Review: People as Living Things

Customer Review posted at Amazon.com

One of a kind, February 12, 2008

This book is inspirational to read.

Runkel writes with meticulous attention to detail, accuracy and precision yet his writing is almost poetic such is his mastery of prose. As if the writing style wasn't enough, the subject matter is revolutionary in the paradigmatic sense of the word.

Runkel essentially has written an psychology text for a first year university course.

The difference is that Runkel has approached the subject matter of psychology from the perspective of perceptual control. Runkel is quite literally coming at the material from the other end.

Whereas modern (and historical) psyhcology has attempted to explain behaviour as controlled output, Runkel explores behaviour from the perspective of controlled perceptual input. The results are suprising and refreshing though not always comfortable.

Do not read this book expecting to find your ideas of behaviour to be endorsed and reinforced. The perspective of perceptual control affords new opportunities for considering behaviour. These opportunitites suggest new questions to ask and new answers to seek.

The promise of a better world seems much more attainable after reading this book.