ABSTRACT:
D. Brett King and Michael Wertheimer trace the origins of Gestalt thought, demonstrating its continuing importance in fifteen chapters and several supplements to these chapters. They cover Wertheimer's ancestry, familiy and childhood in central Europe, and his formal education. They elaborate on his activities during the period in which he developed the ideas that were later to become central to Gestalt psychology. The maturation of the Gestalt school at the University of Berlin during 1922-29 is discussed in detail. Wertheimer's everyday life in America during his last decade is well documented. The early reception of Gestalt theory in the United States is examined. The final chapters discuss Wertheimer's essays on democracy, freedom, ethics, and truth.
