Brief introductory text written to help students from a variety of backgrounds and learning styles understand and learn psychology's different perspectives. Designed to encourage practical application, creative thinking, and active learning, for students who are verbal, visual and participatory learners. Features: * Innovative "pathways" theme tells the story of psychology, encourages students to use psychology in their lives, promotes active learning and encourages students to develop creative and practical thinking skills. * Content coverage focuses on presenting the key principles of psychology rather than attempting to present encyclopedic detail. * Clear, direct and simple language, combined with effective visuals, conveys psychological principles to students from a variety of academic backgrounds and learning styles. * Outstanding student-oriented pedagogy includes: Pathways to Understanding (analytic, creative, and practical questions), Pathways to Knowledge (end of chapter self-test questions), and Finding Your Way (mini-projects which encourage active learning). Additional features include Practical Psychology (boxes which highlight the everyday use of psychology), The Big Picture (end of section summaries), Branching Out (in-text sections highlighting applications), and a margin running glossary. * Examples throughout the text present cultural diversity as a 'fact of life', showing students the importance of culture, race, gender, and the ethnicity in the application of psychological principles.