Paths of Life: Six Case Histories - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 046501268X ISBN 13: 9780465012688

Publisher: Basic Books, 2009

Synopsis

Several poignant scenarios and two essays of reflection focus on a range of issues--from birth, motherhood, and partnership to hatred, cults, and the Holocaust. In this updated tenth anniversary edition, Alice Miller offers new reflections on the transformative power of childhood.

About this title

About the Author

Alice Miller (1923-2010) achieved worldwide recognition for her work on the causes and effects of childhood traumas. She was also the author of many books, including The Truth Will Set You Free, Banished Knowledge, Breaking Down the Wall of Silence, Thou Shalt Not Be Aware, and For Your Own Good.

From the Back Cover

From the world-famous Swiss psychoanalyst whose book The Drama of the Gifted Child has become a classic, here are seven "life stories" that explore the countless ways in which our families and the emotions and events of our childhood form us and turn us into what we are today.

How do early experiences of love or of suffering affect our adult relationships? How does hatred evolve and take root? What effect is child abuse likely to have on the victim's later life? How do people develop into cult leaders or political tyrants?

Through seven hypothetical scenarios and two essays, Alice Miller explores these questions and many others, focusing on a range of issues from birth, motherhood, and partnership, to cults and the Holocaust. Paths of Life invites us to look back over our own early years, to recognize the forces that have molded us, and to free ourselves from the tendency to repeat our parents' mistakes. In this, her eighth book, Alice Miller has given us yet another thoughtful and profound study of childhood's importance and its resonance throughout our lives.

From the Inside Flap

"Her writing is lovely, and speaks to the nature of the human soul."--"Newsday
From the world-famous Swiss psychologist whose book The Drama of the Gifted Child has become a classic, here are seven "life stories" exploring the countless ways in which our families and our childhood experiences form us and turn us into the people we are today.
How do early experiences of love or suffering affect our adult relationships? What effect is child abuse likely to have on the victim's later life? How does hatred evolve and take root? How do people develop into cult leaders or political tyrants? Through the seven hypothetical scenarios and two essays that make up Paths of Life, Miller examines these questions and many others. Her narratives demonstrate that with knowledge and understanding of our past we have the power to change our future, freeing ourselves from the curse of repeating our parents' mistakes. In this, her eighth book, Alice Miller has given us yet another wise and profound study of the inestimable importance of childhood.
"Alice Miller wrote the book on narcissistic parents and the havoc they wreak on children. Twenty years later, she's still on the case with a new book and even more radical ideas."--"Mirabella

Edition details

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 046501268X
• ISBN 13: 9780465012688
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192