A massive tome collecting everything from trivia to entire
monographs by the famed psycho-historian who explained Martin
Luther's life by his constipation, and Gandhi's by his sexual
abstinence."Selected" is not the right word for a book of almost
800 pages that includes seemingly everything but laundry lists
(e.g., a note of congratulations to some friends on their wedding
anniversary). Otherwise, this book takes a lot of going through.
Part of the reason is that Erikson, apart from being prolific, is a
heavy, unexciting writer. His analyses of the Black Panther
Movement and student revolts are detailed in slow polysyllables
until Erikson actually makes these issues seem boring. In doing so,
he may have provided a service in cooling angry hearts and minds,
but surely this was not his intention. A curious modesty sneaks
into these pieces, such as when Erikson accepts the National Book
Award for his study on Gandhi, and denies that it is "really a good
book." The Gandhi book has been thoroughly discredited by Ved
Mehta, just as Erikson's work on Luther was discredited by Roland
Bainton, among other scholars. In short, there may be much reason
for modesty in the works of this psycho-historian whose history was
often ill-founded. Doubtless, Erikson has integrity - he resigned
from the University of California rather than reaffirm a loyalty
oath he had already signed during the McCarthy era. His wartime
analyses of Hitler's speeches and his own suggestions for the
treatment of mentally damanged veterans have a firm place in the
history of psychoanalysis. Yet most of the material reprinted here
might well have remained in its original place, as it is of
immediate interest to few but Erikson disciples and biographers of
modern psychology. (Kirkus Reviews)
This collection of his writings reflects the evolution of his ideas
over the course of 50 years, beginning with his earliest
experiences in psychoanalysis in Vienna. The papers cover a wide
spectrum of topics, from children's play and child psychoanalysis
to the dreams of adults, cross-cultural observations, young
adulthood and the life cycle. The text also contains reminiscences
about colleagues such as Anna Freud and Ruth Benedict who played
important roles in Erikson's life and work.
General
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