Mind in Society began as an attempt to publish Tool and Symbol
and Development of Higher Psychological Functions. The project was
promoted by Alexander Luria. Many of the materials in the collected
works were not available. The publisher of Harvard Press said that the
work was insufficiently comprehensible to an American audience. Over
several years we struggled to come up with a compendium which would
not repeat Thought and Language (1962). The book was designed to present
a sample of Vygotsky's ideas that would at least get them a hearing.
Seems like we succeeded.
We have been pretty heavily criticized for not presenting the full
and original works by subsequent scholars who, because of the publication
of Mind in Society, had an audience for their work. They also had access
to a lot of materials which we did not.
Its great to have all the materials available. In some small spheres,
the idea of progress seems to be applicable.
mike