Mary Daly cared deeply about young people. She wrote many books of science from a Catholic perspective. A few years before her untimely death, she finished this psychology textbook, a book she wrote because she wanted to give high school students interested in psychology a firm grounding in the philosophy of psychological studies (or lack thereof).
First Son originally thought he might study psychology in college, so I chose this book for him for a high school half-credit in psych, thinking it would be a good foundation. It was not quite what I expected; there is little of the traditional introductory psych material. Instead, it focuses on how a psychologist thinks about the world, and how that thought-process has diverged from what we might consider a Catholic view of creation and humanity. Armed with this knowledge, a student can better discern what a psychology study actually tells us about people and how we think, while recognizing when they draw incomplete or inaccurate conclusions in philosophical and theological realms.
I did think it was sometimes a little difficult to follow. The author seemed to have so very much to share that it almost tumbled out onto the page.
I still think it's an excellent book for a Catholic high school student interested in psychology. If I were to use it again, I would like to pair it with a text that covers some more conventional introductory material. I haven't gone looking for anything in particular, though, since so far I don't have another high school student interested in psychology. (First Daughter is now in tenth grade and is loading her schedule with history, civics, and government.)
Mary Daly passed away in 2021, and she will be greatly missed in the world of Catholic education. Mater Amabilis recommends quite a few of her books. We are deeply indebted to her children, some of whom have chosen to maintain her business and continue to sell her books.
I have received nothing in exchange for this post. None of the links are affiliate links. I purchased my own copy of this book.
