General
"Eysenck has done a wonderful job conceptualizing psychology from a multi-cultural perspective....[and] has done a nice job of mentioning Canadian researchers and how related empirical findings fit well, or contrast with, research from other cultures. I truly enjoyed the international flavour. Because so many text books do not attempt to accomplish this goal, or do attempt but fail, Eysenck's text has made an important contribution in the way that students will be able to view Psychology."
Dr. Daniel Lagacé-Séguin, Mount Saint Vincent University, Canada
"Evaluation sections are particularly helpful!"
Hans-Georg Bosshardt, Ruhr-Universitt Bochum, Germany
"This is a very comprehensive and accessible introductory textbook on the science of psychology. It will serve students and their teachers well."
Dr. Alan Carr, University College Dublin, Ireland
"The standard of writing in British psychology texts is now extremely high, but even by today's standards Michael Eysenck's new book stands out. The breadth of his knowledge is astounding, and the clarity with which he puts across complex ideas is second to none."
Matt Jarvis, Totton College, UK
"This magnificent volume conveys the excitement, richness, and depth that are the science of contemporary psychology. Lucidly written, comprehensive, and thoroughly up to date, it constitutes a superb introduction to psychology, as the discipline is making its way into the 21st century across the globe."
Arie W. Kruglanski, Distinguished University Professor, University of Maryland
"This is a most impressive volume, an Introductory Psychology textbook that provides an international perspective. Professors of Introductory Psychology in the United States should certainly take a serious look at this book. I have heard many complaints that all American Introductory Psychology textbooks are about the same. For those who have ever voiced this suspicion, Eysenck's text should be carefully examined because it certainly breaks the mold in many ways. The book is thorough and written at a high level (by U.S. standards) and the depth of coverage is greater than that seen in most North American textbooks. The book may be more suitable for Introductory Psychology courses that are spread across two semesters than completed in only a single semester. The writing is engaging and the book is well illustrated. All instructors of Introductory Psychology should seriously consider this book."
Henry L. Roediger, III, Washington University in St. Louis
"Eysenck presents his material in a balanced, stimulating, and culturally sensitive manner. He skillfully supplements classic theories of psychological constructs with more recent theoretical models. His illustrations of key concepts with core examples and descriptions of clinical experience are particularly helpful. Moreover, the "evidence," "evaluation," and "discussion points" bridge science and clinical experience admirably and stimulate critical thinking. A major contribution!"
Aaron T. Beck, University of Pennsylvania
Biopsychology
"The style is very clear and the level of language seems pitched right for first year undergraduates. New terms are carefully explained...in terms of language and sentence construction the book is very accessible and should be appreciated by students. I particularly liked the rhythm of theory, evidence and evaluation....A polished and professional piece of work."
Dr. John Cartwright, Chester College of Higher Education, UK
"Wide-ranging and comprehensive coverage of complex biological issues. The writing style is fluent and cohesive. It is enhanced by a simple format, which enables readers to consolidate information from topic area to topic area, but at the end of each chapter a review of the pertinent issues provides a global overview of the subject area."
Professor Tony Cassidy, Thames Valley University, UK
"The style is generally scholarly yet accessible. It avoids the overly simplified and conversational styles seen in many texts. I feel that the approach taken here treats the student more as an intelligent and interested learner rather than a passive entity that must be entertained at all costs. This approach also helps to prepare students for dealing with more advanced texts and journal articles....[Chapter 5 on Emotion] incorporates a discussion of emotion outlining the expressive, subjective and physiological components of emotion. There is considerable in-depth coverage of the basic definition of emotion before the relevant theories are covered. This is very useful, as most texts launch straight into Cannon-Baird without much background being covered."
Mark Rogers, Monash University, Australia
"Michael Eysenck's textbook is a great help for students studying the biological sources of cognitive and emotional behaviour. The biological chapters have been written in a concise way, avoiding unnecessary detail, but with references to many practical past and present biological concepts and hypotheses."
Dr Dmitry M Davydov, Head of neuropsychological and psychophysiological studies, Moscow Research Centre for Drug Abuse Prophylaxy, Moscow, Russia
Cognitive Psychology
"One of the most thorough introductions to memory I have ever seen. Many introductory textbooks decide to focus on only a few topics in research on memory. Most that I have seen focus on simple models of information processing....The current chapter differs from others. It is far more thorough, and gives an almost complete and very up-to-date review of the state of things."
Dr. Casper Hulshof, University of Twente Enschede, The Netherlands
"I enjoyed reading the chapters on cognitive psychology. Eysenck's style is, as ever, excellent and he manages to present psychology in a way that is both engaging and informative. He is able to present complex issues with clarity and precision and this enables students to understand and use the information. In chapter 7 I particularly enjoyed the sections on pattern, object and face recognition and thought they were excellent summaries of these topics. The book will be a very good introductory text for undergraduates and it will be refreshing to have a general undergraduate text written from an international rather than American perspective."
Dr Nick Lund, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
I am pleased to see that the level of detail and critical analysis is considerably greater than most comparable international texts -- this should prove to be an excellent selling point.
Professor Trevor Harley, University of Dundee, UK
Individual Differences
"The chapters provide a clear, balanced and up-to-date overview of the important issues in personality and intelligence, with a strong emphasis on the quality of the empirical evidence that underpins the theories."
Dr. Colin Cooper, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland
Developmental Psychology
"It is refreshing to see a writer who extends the study of general cognitive development to encompass more than just Piaget and Vygotsky- in this text, information-processing theories are also covered. When it comes to specific abilities, there is good coverage of aspects such as memory and Theory of Mind, which again are topics that have more recently attracted interest. In this respect the text is a significant step forward in provision for those undertaking studies at this level."
Susan Cave, Open University, UK
Social Psychology
"The four chapters [of this section] represent an excellent summary of social-psychological research in the areas of attitudes, aggression, interpersonal influence, inter-group processes, prosocial behaviour, romantic relationships, and social cognition. They are well-written, comprehensive in what they are addressed to cover and to be sure students will be enthusiastic about this stimulating and thought-provoking introduction to social psychology....[Chapter 21, Intergroup Processes] is a very good chapter, clearly structured and very instructive. It includes one of the best treatments of social identity theory that I have read."
Hans-Werner Bierhoff, Ruhr-Universitat Bochum, Germany
"The chapters are very well written, avoiding unnecessary technical language while being terminologically clear and precise. They highlight key theories and findings from social psychological research, making a special and convincing effort to include contributions from outside the US mainstream....I also liked the evaluation of the different theoretical approaches, enabling readers to assess, at a glance, the strengths and weaknesses of each of them."
Barbara Krahé, University of Potsdam, Germany
"Overall I thought [Chapter 21] was an excellent introduction to the important area of inter-group processes, dealing with theory and research in an up-to-date and critical fashion."
Professor Donald Pennington, Coventry University, UK
Abnormal Psychology
"These two chapters manage to cover a commendable amount of material without losing sight of the main issues in this area. Cultural issues-overlooked by many texts-have been introduced very effectively wherever they are appropriate. The reader's interest is sustained by the supplementary features (including visual aids and self-assessment questions) and the text is so clearly written that even the more difficult issues are easy to grasp."
Susan Cave, Open University, UK
"This is a very comprehensive and coherent set of chapters. The citations are well balanced covering research from Europe and the US."
Dr. Alan Carr, University College Dublin, Ireland
