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Half title + TP + [iii]-v = Preface + [vii]-xiii =Contents + [1]-478, small Octavo. First London Edition, Second Printing (McDermott 1892-1).James' Abridgement of The Principles of Psychology - "to make it more directly available for class-room use" Henry Holt did four distinct printings of this work in 1892 - all with identical title pages. Sheets from these printings were shipped to London where Macmillan provided their own binding and at least two different title pages. This second English printing used the title "Text-book on Psychology" instead of the American standard "Briefer Course: Psychology". Holt's first printing was on January 11th ("1,000 copies"), the second on January 14th ("either 1,000 or 500" copies), the third in March ("perhaps 500" copies) and the fourth in December - bleeding over into January (an indeterminate number). These can be distinguished by the following issue points: " the first lacks the reference to page "218" at the bottom of page 244" the second has the words "sexual passion" (rather than "sexual instinct") on page 94, line 23" the third has the change to "sexual instinct" on page 94 and 21 lines of type on page 279" the fourth by all of these along with 26 lines of type on page 279 (rather than 21). [See The Works of William James, Psychology: Briefer Course, Harvard University Press, Cambridge & London, 1984, pp. 473-474 for these details.]Both James and his publisher wanted a smaller, more manageable version of the two-volume Principles of Psychology, so he significantly revised the work which resulted in this condensed version. As he noted in the Preface:In preparing the following abridgement of my larger work, the Principles of Psychology, my chief aim has been to make it more directly available for class-room use. For this purpose I have omitted several whole chapters and rewritten others. I have left out all the polemical and historical matter, all the metaphysical discussions and purely speculative passages, most of the quotations, all of the book-references, and (I trust) all the impertinences, of the larger work, leaving to the teacher the choice of orally restoring as much of this material as may seem to him good, along with his own remarks on the topics successively studied. Knowing how ignorant the average student is of physiology, I have added brief chapters on the various senses. In sum, he stated, "about two fifths of the volume is either new or rewritten, the rest is 'scissors and paste.'"The book was a tremendous success as can be seen from the fact that it needed four printings in just the first year and went through a total of twelve printings prior to James' death in 1910. Publisher's original pebble-grained embossed green cloth binding with the title, author and publisher gilt on the spine. With the graphic bookplate of "Robert Carl & Marion Oak Sticht" to the inside from cover. A near fine, tight, bright and clean copy of this important work by James. ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
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