Review of Psychology and Life

Abstract

Reviews the book, Psychology and Life by Floyd L. Ruch (1937). Ruch's approach to the contents of an elementary psychology text is a novel and compelling one. He used the techniques of market research to determine the interests and needs of three groups of persons--1000 college students who had completed their first course in psychology, 200 former psychology students who had been out of college for 10 years, and 100 professional educators. In line with the underlying policy of emphasizing the needs of the student, the author has written his text around the relationship of the individual and society. Both the personal and social implications of psychological material are discussed. Ruch has succeeded where many others have failed. He has indeed written a readable, interesting elementary textbook. His style is flowing, vivid, dramatic. The really remarkable way in which he "ties in" the various psychological topics, and his ability to retain the reader's interest in making the transition make one very favorable towards the entire book. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)