Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
William James, brother of novelist Henry James, has long been recognized as one of the fathers of modern psychology and of philosophical pragmatism. In this new selection of essays from James's voluminous writings, Richardson, James's biographer and a professor at Wesleyan University, attempts to add to this list of achievements, with slight success, by casting James as an early self-help guru. Seventeen essays-ranging from the early but formative ones on the physiology of emotions, the relationship between perception and belief, right through to James's mature works on habit formation, will, and action-provide an admirably broad overview of the author's expansive output. Scattered too among classic essays are lesser known gems such as "The Ph.D. Octopus," a brief disquisition on higher education, and a fascinating 1910 essay on war that might raise some modern eyebrows for its exhortation to substitute war between men for "warfare against nature." However, the collection's weakest moments are the editor's introductions to the individual pieces that are littered with platitudes and questionable speculation. The overall force and authority of James's prose, however, with its blend of insight and urgency, is more than strong enough to make up for the missteps. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
On this, the 100th anniversary of the death of William James (1842-1910), the publishers have chosen select material by him that will show him not only as the respected philosopher-psychologist that he was, but also as "human-all-too-human"-hence, the title. To see whether the publication has succeeded in this aim, readers will have to pay close attention to the selected essays, which range widely over the evolution of his thinking in philosophy, psychology, and religious studies. Editor Richardson (Emerson: The Mind on Fire) provides a perceptive introduction to the material, as well as separate insights into each selection. VERDICT Richardson notes insightfully that James is a very modern thinker who "chose Darwin, chemistry, physiology and neurology over traditional metaphysics and theology," and that "his work marked the real beginning of our age of neurophysiology and neurobiology." Because Richardson's statement is accurately reflected in the pieces here, the book is recommended for all libraries.-Leon H. Brody, Falls Church, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
