mechanisms of memory distortion. He received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1974, M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 1977 and 1981 respectively. His Ph.D. thesis was supervised by Endel Tulving. In 1978, he was a visiting researcher at the University of Oxford's Department of Experimental Psychology. He has also studied the effects of aging on memory. His research uses both cognitive testing and brain imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Schacter has written three books, edited seven volumes, and published over 200 scientific articles and chapters. Schacter publishes regularly in scientific journals. Among the topics that Schacter has investigated are: Alzheimer's Disease, the neuroscience of memory, age-related memory effects, and issues related to false memory. He is widely known for his integrative reviews, including his seminal review of implicit memory in 1987.

Reviews

[Parnian.K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my textbook for Psych 1100 and 1200 (introductory prerequisite courses) in college.
I love the writers’ humor in the examples they use, and their writing style makes the book engaging for the most part. The text is clear, straightforward, and easy to follow, though it does get a bit boring at times (as you might expect from a book covering the very basics of psychology).

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm behind in my yearly reading goal because I spend so much time studying this book for my online course! Although I find it stressful to be tested on every little chart in the book, I truly have enjoyed this textbook because the authors have written it in such an entertaining style. Every chapter has fascinating stories and information.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the required reading for my Intro. to General Psychology course and an excellent resource for the first-time psych student. The authors create an intelligent AND student-friendly textbook by finding a great balance between reporting dry facts & sharing sarcastic humor as well as between explaining psychological processes & providing diagrams to help students visualize them. I can't speak highly enough of this book and have recommended this course to many of my friends solely on the basis of the book being so easy and helpful a resource for the intro. student.

[Makayla MacGregor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to the terms, people, events, etc that are relevant in cognitive psychology as well as biological psychology. It's been helpful for understanding neuroscience and studying for my class.

[Elisabeth White Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for my universities intro to psych course. An engaging and interesting textbook!

[Bianca (caca) · Rating 5 out of 5]

didn’t read this version but couldn’t find the version I read so whatever 🥹

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

DONE

Not gonna lie was one of the more interesting textbooks to read

[Gayk Engibaryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great for those who want to gain the most general psychological knowledge on different areas of Psychology, to understand what’s going in the field of study, and after all to get to know what is it Psychological Science and how it works;

However it may appear a bit little for such many themes covering in the book and for those who want or need to further their interest and get additional and more detailed information there should be other books on specific areas of the science on their lists;

So this is a very good introductory book for curious minds to study and is written in a very entertaining way

Enjoy

[Lauren Holley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this text as an undergrad as a consolation prize for not having room in my schedule for a psychology course. It quickly became a shared book in my dorm because of its fantastic, easy-to-read approach to the information. It is the only textbook I have ever read, cover-to-cover, out of interest. To this day, I send old editions to friends as gifts. Odd choice, I know, and maybe I have nerds for friends, but seriously, a phenomenal text!

[Anja the Haunted Doll · Rating 5 out of 5]

We used this book for homeschooling high school (11th grade) and it was great! My daughter liked the writing style (witty and humorous at times) and she was intrigued by many of the topics. There’s a summary at the end of each unit and chapter concept quizzes. You can get a study guide that goes with the book (check eBay for used ones) which is pretty helpful if you’re aiming for an AP exam at the end of the year. We also supplemented with worksheets, videos, projects and research papers.

[Hermione · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interesting introductory textbook you can read just for the joy of it. It provides useful insights and it's a must read for anyone trying to understand the basics of the human mind. My only complaint is that it's too Americanized, given that the researches and examples it provides rely heavily on the American culture and way of life. I'd like to see a more universal approach, since the science of psychology had contributors from all around the world and scientific approaches vary.

[Laila Tarek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm still reading this for my uni course but it's a textbook so i'll probably never finish all of it and that's okay, I still want it here on my read list because i spent a lot of time learning from it so yeah there's that.

[VII · Rating 4 out of 5]

A textbook that is funny and engaging. That's a first.

[Kitty Gia Ngan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great textbook! It was funny, informative, meaningful, and concise.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introductory book about this fascinating science. Lots of good concepts in depth, definitely a heavy but fun read.

[Beatrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

mi ricordo i bei tempi, quando ho preso 22 ad un esame per questo libro maledetto che se solo lo rileggessi ora prenderei un bel 30L facile facile

[Roberto Yoed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Concentrating only on the psychoanalytic sections of the book, I can say the synthesis of Freud's theory is basic but solid.

[kocham panie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my best read tbh, was kinda hard to understanf

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not a bad textbook! The chapters were long, but the writing was pretty engaging and the material was interesting most of the time. I learned an extreme amount through reading this textbook, and I have a genuine interest in psychology now. I don't feel that this book was a waste of time or pointless, which is always a good thing to say about a school book.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is sort of an average intro psych textbook. It uses devices that I personally find "too cute." 3 Harvard professors wrote it. I was asked to review a few chapters, but never quite finished them. I wanted to like it more than I did.

[Sinai C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My roommate and I loved this book's sense of humor. I'd often interrupt her to share a funny line or two. Humor like this is sorely needed--they know the pain of their audience and I really appreciate them for it. As for textbook itself--very clear and easy to follow. Helpful.

[Nanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

For being a textbook, it was actually pretty darn interesting.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't believe I read this whole book for my psych class. It's not bad but it was very long. I still ended up with a B+ because there was too much material.

[Anh Thuy · Rating 4 out of 5]

perfect for an intro class.

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best textbooks I've read. The chapters are kinda long, but the text is light enough that it makes reading easier.

[Graydon Panzica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting and educational (obviously, it's a textbook). It took a while, of course, but I actually enjoyed it, which is rare when it comes to textbooks.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well written. Good txt book for the topic.

[☆ Raegan ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than 'They Say, I Say' but still not enjoyable reading.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent intro to psychology text. Loved it!