Alexander Luria was one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century. His official autobiography was written as a citizen of the Soviet Union, and while it provides a compelling story of his lifelong devotion to developing a comprehensive theory of the biological and cultural foundations of human nature, it is conspicuous for the absence of information about the social context of his work and his personal struggles to be a decent person in indecent times. The current "dialogic autobiography" brings the vitality of Luria's ideas back to life. Michael Cole and Karl Levitin, both of whom knew Luria well and have written about his life and work, have written a carefully researched introduction and epilogue to the original autobiography. They provide readers, for the first time, with information about the social and personal contexts of Luria's remarkable achievements. Their account is supplemented by downloadable resources with reminiscences of leading psychologists from around the world who knew and worked with Luria. At last, Luria's life and science are brought together in a single volume. The book will appeal to psychologists, neuropsychologists, and other scientists interested in Luria's life achievements.

A.R. Luria was one of the most significant psychological researchers and theorists of the 20th century. He is considered to have founded the field of neuropsychology, and he had a great influence on and was influenced by the work of Lev Vygotsky, whose cultural theory of child development is now very much in vogue. Michael Cole is one of the premier cultural-developmental psychologists of our time and spent several years working with Luria at Moscow State University in the 1960s and 70s. Shortly after Luria's death, he facilitated the publication of his autobiography. However, Luria lived in fear of the Soviet Union and his autobiography was cryptic and avoided any information about the circumstances of his life and how he dealt personally and scientifically with the rapidly shifting, often dangerous, social context in which he worked. Cole has uncovered a good deal of this personal information since the fall of the Soviet Union and this edition of the text will have a new introduction and epilogue that adds crucial information and details about Luria's life. respecting Luria's account of his scientific career while providing the world with a fuller account of the connections between his life and work on the one hand, and the social conditions of that life and work in the history of his country. The book will appeal to psychologists, neuropsychologists, and other scientists interested in Luria's life achievements.