Book Description

American psychologist and philosopher WILLIAM JAMES (1842 1910), brother of novelist Henry James, was a groundbreaking researcher at Harvard University, author of such works as Principles of Psychology (1890) and The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature (1902), and one of the most influential academics of the 19th century. His collected letters edited by his son, also named HENRY JAMES (1879-1947) here afford us an intimate look into the great thinker s mind: he was a man of delightfully wide-ranging interests and ambitions, and a correspondent of great animation and wit. Originally published in 1920 in two volumes but here presented in one, the letters run the course of James s adult life, and were written to everyone from family to professional colleagues and others, including such luminaries as Hugo M nsterberg, George Santayana, H. G. Wells, John Jay Chapman, Henri Bergson, and John Dewey. Offering provocative insight into James s temperament, biases, instincts, and unique perspectives, this is essential reading for anyone hoping to truly understand his work.