Unstable Ideas

“Jerome Kagan…sets forth an elegantly reasoned and well-written argument for events, functions, and dynamisms rather than things as explanatory notions in psychology. What he calls for is a more complex understanding of the interaction between personality and environment—and the master concept through which he explores such interaction is the notion of ‘temperament.’”—Richard M. Restak, The New York Times Book Review

“Kagan weaves philosophy, physics, and psychology into a persuasive…form. His book should be required reading for anyone concerned with our children, or who they become.”—Patricia L. Linn, Antioch Review

“The author marshals vast erudition and scholarship… The domain [Kagan] surveys in this series of essays is vast. It includes trends in developmental psychology across the twentieth century; it takes in the cognition, temperament, and self of his subtitle, and touches as well on issues of epistemology, methodology, morality and ethics, and creativity in science… This is a book of varied, sometimes far-flung, themes developed in an integrated and unified manner. It is an ambitious undertaking, but the author realizes his intentions admirably, even spectacularly.”—Alexander Thomas, Readings: A Journal of Reviews and Commentary in Mental Health