`This is a highly enjoyable, erudite and beautifully written manuscript. It conveys a rare depth of understanding and ability to strike at the core debates. The lively style, concentration on the biopic, use of text features such as links between names, and formal division of each sub-section will all appeal.… I have taught History of Psychology for nearly 6 years. This text will prove for more palatable to students than any of the competitors′ - Dr Steve Brown, Loughborough University

`This book is well-written. It is clever, flowing and engaging. The balance between biography and contribution is excellent and makes it almost un-put-downable′ - Professor Adrian Furnham, University College London

The 20th Century was rich in attempts to characterize and explain psychological phenomena and so to understand the human mind. These projects were undertaken by a huge and diverse list of characters from B F Skinner to James Gibson, from Gordon Allport to Hans Eysenck. It is important for every student of psychology, wherever they might be in the world, to understand the classic scholars, the classic studies, and the subsequent generations of people and ideas that have come to define the broad discipline that is `psychology′.

This book achieves this in the most accessible and engaging manner possible. Rom Harré presents a unique textbook orientation, combining the biopic with the significance of the major protagonists of the last century, organized by `schools of thought′, yet with cross-references throughout the text.