In his preface, the author states, “Adapting one of Freud's hypotheses, I explain consciousness as a differentiation of thought and perception from more primitive configurations” (p. 10). And on the next page, “I take issue with Piaget's thesis that consciousness is an emergent construct, a product of restructuring at different stages of development. I suggest that consciousness is present at the outset as the waking state, a state of connectedness between the central and peripheral nervous systems” (p. 11).

Then, in his introduction, referring to Piaget's call for an “overhaul of psychoanalytic theory,” Malerstein maintains that “although many psychoanalysts are