George Mandler

(2007)A history of modern experimental psychology:From James and Wundt to cognitive science. MIT Press.
Set in the context of the social and cultural trends of the times,the book details the beginnings of experimental psychology in Germany and the U.S., followed by major developments in Germany, cut short by the Nazi destruction of the field. The story of the move of the German psychologists to the U.S., the "cognitive revolution" in the U.S., and the development of cognitive science. Ends with a summary of recent developments.

Prepublication comments:

"George Mandler's very welcome book provides a fascinating and highly accessible account of the historical background to modern cognitive psychology. His European background, strong interest in political and cultural contexts, and extensive contributions to the growth and maturation of cognitive psychology over the last fifty years make him uniquely qualified to write this book, which is both highly informative and an excellent read."
--Fergus Craik, Rotman Research Institute, Toronto

"Mandler's chronicle of psychology's long and arduous march to understand the human mind, from the 19th-century philosopher-psychologists to the problems that engage present-day cognitive scientists, is as valuable for what it highlights and elaborates as for what it omits. Mandler is no mere historian; he is a major contributor to contemporary cognitive psychology, blessed with a European sensitivity to the role of the past in defining the present. Surveying the hard and unyielding terrain our intellectual ancestors tried mightily to conquer, he brings a deep appreciation for their efforts and a sympathetic understanding of the snares and cul-de-sacs that impeded their progress. As a result, this book is easy to read and full of insights that few, if any, historians of this enterprise that has preoccupied psychology from its beginning could impart."
--Ellen Berscheid, Regents' Professor of Psychology, University of Minnesota

"A brilliant and superbly crafted work that places the history of psychology within the social and political culture in which it occurred. It brings that history up to the emergence of cognitive science in the late 20th century and explores the American and European contexts of the 'cognitive revolution.' This book is essential for anyone interested in the fields of psychology, cognitive science, or neuroscience."
--Richard C. Atkinson, President Emeritus, University of California

And for an early review, see http://www.centersite.org/books/books.php?type=de&id=3759

Interesting Times: An encounter with the 20th century/Lawrence Erlbaum, 2002.
Life in pre-Nazi Vienna, then emigration to school in England and life in the U.S., including the immigrant left. Then in U.S. Army Intelligence and counter-intelligence, studies in Switzerland and eventually in American Academia.

Consciousness recovered. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 2002.
A controversial, outspoken summary and extension of work of the past 30 years. Explores the psychology of consciousness, its possible evolutionary basis, its interaction with other functions such as memory and emotion. Argues for a psychological as against a philosophical or neurological approach to consciousness.

Human Nature Explored. Oxford, 1997. Out of print, but available from the author.
Explores human history, the course and context of human evolution, and specific topics such as social background, intelligence, emotion, consciousness, morality. Primarily an academic work, it is accessible to the general reader, and intends in part to serve as an antidote to the excesses of sociobiology.

Some comments:
"wise and wide-ranging"
"a tour de force ... breathtaking"
"a landmark to ... evolutionary psychology"

Five earlier books (1959-1985)
Mandler, G., and Kessen, W. (1959). The Language of Psychology. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Reprint edition: Huntington, N.Y.: Krieger, 1975. Italian edition: Il linguaggio della psicologia. Bologna: Il Mulino, 1977.

Mandler, Jean M., and Mandler, G. (1964). Thinking: From Association to Gestalt. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Reprint edition: Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1982.

Mandler, G. (1975). Mind and Emotion. New York: Wiley. Reprint edition: Melbourne, Florida: Krieger, 1982. German edition: Denken und Fühlen. Paderborn: Junfermann, 1980.

Mandler, G. (1984). Mind and body: Psychology of emotion and stress. New York: Norton. Behavioral Sciences Book Club selection, 1985. Japanese edition: Seishin Shobo Publishers, 1987.

Mandler, G. (1985). Cognitive psychology: An essay in cognitive science. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Japanese edition: Kinokuniya Publishers, 1991.