Confident, kind, knowledgeable, Everett puts his psychiatric and
philosophic tools in the hands of his readers. He sets an example
of that aspect of human nature called "instrumental", devoted to
improving the world and making people happier in the process. "It
is contagious, and it gets stronger with exercise".
It takes nerve to distill the wisdom of William James, Albert
Schweitzer, Karen Horney, Jesus, Buddha, the Dalai Lama and a dozen
others into a page or two each; Everett does it admirably. Though
he must oversimplify, his treatment is both serious and
enthusiastic and should whet readers' appetites for more. Everett,
who taught psychiatry at Harvard, livens the text with significant
sentences: "Childhood is the wrong way to start life". "Pain is
just fear leaving your body". "Effort can only be made in the
present. You are not responsible for what you cannot control. The
past, by its nature, is out of your control. Let your present
effort to do the right thing be the standard by which you rate
yourself". This last point illustrates the principle of "The effort
as the standard" referenced in the chapter "Forgiveness".
Simply but nicely illustrated, the book has five chapters:
Self-Management Strategies; Solving Problems; Moral Problems;
Religion, Philosophy and Self-Help; Invincibility. There are three
appendices: The Brain and Emotion; Psychotherapy; Social
Inventions. (This is a revision of the author's From Adversity to
Invincibility; the technical material on psychiatry has been moved
to the appendices.)
The appendices present a good summary of psychiatry, including
genetics, medication, psychotherapy, and addiction. Everett is
comfortable talking about Freud, Skinner,Viktor Frankl, family
therapy, and anti-depressants. This is a refreshing book by a
thoughtful pro and a rare generalist who wants to help and really
knows how.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
