I took a psychology course during my undergraduate years in the late 1980's and though both of my parent have doctorates in psychology, before reading this book, which is the assigned text for a psych class I'm currently taking, I never really had a very good appreciation for the science of psychology. I credit this enlightenment as much to the authors ability to bring the subject matter alive and present it in a very interesting, organized manner, as to the inherent curiosity I have for why people do the things they do combined with the necessity to complete a psychology requirement for the current degree I am seeking.
The abundant pedagogical features include concise previews beginning each major section and reviews following, definitions of important terms in the margins, breaking chapters into manageable sized sections, providing copious references to research that serves to make abstract concepts relevant and real, and including so many visual aids ( illuminating tables, graphics, charts, and photos ) into the text that you'd be hard pressed to find consecutive pages without one. These pluses, combined with a casual conversation style that makes it a joy to read, makes this a text worth every penny. I enjoyed this book so much that most of this semester, since the lectures paled in comparison, I skipped class altogether and just read the book.
