Momma and the Meaning of Life: Tales of Psychotherapy - Hardcover

Yalom, Irvin D.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0465043860 ISBN 13: 9780465043866

Publisher: Basic Books, 1999

Synopsis

In this long-awaited follow-up to the bestselling Loves Executioner , master psycho-therapist Irvin Yalom once again probes the mysteries and marvels at the heart of the therapeutic encounter. . As the public grows disillusioned with therapeutic quick fixes, people are looking for a deeper psychotherapeutic experience to make life more meaningful and satisfying. What really happens in therapy? What promises and perils does it hold for them?No one writes about therapy - or indeed the dilemmas of the human condition - with more acuity, style, and heart than Irvin Yalom. Here he combines the storytelling skills so widely praised in Loves Executioner with the wisdom of the compassionate and fully engaged psychotherapist. In these six compelling tales of therapy, Yalom introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters: Paula, who faces death and stares it down; Magnolia, into whose ample lap Yalom longs to pour his own sorrows; Irene, who learns to seek out anger and plunge into it. And theres Momma, old-fashioned, ill-tempered, who drifts into Yaloms dreams and tramples through his thoughts. At once wildly entertaining and deeply thoughtful, Momma and the Meaning of Life is a work of rare insight and imagination.

About this title

Review:

"This is a chance to get inside the mind of a brilliant therapist and witness the soul breaking through. Like the first light of dawn, "Momma and the Meaning of Life is warm, radiant and revealing."--Mark Epstein, M.D., author of "Thoughts Without a Thinker and "Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart"These spellbinding tales of pain and of healing transport us into the very core of the therapeutic experience."--Maggie Scarf, author of "Intimate Worlds"Irvin Yalom brings to these splendid tales of psychotherapy his rich experience as a therapist, his broad knowledge of philosophy and literature, and his profound humanity. He draws the reader into his stories with the same skill he uses to engage his patients in therapy."--David Spiegel, M.D., author of "Living Beyond Limits"A fascinating commentary on the bond between patient and therapist."--Nick Nolte"Ironic and self-aware, Irvin Yalom gently leads us to the brink of death, to the edge of madness, and to the depths of despair. Dr. Yalom makes the same compassionate agreement with we, his readers, as he does with his patients: To reveal himself fully and honestly so that together we may confront the bleak existential realities and bring meaning and richness to our lives. I'm sure his Momma would have been proud."--Harold Ramis, director and producer of "Analyze This"Irv Yalom continues to astonish us. Vitality, eloquence, wisdom, courage, and the capacity to listen and learn mark this book indelibly."--Leston Havens, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Cambridge Hospital"In every chapter, an epiphany, a tug at the heart or a gasp of realization. And 'The Hungarian Cat Curse' will be read aloud for decades, possiblyforever. This isn't a book'it's a gift. I only wish that Irvin Yalom lived next door."--William Peter Blatty, author of "The Exorcist"[Yalom] again displays the great narrative drive and wit evident in "Love's Executioner. . . . These six engrossing narratives are very valuable gleanings from a master therapist's professional and personal experience.?--"Kirkus"Yalom absorbingly recounts the resilience some patients bring to the task of healing themselves.""Booklist"Unlike most psychotherapists, Yalom can tell a story and tell it so well that it is easy to forget that what one is reading is a distillation of weeks, months, even years of therapeutic work. . . . And Yalom does it with enviable openness and style."--"Times Literary Supplement (London)

About the Author:

Irvin D. Yalom, M.D., is professor emeritus of psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He was the recipient of the 1974 Edward Strecker Award and the 1979 Foundation's Fund Prize in Psychiatry. He is the author of When Nietzche Wept (winner of the 1993 Commonwealth Club gold medal for fiction), Love's Executioner, Every Day Gets a Little Closer (with Ginny Elkin), and the classic textbooks Inpatient Group Psychotherapy and Existential Psychotherapy .

About this edition

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0465043860
• ISBN 13: 9780465043866
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256