Book Review: A Science of the Mind: The Quest for Psychological Reality

This book was originally published in 1960, and is based on 10 years of research conducted during the 1950s. However, it remains as relevant today as it has been revolutionary 30 years ago. The book's thesis is based on the findings from a teaching project in which Abercrombie, a trained biologist, sets out to teach medical students "to make sound judgements about scientific matters" [p. 17].

The book is divided into two parts. The first part gives an introduction to the field of perception in particular, and generally argues that we never just "passively receive information from the outside world" [p. 26], but that we always "interpret and judge" while receiving information. Thus, Abercrombie argues that our judgements are inevitably influenced by personal and cultural

David Livingston Smith