A landmark in modern psychology. First edition, first printing of the founding text of modern psychology. With the publisher's ads facing the titles reading, 'The principles of Psy-/ chology' and the readings 'the seat of intellectual power' in volume I, p. 10 and 'object of some absent object of sensation' in volume II, p. 101.

'James's textbook of psychology represents one of the first attempts to treat psychology as a natural science in which the mind is conceived of as being subject to both Darwinian evolutionary principles and to acts of will' (Hook & Norman, The Norman Library of Science & Medicine 1153).

'The book presents, in masterly language, a wealth of naturalistic observation about human behavior and conscious experience... It makes clear that psychology concerns, and is of concern to, the lives of individual people. It is exploratory, not consistently scientific in spirit, and arrives at no coherent theory of psychology. However, it widens horizons and raises issues that have, in the twentieth century, been approached scientifically. It raises many issues that still challenge scientific enquiry' (Oxford Companion to the Mind, as cited in Hook & Norman).

First edition, first printing; 2 vols, 8vo; publisher's ad facing the title of each volume, 8-page publisher's ads at rear of volume II, engravings within the text, residue from bookplate removal on the front pastedown of volume I, contents faintly toned, a little creasing to the upper corners of volume I, slight abrasions to part of the fore-edge of volume II hinges cracked; original brown cloth, titles to spines gilt, brown coated endpapers, cloth rubbed and a little scuffed with some tiny worn areas at the extremities, upper corners of volume I bumped, very good condition; 689 and 704pp.

Hook & Norman, The Norman Library of Science & Medicine 1153; Horblitt, 100 Books Famous in Science 100b.