Powers, William T. (1976): Making Sense of Behavior. The Meaning of Control

Making Sense of Behavior, The Meaning of Control is the third volume in the Living Control Systems series. By popular demand, this book is a simplified look at Perceptual Control Theory (PCT), written in a clear, conversational style. Powers uses deliberately simple examples to peel back the layers of control theory to reveal its universal truths. "...the great contribution to the life sciences brought about by Powers and his colleagues is far more than giving appealing explanations of particular phenomena....The great thing a researcher can do with Perceptual Control Theory...is to return to the fundamental faith of science--to the principle that a function or effect possible or necessary at one place and time must be possible or necessary at all places and all times." From the Foreword to Making Sense, contributed by Philip J. Runkel.

Contents
Controlling Reward and Punishment
Perceptual Control Where Do We Go from Here?
Levels Reference
Learning Possible Levels of Perception and Control
Hands-on PCT An Application of PCT: The Responsible Thinking Process
Inner Conflict Studies in PCT
Conflict Between People

180 pages - quality paperback. $19.95 + s/h - Second printing: available December 18, 2003. Reserve your copy now! Preview a page from the second printing of MSOB, with new comments about Perceptual Control Theory from some of the people who use it in their work every day: the Chair of a distinguished college sociology department, an internnational author/consultant who transforms troubled schools with an innovative technique based on PCT, and the head of a great corporate university.