Author Davydov was one of a new generation of Russian psychologists in the 1970s and 1980s to analyze collective activity in connection with solving practical problems in areas such as education and psychotherapy. In this book, first published in 1986, Davydov describes his system of developmental instruction, which has both a serious theoretical, philosophical foundation and a basis in pedagogical psychology. A section of about 60 pages of supplemental material offers a history of general and child psychology, a lecture given by Davydov at Moscow State University, and an overview of basic concepts of the theory of developmental instruction as proposed by Davydov. Some background in German classical philosophy, L. S. Vygotsky's psychology, and activity theory (a direction in Russian psychology initiated by Vygotsky's followers) is helpful in understanding the book. The book is published here in a complete translation of the second, revised, and expanded edition of 2004. This is the first book in a new series on non-classical psychology, a field which is closely connected to activity theory. Series editor Vladislav Lektorsky is affiliated with the Institute of Philosophy at the Russian Academy of Sciences. Series editor Dorothy Robbins is affiliated with the Department of Modern Languages at the University of Central Missouri. Information on translator Peter Moxhay is not given. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)