Beyond Reasoning

Ken Manktelow was formerly Professor of Psychology at the University of Wolverhampton, having begun his academic career with a PhD on reasoning, examined by Wason himself. He is the author of several books and articles on the topic.

This beautifully crafted biography provides us with a rare opportunity to know the man behind the science. The eccentric personality of Peter Wason, who made such a lasting impact on his field of psychology, is exposed in clinical detail. Manktelow shows us that while in many ways a man of his time, upbringing, and social class, Wason was also a highly creative researcher with a most distinctive style of working and writing. A fascinating read and highly recommended. - Jonathan St B T Evans, Emeritus Professor, University of Plymouth, UK.He was an extraordinary individual. He could drive a tank (in WWII) but not a car, he could write like an angel but not type, and he could play chess like a grand master but not program. But, above all he — Peter Cathcart Wason — was a psychologist of genius, creating experiments that cut to the core of human reasoning. This deep and entertaining biography brings him back to life. And, perhaps, it’ll earn him the recognition he deserved. — Prof. P.N. Johnson-Laird, of Princeton University and New York UniversityKen Manktelow was born to write this book! Blessed with a deep understanding of the issues and a lively prose style, Manktelow presents a gripping portrait of Peter Wason against the background of a now all-but-vanished era in the history of psychological research on thinking. Like Michael Lewis's the Undoing Project, Manktelow's book illustrates both the human side to a research career and the richness of a life devoted to the study of thinking and reasoning. — Prof. Aidan Feeney, of Queen’s University Belfast.

• List of figures and tablesPreface and style notes1. Creation 2. Hell and heaven 3. End of a world 4. Service 5. The most important moment6. Oxford to London, via Scotland7. Curiosity pays8. Life and chess9. Clearing the fog10. As easy as 2-4-611. Hits of the 60s12. Moving on13. Fruits of the field14. Working with the problem15. Two minds16. Reading and writing17. New problems18. Turning tides19. The final chapterAppendix 1: Wason's family tree: Paternal lineAppendix 2: Wason's family tree: Maternal lineAppendix 3: Wason's family tree: Chronological listNotes and sourcesName indexSubject index