A highly-suggested read, that can also be read as a psychology work,
932393
it's classified under fiction.
it reads, unfortunately,  like a real-istic account of marital abuse.
Told in first person, here is the story of Cassie - and her narcissistic, manipulative, husband Nathan.
But it's also a story of courage, and rediscovering, - of a strong woman again taking control over her own life and choices.
The journey - is something you wish it wouldn't happen.
But fiction often talks about reality.
There is a part that stroke me, around the first part of the book, when you read "a prostitute could tell you that, that's pretty much how out sexual life felt".
Even from then, without the need of actual, physical,  violence, the abuse got started already.
It's firstly psychological, of course.
And Cassie apparently is noway able to fight back.
The part that slowly becomes clear she has to play, her always-more-submissive life "leaves her empty and often in tears."
The word empty as well, may help to understand better her character - "[..] empty face, empty eyes," and "robot" are the words the author uses the most to describes Cassie, and the way she's been de-humanized till the point of no longer perceiving herself as a complete human but rather as a "role". And we all play one, don't we?
Though some parts of this book can be tough, you'll get a  a deep look into a relationship that's leading her toward her total self-annihilation.
And it's important to understand, that these changes don't suddenly pop out one day, but are the result of a long, constant, work throughout the time.
Yet there are signs, of course - that we often overlook, or rather prefer and try to ignore, before it's too late.
Having unfortunately seen these kind of things already when young, - though from a different prospect - I could relate with most of the feelings and the reasoning behind her suffering - why the so paralysing fear can keep you there for years and years and destroys your life before you realize.
And that's just another reason why I dug so much into this book.
Maybe isn't the right word here, but I did love the book, for all the wrong and good reasons, I guess.
The narrative style, the way characters are introduced and developed, you'll be hooked since the start - hoping for Cassie to find a way out her troubles.
A highly-suggested read, that can also be read as a psychology work, - enabling you to open your eyes on certain true dynamics within relationships.
1211836
This book is interesting and important for several reasons. First, it shows how sound thinking is shared among professionals. Paul Adams went looking for intellectual coherence to bring to his field of social work and ended up in the philosophy of Michael Novak. Naturally, Adams wondered about "social justice," a common term in social work. Novak has been thinking and writing about social justice for a few decades and at a depth that overcomes the confused popular understanding of the term. This book gives us the excitement of a social scientist working out a philosophy for his field with the help of a well-trained mind.

Second, the book explains social justice in a way that others could apply to their own fields. Novak walks the reader through popular misunderstandings of "social justice" and gives examples of the consequences. He then interprets social justice as a modern development of the ancient concepts of justice and virtue. The development is obvious to a person like Novak, schooled in philosophy, but not obvious to most people today. Novak's lucid and engaging explanation of this development incites the reader's mind, as it must have incited Adams'.

Lastly, the book offers Adams' attempt to apply social justice to his own field. It is admittedly a first cut, but his long expertise in his own field and his educated, thoughtful persistence with philosophical concepts turns out a valuable analysis. Read this book to see how it applies to your own profession.

Grattan Brown
Assistant Professor of Theology
Belmont Abbey College
1756718
I would suggest that David Bedrick's book, "Talking Back to Dr. Phil: Alternatives to Mainstream Psychology" needs to be required reading for anyone interacting with people. Bedrick's research and perspective goes beyond the Psychology field to offer insight and developmental opportunities for many occupations and fields, i.e. human resources and organizational development professionals, religious occupations, coaches, leaders, human services, etc. Written using easy-to-read stories and compelling research, Bedrick pin-points with laser accuracy the importance of seeing how cultural and mainstream judgments hinder our society. As our communities and relationships struggle, this book offers relief from our own constraints. These constraints start with an individual's soul and impacts families, communities, and our society as a whole. His love-based approach offers a new path that could ultimately erode the polarities that exist today.
389314
This book wasn't as hard to read as I thought it to be (I don't usually read books on philosophy and psychology, though my interest in the seven sins urged me to read this book).

The author opens this book by saying he's angry at anger, but by being angry, it has already defeated him. So appearantly anger (or wrath, as most people, including myself, refer to it as) can only be defeated by ceasing to be angry. The author lays out a plan to the reader to defeat anger: The Buddhist Plan. He personifies anger as being a force that turns its victims into zombies and pits them against each other; it is the `real enemy'. According to Buddhism, he says, the best way to defeat anger is to not destroy it, but instead build a tolerance to its supposed causes, and then take the energy that would be angry energy and use it in for more positive forms.

The first couple of chapters are relatively easy to read; they examine both Western and Buddhist views of anger, and how one views it as a vital part of human nature, while the other considers it more a delusion. Then as the author moves on in explaining Buddhist methods, the text delves deeper into the psychological mechanics of anger, providing a bit more challenging read, though probably fascinating for people into psychology, religion, and self-help.
208874
The author, Professor of Psychology Emeritus at Harvard University, draws on his career experiences, a wide-ranging review of scientific literature, and occasional references to historical and literary sources to: (1) reflect on the current state of psychology; (2) identify recurring problems with contemporary psychological research; (3) discuss the methodological strengths and weaknesses of different types of psychological research, and various ways that the results of such research can be misunderstood or misinterpreted; (4) compare and contrast mental diagnosis and treatment of the mentally ill with medical diagnosis and treatment of the physically ill; and (5) make suggestions and recommendations on how psychological research and practice can be better conducted, better evaluated, better understood, and more effectively applied.

The author tempers his belief that psychology has much to offer with interesting observations about its limitations and thoughtful criticisms of its failings.  The author conscientiously strives to make his criticisms of psychology constructive in nature, and offers specific suggestions and recommendations to address the limitations and failings in psychology that he identifies.  In general, the author's observations, criticisms, suggestions, and recommendations are cogently presented and warrant serious consideration, even if the reader ultimately concludes they are not persuasive, in whole or in part.

My only disappointment with the book was the inconsistent handling of the author's comments about the psychological motivations and thought processes of various individuals and groups.  The author often cites memoirs, biographies, and other relevant sources to support his comments and observations about the motivations and thought processes of various individuals and groups. However, the author occasionally fails to cite any similar documentation or sources to make comments about the psychological motivations and thought process of other individuals and groups.  Without such citations or references, the author's comments about psychological motivations and thought processes of some individuals and groups are merely speculative and not entitled to much weight.

This book is not recommended for readers looking for a casual or general introduction to the current state of psychology.  The author's discussion, analysis, conclusions, and recommendations will be better understood if the reader has some prior knowledge of, or experience with, psychology, psychological research, the scientific method, and the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness.

Any reader interested in the difficulties associated with trying to apply the scientific method to subjects beyond traditional sciences should consider also taking a look at Jim Manzi,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Uncontrolled-The-Surprising-Payoff-of-Trial-and-Error-for-Business-Politics-and-Society/dp/046502324X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Uncontrolled: The Surprising Payoff of Trial-and-Error for Business, Politics, and Society</a>
1707568
The subtitle of this book is completely accurate - "a synthesis for clinical work."  Fred Pine appears to be the first to succinctly interweave the theories of drive, ego, object, and self into a coherent theory from a clinical, theoretical, and development approach to psychology.  He uses the analogy of the blind man and the elephant to orient the reader to why there has been so much conflict within psychoanalytic circles, and even in psychology as a whole.

Pine begins this book going through the four psychologies form a theoretical perspective.  He does not spend this section diving the 4 into groups or subgroups but by trying to shine light on the metaphorical elephant in the areas of psychoanalysis, clinical work, developmental process, personality structure, and motivation.  I recommend the reader to pay special attention to the chapter on motivation, as I have not seen anyone lay out a theory along these lines.

Pine next spends a significant proportion of the book describing entire courses of therapy with various patients and how the 4 psychologies are necessary at different times with the same patient.  I especially like how he uses interpretation and explains why some interpretations fall on "deaf ears" while others are life changing.  He proposes that (besides from the interpersonal domains), interpretation needs to be in the right domain of the 4 psychologies for the patient to "hear" it.

Pine interweaves his clinical experience into applied areas of pathology, ego defect and deficiency, and the infant and symbiosis.  I like his example of the difference between ego defect and ego deficiency.  The former involves areas of weakness in structure while the latter is an actual deficit (which means it is missing).  I also appreciate Pine's work with the infant and how certain infants and parental figures lead to magnification of significance to "merger moments, for others orality, or toilet training, or gender confusion, or sexual curiosity, or triadic rivalries."  In other words, this period of development lays the foundation for certain areas of emphasis and areas of defect in later adulthood.

As you probably can see from the extent of this review, I was a HUGE fan of this book.  Pine concludes the book with a postscript, discussing certain reactions to his theories.  I found myself easily following into the group of students that he described as saying, "What's all the fuss about?".  In essence, today's psychologists and students have been familiarized with most of these domains of psychoanalysis.  Also, we live in a postmodern society that can sit with ambivalence and not see things as either/or but complimentary.  I see Pine arguing voraciously for the need for all of the 4 domains and speaking to an audience that needs proof and validity, instead of an audience that is OK with conflictual theories at times, though he argues and I believe they are just different parts of the elephant.
3830781
How odd to try to write a review for a psychology themed biography book based on evaluating ones mind through visual assessment criteria which is abstract. I don't believe it is my job to persuade anyone to read or skip this book. Those who have interest will dive in for the experience and what they walk away with will be uniquely their own whether they enjoy it or not. Instead, I choose to share a very small excerpt that seemed to jump from the pages as I came across it. Most of the following ideas and statements are lifted from this book. The discussion was how Freud was a word person, used talk therapy, founded "Freudian Slips", and focused on uncovering the unconscious in what one says or doesn't say. Modern psychology worships at the altar of statistics. In contrast, Rorschach was a visual person who created visual psychology. Our brains are highly devoted to visual processing, estimates run as high as 85%. Seeing runs deeper than talking.
2847235
Michael Lewis is a great writer and does a wonderful job of explaining what some people believe are complicated subjects to the average reader.  His description of Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tverskys contributions to psychology and economics in "The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds," gives us a very good idea of the trail blazing theories of perception postulated by Kahneman and Tversky as well as the lives of these two brilliant men.  Lewis description of what the economist Richard Thaler thought of their work is both a brilliant piece of writing and an apt description of the impact of Kahneman and Tverskys work.

  "Thaler got someone to send him a draft of Value Theory. He instantly saw it for what it was, a truck packed with psychology that might be driven into inner sanctums of economics and exploded."

  Possibly because I had recently finished Thinking Fast and Slow by Kahneman, however, the book, seemed a little long.  The first portion of the book, about the application of Kahneman and Tverskys insights seems to flow much more smoothly than the biographical information and the description of their work.  The depth of the description, however, is a small price to pay for the insight the reader will get into our decision making process.  I hope many people read the book and take its advice to heart.
451801
This short, yet conceptually heavy, book explores the psychological difficulties that humans face in making predictive decisions about their future happiness. The books content, although heavily dependent on psychological studies, was uniformly readable, interesting, and illuminating. Gilberts explanation of how the human mind tricks us into making future predictions, based on the information available to us, often appeared to be counter-intuitive, yet always struck a note of truth upon reflection. If all books about psychology were this concise, interesting, and informative, they would become a regular part of my reading diet. Stumbling on Happiness made me not just see the world differently, more importantly it made me see myself differently.
3286505
This is one of the best psychology books I have ever read. The writing is of such high quality that reading it is a real pleasure, and the information it imparts is invaluable. With its balance of inspiration and practicality, this book should be required reading for every psychology grad student.
3901665
I've been thumbing through this book for the last month, and I have to say that I love it.

I've admired Donald Norman, one of the greatest living cognitive scientists, from afar for over 20 years.  He was seemingly afforded "guru" status when he visited the University of Colorado's Institute of Cognitive Science in the mid `80s - an esteemed, accessible and entertaining cognitive/computer scientist (and also a cantankerous one) who had pioneered the human factors movement.  His entertaining and friendly style was informed by creative, deep, empirical, theoretical work in cognitive science.  I came to trust his insights whenever I dabbled in "usability" and "human factors" issues.  (Trust me--there are plenty of people who think they understand these things, but Norman is the real deal who delivers the necessary stuff...  Check out his masterpiece, "The Design of Everyday Things.").  By the time I arrived at UCSD in the late 90s, he had already left our university for Apple Computer, but he seems to have left an indelible, positive stamp on the place.  His photo hangs outside of our Francis Crick Conference Room as one of the great scientists who worked here.

The current book shows that "attractive things work better" (which is the title of one of Norman's classic essays).  Norman dabbles in cognitive, emotional, behavioral and neural science as he makes his key points, showing that "works better" is a multifaceted psychological, emotional, and neural concept.  The thesis is much like the ones that permeate clinical psychology in the form of Cognitive-Behavioral therapies (e.g., Beck & Ellis).  However, the ideas contained herein inform product design, product choice, and product ownership.

The chapter on "three levels of behavioral design: visceral, behavioral, and reflective" is at the heart of this book (as described by other reviewers), and the one that sticks with me the most. If you are interested in a quick tour of "emotional design", read that chapter and look at the striking yet simple pictures throughout the book.  Read some of Norman's amusing stories about objects that he owns...  Then, if you are hooked, read the whole book.

I recommend that readers check out some of Norman's interviews and podcasts that coincide with the release of the book.  On Norman's website, there is a section titled interviews.  Follow the link for NPR's WHYY interview - it is great stuff.  Or watch brief the video accompanying the Benjamin Franklin award in Computer and Cogntive Science.  Or watch one of the podcasts.  Any of these things will help to bring the key design concepts, and Norman's insightful universe, to life.  I use these things in the Cognitive Psychology courses that I teach, and I find that they get students talking, and excited, about the interface between congnition, emotion and design.

Great book!
4165545
M. Scott Peck's work is exemplary and clearly shows the connections between "Evil" (defined as, "The exercise of political power--that is, the imposition of one's will upon others by overt or covert coercion--in order to avoid. . . spiritual growth.") and its psychological disorder best described as, "narcissistic personality disorder" taken to the extreme to produce symptoms of, "abulatory schizophrenia".  While reaching for this lofty, clinical definition his clear and enjoyable writing styles make this work accessable to the casual observer.
His examples of interaction with patients that he determines to be "evil" are lucid and informative.  Done in the style of, "The Road Less Traveled" he makes clear points in each case history to further his argument that "Evil" is not just a religious topic for the subjective churchgoer. He shows that it is a clearly defined character disorder with roots in abusive upbringing.  It is this very point that causes so much controversy. Any person who does not appreciate the power and helpfulness of this book is stymied by the word "Evil" and cannot seperate their understanding of the word from its previous context of religious iconography.  This is exactly why the work is seminal and hearald to a new way of thinking.  I consider the tandem work of this and "The Road Less Traveled" as part of the natural evolution of thought straight down from Freud, Jung and Maslow.
3331881
I had no idea before picking up this book that psychologists had offered so many brilliant observations about teenagers as long as 200 years ago. But they did, and I am extremely grateful to Larry Brendtro and his colleagues for reproducing those observations here --- along with stinging criticisms of the psychological and educational communities today that so often dominate work with troubled teenagers.

The authors begin by citing Swiss educator&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Jonathan-Pestalozzi/dp/1436561043/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Jonathan Pestalozzi</a>, who in 1801 "created a stir across Europe" by demonstrating how to reclaim "cast-off children" orphaned by the Napoleonic wars --- and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Jean-Marc-Itard/dp/0139594949/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Jean Marc Itard</a>, whose Wild Boy of Averyon, published the same year, recounted his rescue of a psychically abused youth abandoned to forage in the woods due to his complete language deficit, most probably the earliest documented case of autism.

Both concluded that love, trust and gratitude "provided the key to success with challenging children." The book then continues to describe the ways in which modern psychology and psychiatry has obfuscated what should be the main purpose of working with such children --- healing, and helping them to resolve, their pain.

Some years ago, I read Charles Appelstein's&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/No-Such-Thing-As-a-Bad-Kid/dp/0965983609/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">No Such Thing As a Bad Kid</a>! Today, upon reading this work, I learned that the idea Appelstein outlines so well originated 96 years ago in the Creed of Starr Commonwealth, a non-profit Albion, Michigan organization working ever since with troubled youths. This book notes that often, even the diagnoses given to these kids carry negative connotations --- implying subtly (or not so subtly) that they're irreparable. That, however, is not in fact the case.

[Update, 7/14/2010: Unfortunately, Starr Commonwealth has today fully abandoned the Creed established by founder Floyd Starr, who rests on the campus. If that fine gentleman knew how the organization now treats young men when they behave as troubled youths obviously do (or they wouldn't be troubled) Mr. Starr would undoubtedly be turning in his grave. Starr Commonwealth now treats them as if they were purposely "bad." A longtime community member amplified: Floyd Starr isn't merely "turning in his grave." He's "just about to rise out of the ground."

Alas, the institution that long served young men and women well, and some day may again, in recent years often accepted young men for whom they could not adequately care, falsely reassured families that all would be well, and finally chucked these students to the wolves, like useless dead meat.

While afterward claiming to want to "help" the boys and their families, the institution refused to actually do so, and worse. In the first six months of 2010, it happened to at least three students of whom I am aware. Given that high failure rate, there were undoubtedly others too.]

The philosophy at its core is a good one: teachers, and schools, psychologists, doctors and all others working with children should never give up on them. There are, as this book suggests, "pathways to potential" for all emotionally challenged kids, whose behaviors are generally a reflection only of pain, not of "badness."

And to struggling parents, the book's message is one of strength. Do not give up hope. Never, Never give up hope.

--Alyssa A. Lappen
2498842
In this remarkable work, author Andrew Solomon offers an incredibly thorough and engrossing account of the landscape of depression.  He skillfully manages to weave together a virtually endless supply of scientific knowledge and up-to-date information on depression statistics and literature with excepts taken from a seemingly tireless series of interviews with fellow depression sufferers.  It is these anecdotal vignettes which make up the heart of the book, as Solomon completely captivates his readers with these often-moving accounts.  Solomon opens by sharing his own story ("Breakdowns"); along the way, he holds nothing back as he describes just how devastating repeated episodes of a major depressive disorder can be.

Solomon is a writer, not a psychologist, but as a psychologist myself, I was impressed by his grasp of this material.  I was particularly gratified to see that earlier on in the book he dispelled with the myth of certain types of depression being "chemical" imbalances whereas others are not; he correctly points out that all emotions, be it depression, happiness, or what have you, result in chemical changes in the brain.  Furthermore, based on his own treatment history, Solomon shows great open-mindedness about the roles of both medication and therapy in the treatment of depression; he specifically points out that those who are treated with psychotherapy alone show the same biological changes as those treated with medication.  These are just a few of the most salient issues which spoke to me, but Solomon's work is comprehensive, covering everything from the history of depression to depressed populations; providing an overview of treatment, including the role of addictions; offering perspectives on contributing factors such as poverty and politics; and leaving his readers with a sense of hope.

This book is neither a light nor an easy read, but it is definitely worth the effort.  It is perhaps not suited to those who are currently in the midst of a depressive episode, but those who have been there and back are likely to relate completely, and those professionals who work with depression sufferers are likely to gain new empathy and insights.  Highly recommended.
4012006
There are some excellent reviews of this book already posted.  My addition is to recommend reading this over a weekend if you can, it will make it easier to track the subtle changes in characters.  The story is strong, but it is worth reading for the major and minor characters and the many insights into human psychology (e.g. memories for events and faces).

The kindle version is good.  I read it from a phone app with no problems.
538169
Walking Shadows: Archetype and Psyche in Crisis and Growth from exceptional psychiatrist Tim Read is amassing well grounded work discussing acute psychoses and spiritual emergencies.

I enjoyed reading every page of the book. There is a lot of examples a lot of questioning, a lot of well grounded answers of a highly seasoned psychiatrist who spend more than 25 years working with severely disturbed patients. I liked his statement that he prescribed the necessary psychiatric drugs as often as he stopped the unnecessary ones.

Dr. Read has extensive knowledge, both in research, theory and practice of acute psychosis and/or spiritual emergencies and possible connections to geniuses. This allows him to  develop new possible, more successful  treatment in relation to acute psychosis than just suppressing the symptoms by the drugs. The reading was pure delight as he is able to view certain problem from many perspectives, from purely psychiatric explanations to archetypal penetration of the psyche.

I enjoyed reading this book immensely, since it is written with the heart of someone who sees his patients as suffering human beings and not as diagnosis . The book is full of compaction, deep care... It builds on real situations and then explores possible explanations and describes successful (and also less successful) treatments. I recommend this book to both professionals and lay people interested in full scope of human psyche.
2875880
Even though this book is well-written and organized, the facts within it may appear somewhat intellectual, which makes it vital for readers to browse through the lines a second time before the full meanings can sink into one's head. However, it teaches you how to use your intuitive senses to analyse things and gain a more in-depth perception of matters. Such a book will probably appeal to psychologists and readers who are interested in scientific facts.