Modern Behav, Int to: Heredity & Envr

This book does an excellent job of presenting the principles of learning as well as providing the historical context through which modern behaviorism and modern psychology evolved. The first part of the book which deals with the history of psychology is particularly good and does an excellent job in presenting the philosophical issues which underly modern psychology. These include determinism vs. free will, molarism vs. elementarism, mind vs. body, and innate vs. learned. This book is also well written and clear. I have used it with my psychology of learning classes and find it to be the best book on learning that I have used.

The first 60 pages are history of psychology. The next 40 or so are "basic procedures and techniques" of behaviorism (conditioning). Then it starts getting specific (for about 200 more pages). The book goes into sufficient depth on selected topics to give you a grasp of what real behaviorists do all day. Suggested readings are given at the end of each chapter. It *is* a pretty good introduction to more advanced concepts in behaviorism.