B. F. Skinner: A Reappraisal

Hove [UK] & Hillsdale [USA]: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1993. NOT a library discard. Very Good condition but for a bump to the bottom corner (NO text is affected). NO owner's name or bookplate. NOT a remainder. Pages are clean and unmarked. NO underlining. NO highlighting. NO margin notes. Bound in the original green-patterned laminated boards, lettered in white and black. From the publisher: "B.F. Skinner died in August 1990. He was praised as one of the most influential psychologists of this [i.e. 20th] century, but was also attacked by a variety of opponents within and outside the field of psychology. This introduction to his work is first of all a guide to a correct reading of his writings, a reading devoid of the distortions and misinterpretations often conveyed by many commentators, including psychologists. It frames Skinner's contributions with reference to major European traditions in psychological sciences, namely Pavlov, Freud, Lorenz and Piaget. Crucial aspects of Skinner's theory and methodological stands are discussed in the context of contemporary debates: special attention is devoted to the relationship of psychology with biology and the neurosciences, to the cognitivist movement, to the status of language and to the explanation of novelty and creativity in human behaviour. Finally, Skinner's social and political philosophy is presented with an emphasis on the provocative aspects of an analysis of current social practices which fail to solve most of the urgent problems humankind is confronted with today. Both in science proper and in human affairs at large, Skinner's thought is shown to be not behind, as is often claimed, but ahead of the times, be it in his interactive view of linguistic communication, in his very modern use of the evolutionary analogy to explain the dynamics of behaviour, or in his vision of ecological constraints.". 1st ed? (No additional printings listed). Hardcover. Near Very Good condition/No dust jacket, as issued. Illus. by NOT a library discard. 8vo. xiii, 242pp. Great Packaging, Fast Shipping.