Product Description
Evolutionary psychology has been dominated by one particular method for studying the mind and behavior. This is the first book to both question that monopoly and suggest a broad range of particular alternatives. Psychologists, philosophers, biologists, anthropologists, and others offer different methods for combining psychology and evolution. They recommend specific changes to evolutionary psychology using a wide variety of theoretical assumptions. In addition, some essays analyze the underpinnings of the dominant method, relate it to the context of evolutionary and psychological theory and to general philosophy of science, and discuss how to test approaches to evolutionary psychology. The aim of this collection is not to reject evolutionary psychology but to open up new vistas which students and researchers can use to ensure that evolutionary psychology continues to thrive. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An Excellent Collection of High Quality Papers
The human brain is the result of a long and complex evolutionary trajectory. Evolutionary psychology attempts to use this fact to understand the human brain's particular capacities and limitations. Evolutionary psychology has provided many key insights into human behavior. First, since the human brain is extremely costly to nurture and maintain, its general contribution to human fitness must be high, and hence the brain must be an adaptation to the particular conditions under which our species evolved. Therefore, understanding these conditions may shed strong light on human psychology. Second, the human brain's information processing capacities are likely to be closely associated with the particular adaptive needs of our species, rather than being a simple, general purpose information processor. Thus, rather than being infinitely malleable, humans are predisposed to behave in certain ways in the sense that under a very broad range of environmental conditions some behaviors will be virtually universally exhibited and others will be extremely rare, while behaviors to which we are not predisposed will be exhibited either not at all, or only in a very restricted set of environmental circumstances. In short, evolutionary psychology holds that a consideration of our evolutionary history is extremely powerful in generating plausible hypotheses concerning human psychology that can be tested using the standard tools of experimental research.

Those who reject evolutionary psychology in the general form stated above are generally either ill-informed or have a political or religious agenda that clouds their scientific judgment. Creationists, for instance, cannot accept evolutionary psychology. Nor can Marxists or extreme cultural determinists, for whom human nature either does not exist, or takes the form of infinite cultural malleability.

Evolutionary psychology, then, is simply one more tool (albeit an unusually powerful tool) in the behavioral scientist's repertoire. However, a small but highly creative and extremely influential group of evolutionary psychologists, including D. Buss, J. Tooby, L. Cosmides, D. Symons, S. Pinker have constructed a version of evolutionary psychology that includes key assertions that are highly contentious and many believe are incorrect. These thinkers appear to many scientists (myself included) to form a sort of scientific cult: they always agree with each other, they reject any outside criticism, their message never changes, and they recruit by directly training new members rather than having their ideas accepted by the general scientific community. To distinguish this group from evolutionary psychology in general, I will call their doctrine EvPsych (the book under review calls them "narrow" evolutionary psychologists, a particularly poor choice of words, since they are anything but narrow, and Kluwer, the bureaucratic and infinitely stuffy publisher, true to form, insists on an identically worded disclaimer at the head of each chapter of book, saying that by "narrow" they do not mean "narrow.")

EvPsychers believe that (a) human culture is an effect of human genetics, and culture explains nothing important concerning human behavior; (b) human behavior in general is an adaptation to the specific conditions of the Environment of Evolutionary Adaptation (EEA) in which our species emerged from other hominid species; (c) the human brain is a highly modular organ, each module having emerged to solve a particular evolutionary problem; (d) for this reason, the human brain lacks all the characteristics of a general information processor, and cannot solve any problems other than those that challenged our existence in our dim evolutionary past. In particular, we are doomed to apply old, generally ineffective, methods to the solution of new problems. This is the tragedy of the human condition.

EvPsych is wrong in each of the above assertions, and everyone knows this except the EvPsychers themselves. Moreover, they have hindered the general integration of evolutionary psychology into the repertoire of behavioral science with their tendentious and outlandish claims. The book under review is an important contribution towards restoring evolutionary psychology to its rightful place in the behavioral sciences. It's main attraction is that the editors, Steven Scher and Fredrick Rauscher, recognize that the best critique is a cogent alternative, and this is exactly what the various chapter of the book provide for us. I do not have the space to comment on each of the thirteen chapters, but a few prominent themes emerge.

First, several authors challenge the coarse-grained modularity assumption of EvPsych, using our contemporary neuroscientific and developmental knowledge of the structure of the brain. This includes especially stunning contributions of Steven Quarts, William Bechtel, and Jennifer Mundale. These authors present the state of the art understanding of the neurological development of the human brain from embryo to adult form, and argue for a "developmental evolutionary psychology" in which the brain has a fine-grained modularity that results from the dynamic interaction between organism and environment during growth and maturation of the individual.

Second, several authors challenge the "gene-centered" view of evolution, which the EvPsychers borrowed from Dawkins, Hamilton, Wilson and other biologists who dominated evolutionary theory in the 1960's and 1970's. Thus Linnda Caporeal argues for "repeated assembly," which is a form of what is commonly known as gene-culture coevolution, and David Sloan Wilson points out the errors in reasoning that lead gene-centered theorists to reject truly altruistic (other-regarding) behavior in humans. Sarah Blaffer Hrdy exposes the sexual stereotypes of the gene-centered approach by reviewing the evidence on female mate choice.

Several chapters are philosophically-motivated critiques of EvPsych. I do not believe that philosophers ever contribute by criticizing scientific theories, and I think my view is confirmed by this book.

I quite recommend this book to those who are new to the field. There is some excellent material here. A major drawback is the publisher, Kluwer. The book is grossly overpriced, there is no index or general bibliography, and the typeface is cramped and low resolution.
... Read more

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This edited book will provide a critical analysis of all aspects of the discipline, including conceptions of critical thinking themselves. Additionally, it exposes the profession's underlying assumptions and tacit values to serious evaluation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best book on Critical Thinking in Psychology
This book is wonderful!It is by far the best book on critical thinking in psychology available.Written for an capstone course in psychology, _Critical Thinkin About Psychology_ provides a readable presentation of critical issues in psychology as well as plausible alternatives to the prevailing, paradigmatic directions in psychology.Issues are logically broken down into subareas of discussion.I highly recommend this book for any individual interested in gaining perspective on different issues in the broad field of psychology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Innovative/creative/synergistic integration of E & W
This is a fine book relating psychoanalysis (PA), including Self Psychology, Object Relations, Freud, & Jung to Zen Buddhism, Taoism, & the martial arts (including archery & Sun Tzu).Suler creates a multi-perspective collage, while avoiding both Euro & Orientocentrism.He notes differences & similarities between Eastern approaches & PA--p. 14: "Without comparing apples & oranges, without exploring their complementarity, how would we even arrive at the concept of `fruit'?Exploring the ways in which two things are both the same & different is the only means by which we arrive at a higher-order concept that integrates the two."However, he also points out that even together they are imperfect-e.g. p. 23: "Both PA & Zen have brandished their own version of infantile grandiosity."He delves into "maladaptive personality structures that may incline a person toward Eastern thought" & p. 153: "deficiencies in the cross-cultural interface" i.e. Eastern masters' scandals.Yet, p. 101: "spiritual growth must entail psychological processes," & p. 137: "perhaps by holding "objective" investigations in one hand & "subjective" insights in the other, we will walk with greater balance toward the higher knowledge that transcends such distinction."Thus, he avoids both East & West extremes-- p. 104: "The cherished sutras of Buddhism...are the entombed words of the Buddha that point to the truth but must not be mistaken for it...they are only a finger pointing to the moon (no-self) & not the moon itself" & p. 262: "PA may sometimes hold too tight to its theories while venturing into fundamental, unavoidable dimensions of human experience."Rather, he stresses synergistic gains from their integration, predicting that p. 263: "Eastern & Western disciplines will be complementary explorers of human nature & complementary healers of human suffering."Included are chapters on the martial arts (including archery & Sun Tzu), paradox, Tai Chi, the vision quest, etc. in which he provides numerous parallels to PA, Zen, & Taoism as well as anecdotal case information.[I'd also recommend Robert Moore/Doug Gillette's "Warrior Within."His perceptive, integrative insights include:
p. 72: "Perhaps different types of pathology may be understood as different disturbances in the interpenetration of self & non-self."
p. 105: "Silence amputates the linguistic/conceptual love of selfhood & leaves it to wither & die."
p. 203-4: "Once clinicians have passed the initial phases of molding the techniques & theories according to their own personality structure; they learn how to use themselves, their own intra-psychic dynamics & subjective meanings, as the agents of psychotherapeutic change...the art of psychotherapy becomes an expression of self."This book is well worth reading.

a marvelous contribution to a dangerous subject
Suler successfully enters and explores an area as fraught with the danger of simplification and distortion as the seemingly ubiquitous published tirades equating (take your pick) Tibetan Buddhism, Zen, Taoism, other esoterica...with quantum physics and relativity theory. Suler's perspective on psychoanalysis alone is worth the price of the book and the time in reading it: his ability to cut through the ridigities of orthodoxy in his field is truly admirable, and his public advocacy for freely allowing Eastern and Western perspectives and practices to coalesce without however projecting on either any primacy or territorial dominion--as evidenced in his own teaching work, summarized at his website (http://www.rider.edu/~suler/tcp.html) is itself a true expression of his understanding of Tao.

Whether or not you practice psychotherapy or counseling, this is a worthy and finely written book, which deserves a much larger audience than it probably is getting.

A stimulating book on psychoanalysis, the Eastern style
As an Asian clinical psychology student interestedin integrating psychoanalytic concepts andbuddhist virtues in conducting psychotherapy andas an existential philosophy, I find this book aprecious rarity. Theauthor was insightful about how Eastern/Buddhist philosophy might bemisused or misinterpreted by some as a way to justify their personalitypathology. He also illuminated how Eastern thoughts and martial arts can beblended into psychotherapeutic work so that both psychological healing andspiritualtransformations can occur.

Suler's perspective is cutting edge.
I learned a great deal from Contemporary Psychoanalysis and Eastern Thought. The book is sophisticated, solid, and full of rich insights. Suler knows psychoanalytic theory extremely well, and he has agift for cross-cultural interpretation. Psychoanalysts unreceptive toEastern ideas, students of Eastern thought unversed in psychoanalysis, andall serious students of transpersonal psychology should read Suler's book.It is a substantial work of scholarship and an admirable example ofcross-cultural dialogue.

by Michael Washburn, for the TranspersonalReview, edited by Mark Robert Waldman ... Read more

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Challenges existing paradigms of knowledge as they relate to Asian Americans. ... Read more

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Growing Critical is an introduction to critical psychology, focussing on development.It takes a fresh look at infancy, childhood and adulthood and makes the startling claim that 'development' does not exist.
John Moss guides the reader from the early critical movements of the 1970s which gave rise to the 'social construction of development' through the wide range of more recent approaches.He looks in turn at Vygotsky's 'social context of development, at Harre's 'social construction', Marxist critique of development psychology, psychoanalytic interpretations of development, and finally post-structuralist approaches following Foucault and Derrida.He surveys the range of alternative positions in the critical psychology of development and evaluates the achievements of Newman and Holzman, Broughton, Tolman, Walkerdine and others.
Marxism, psychoanalysis and post-structuralism - as well as such movements as feminism - challenge our understandings of human development.Morss looks beyond the laboratory, to Marx and Freud, to Foucault and Lacan.What sets Growing Critical apart from orthodox psychology is the seriousness with which he has thought through the implications of these challenges.
Contemporary and 'reader-friendly', Growing Critical will be of value to both undergraduate and to advanced students, as well as to anyone interested in human development, in pyschology, sociology or education. ... Read more

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Self and Society is a clearly written, up-to-date, and authoritative introduction to the symbolic interactionist perspective in social psychology and in sociology as a whole. Filled with examples, this book has been used not only in the classroom, but also cited in literature as an authoritative source. Self and Society is not a distillation of textbook knowledge, but rather, a thoughtful, well-organized presentation that makes its own contribution to the advancement of symbolic interactionism.

Customer Reviews (2)

Ok
The book took a while to get here and is pretty marked up on the inside but none the less I got it in time.

Excellent Textbook
This book, a book I am using in my graduate study of social psychology, is a useful guidebook for anyone interested in the subject.I recommend it to anyone! ... Read more

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Looks at the limits of free will in human action. ... Read more

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Humanistic Psychology: A Clinical Manifesto is destined to impact not only the face of humanistic psychology, but the field of psychotherapy in general. David N. Elkins, a long time leading voice in humanistic psychology, presents a compelling case about what is wrong with contemporary psychotherapy and how, through a re-envisioned humanistic psychology, it needs to change. The book challenges the medical model in psychotherapy and summarizes contemporary analyses and meta-analyses of psychotherapy research that make it clear that "contextual factors" -- not techniques -- are the primary determinants of therapeutic effectiveness.With a foreword written by Natalie Rogers, daughter of Carl Rogers, one of the most influential clinical psychologists of the past century, Elkins is already receiving the praise from many leading figures in the humanistic psychology movement. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Humanistic Psychotherapy, Humanistic Healing....
Elkins' book is misnamed, as it shouldn't be limited to psychology.Though "Manifesto" fits well:it describes basic principles that have strong training, practice & political implications."Manifesto" also points to what's manifest, what's obvious in light of most-recent science.

Summarizing the many good meta-analyses of psychotherapy research over the past 15 years or so, Elkins makes several key points.First, psychotherapy is, indeed, proven effective.Second, brief psychotherapy has not been established as always equally effective to longer forms.(See his Chapter 2, "Short-Term, Linear Approaches to Psychotherapy:What We Now Know".)And third, what heals, what "works" about psychotherapy isn't mostly diagnosis & technique, isn't the medical model & the "manual model" of the so-called "empirically supported treatments" (which, by the way, I often use).Psychotherapy heals through "contextual factors", meaning those factors "common to all therapeutic systems", common to all psychotherapies - cognitive-behavioral, family therapy, psychodynamic therapy and even humanistic therapy.Contextual factors include:the alliance between therapist and client, personal qualities of the therapist, the relationship between client and therapist, client expectations & resources, "a plausible rationale and set of procedures", etc.(See especially, Chapter 3, "Empirically Supported Treatments:The Deconstruction of a Myth".)

Much of this has been well-demonstrated, and further demonstrations are continuing.Two key books that extensively, carefully review the psychotherapy research evidence -- The Heart and Soul of Change: Delivering What Works in Therapy and The Great Psychotherapy Debate: Models, Methods, and Findings (LEA's Counseling and Psychotherapy Series) -- are both due out, December 2009, in updated 2nd editions. So why buy & read Elkins?

Elkins is an engaging writer, and "Humanistic Psychology" is a highly readable summary & introduction.But there's more here, much more, and it starts with his first chapter, "Whatever Happened to Carl Rogers?An Examination of the Politics of Clinical Psychology".One way to summarize, and over-simplify, the research is:Carl Rogers was right.His "necessary & sufficient conditions", set forth in 1958, have held up.(See The Carl Rogers Reader & my review.)Indeed, these "conditions" - especially empathy, unconditional positive regard/prizing & congruence/genuineness -- are the most research-validated findings in all psychotherapy, this over more than half a century.

So why, then, when I was taught masters-level social work at The University of Chicago -- where Rogers taught for many years, where he wrote "Necessary & Sufficient Conditions", where one of his key students (Eugene Gendlin) was still teaching, which had the #1 ranked social work school in the country - why was Carl Rogers never mentioned, much less carefully taught?This in a good school that prided itself on research.Why didn't my training highlight those factors shown to be most effective in psychotherapy?Why was my training focused on specific diagnosis & technique, which explains far less of the effectiveness of psychotherapy?(In fairness, these meta-analyses were not, then, as available.Though we did know, we were told that research showed all psychotherapies equally effective.)

Answers to these questions, along with that research, are at the heart of Elkins' book and they're what makes it a "manifesto".These reasons "why" involve many factors, such as economic pressures, academic/political turf-building, basic assumptions in our society, and rejection, ignoring or downplaying such key variables as spiritual concerns & a meaning to suffering beyond disease & symptomology.

That's what makes this book well-worth the buying & reading.Though I quibble with some of his "what we must do" - not so much in what Elkins says, as in what he omits.

Disclosure:I'm a clinical social worker, and of my six "genius" teachers, four of them were students of Carl Rogers.I've met Dave Elkins once, and I found him a kindred spirit in many ways, especially in what social workers are routinely taught, and what psychologists generally lack - an eye for the various forms of power, and so an eye for not only psychological explanations & solutions, but also the need for community-based, political explanations & solutions, too.Including the need for speaking out & doing something.

And that's what Elkins does so well:clear summaries of research, explanations why this research isn't better known & better heeded, and proposals on what clinicians need to do.

My quibbles with Elkins?Let me state that my disagreements build on his premises, and so they're less important than my agreements, and they're meant, in no way, to diminish the force of this book.First, I think Elkins misses the additional power gained by combining humanistic therapies with aspects of the medical model, used in a humanistic way, at least with my client population.I work with clients who are complex & multi-problem, who have often experienced severe trauma (such as abuse, neglect & combat), who often have more biologically-based issues such as autism, bipolar, TBI & OCD (though nothing is ever ONLY biological; it's always also part of a real person).I think using techniques & DSM diagnoses in a humanistic way combines different powers, and so I can better reach, congruently match & effectively help more people heal.I also believe that Elkins doesn't fully take in economic limitations, especially in third world counties and in areas of the US where money is never likely to flow.Therefore, more radical solutions, such as teaching these "contextual factors" to laypersons - which are being successfully done by some of my colleagues - should also be included in his solutions.(This, by the way, has also be demonstrated effective by research.)

But again, our differences are less vital than our similarities.And they in no way take away the value of this book.Please buy it, read it, think about it, and do something.

I close with a poem by D.H. Lawrence with which Elkins closes his chapter on creating a new metaphor for psychotherapy, one that moves beyond the medical model, one that captures scientifically-demonstrated contextual factors.It's one that touches me, especially about my child clients with reactive attachment disorder (RAD) or my clients with combat PTSD.The chapter the poem closes -- "The Deep Poetic Soul:An Alternative Vision of Psychotherapy" -- I found useful in compassionately understanding & effectively helping these very challenging, very needful clients.It's entitled "Healing"

I am not a mechanism, an
assembly of various sections
And it is not because the mechanism
is working wrongly that I am ill
I am ill because of wounds to the soul
to the deep emotional self
And the wounds to the soul
Take a long, long time
Only time can help
and patience
And a certain difficult repentance,
Long, difficult repentance,
Realization of life's mistake,
And freeing oneself from the
endless repetition of the mistake
Which mankind at large has
chosen to sanctify.

Some good words for healing, for our clients.And for us. ... Read more

Product Description
Scott Shannon is an MD, president elect of the American Holistic Medical Association, and considered a national expert on holistic psychiatry. In this book he brings together a comprehensive overview of CAM treatments, with information on their effectiveness and safety for specific patient populations and for use in treating specific disorders. Modalities covered include Acupuncture, Nutritional Medicine, Herbal Medicine, Meditation, Biofeedback, Aromatherapy and others. Coverage also includes chapters on the best CAM modalities for treatment of Anxiety and PTSD, Depression, ADD, and Addictions.

Each chapter will be in a similar template, beginning with a description of the treatment, it's safety, compatibility with conventional treatments and/or contrindications, scientific documentation of it's efficacy, discussion of which disorders it is best used for, and references.

Key Features
* Most comprehensive overview of rapidly expanding field
* Includes chapters by 24 leading psychiatric/psychological experts in these fields
* Documents and rates the research base in each area
* Offers practical clinical approaches for four common mental health concerns-depression, anxiety, ADHD, and addictions
* Areas not yet covered in professional training
* Practices commonly employed by the public (40-50% of the American public use complementary or alternative approaches)
* No previous book of this nature or scope ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Holistic Mental Health Care Overview
This is an excellent compedium of integrative and holistic therapies, not just for mental health.The editor, Scott Shannon, MD, is a holistic child psychiatrist from Fort Collins, Colorado, who is the current president of the Americal Holistic Medical Association.His three chapters provide an excellent foundation for a holistic approach to all mental health problems.Knowledge needs to be applied with Wisdom.Psychiatric medications should be combined not only with psychotherapy or counselling, but also an individual plan of personal and spiritual growth.The carefully chosen contributors to this text are all experts in their field, ranging from acupuncture to art and music therapy.The practical information provided is useful for patients and clinicians alike.This groundbreaking text should become a standard reference for any mental health care professional.It is well written, and a pleasurable read.Kudos to Dr. Shannon! ... Read more

Product Description
Energy Psychology: Explorations at the Interface of Energy, Cognition, Behavior, and Health, Second Edition introduces the exciting new paradigm of energy psychology and presents the latest research on the subject.

This second edition begins by tracing the roots of energy psychology and contrasting them with contemporary approaches, and then explores the interface with cognition and behavior, and provides instruction in treatment applications. Drawing on more than 35 years of clinical experience, the author investigates the body's energy patterns, focusing on the relevance of acupuncture, homeopathy, prayer, and applied kinesiology to energy therapy. This new edition features expanded sections on scientific underpinnings, clinical research, manual muscle testing, and related energy psychology approaches. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Best Book on Energy Psychology
This is an excellent, well written, and easy-to-read book that goes into the history, theory, research, and applications of a fascinating new approach to psychological treatment called energy psychology. While the concepts and treatments are in the alternative realm, obviously Gallo is highly knowledgeable about traditional psychological approaches, since he discusses in some depth other scientific models, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, neuroscience, neurochemistry, systemic concepts, etc.Additionally a well-balanced approach to the science and research is evident, since the various studies on energy psychology (and even prayer and acupuncture) are discussed in terms of their adherence to sound research methodology. The book also covers valuable information on quantum physics, recent findings in biology, acupuncture, applied kinesiology, and more.I've used some of the techniques covered and precisely outline in the book and they appear to be incredibly effective in removing phobias, trauma, depressed feelings, and even chronic pain.This second edition significantly expanded on the earlier work. Even though the book is relatively costly, it's worth every penny and more.

Pseudoscience and delusions
After close examination of this text, I conclude that from a Chinese/western medical perspective that this book is an attempt to make pseudoscience look convincing in order to support the marketing campaign of the authors.From a position of Chinese medicine and medical physiology expertise, they have failed.

Energy therapy is based largely on false assumptions about the brain.It uses a "thought field" approach as the main background theory.However, thought fields do not exist.The book explains energy as in positive or negative terms. However there are no physical similarities or correlates between normal energy and thought energy.Any physics scholar will know that energy does not work that way.There are know known physical correlates with new age notions of thought energy.The book makes feeble attempts to argue for the existence of these spurious and non recordable energy fields.

It steers clear of paranormal claims that are usually associated with energy medicine, but it is still pseudoscience

Qi is more accurately conceptualized as a philosophy, not a science, and its physical existence is not empirically supported.The book is completely unconvincing in arguing otherwise.In addition, they note that while acupuncture, a procedure used to correct the flow of chi, has been shown to provide some minor analgesic effects, its utility has not been demonstrated for treating illnesses or diseases.Chinese medicine uses a combination of treatments that work together.

The authors' proposed mechanisms of action are all spurious pseudoscience. There are simpler far more plausible reasons that may explain the few cases of success with the energy therapies techniques.These include placebo effects resulting from the mere expectation for improvement, demand characteristics, therapist enthusiasm and support, therapist-client alliance, and effort justification (i.e., the tendency to report positive changes in order to justify the effort exerted), and psychological manipulations such as distraction, suggestion, acceptance, and dissociation.These reasons are dismissed by the author, in preference for erroneous notions about meridians, thought energy, and the flow of Qi.The authors even claim that when the techniques fail it is because a negative person has "undone" them.

Considering that these techniques may potentially distract the patient's attention away from a serious illness such as cancer, and that the energy therapists in general do not cater for this eventuality, sensible consumers need to think more than twice before embarking on this pseudoscientific treatment.The book may convince you to open your mind for a while.However, please do not be so open minded that your brain falls out.

Regards
Dr Lee

Rapid therapy and self help
This is an amazing concept!Most approaches to therapy take time and a lot of effort,I've parcticed psychodynamic, cognitive and behavioral approaches with some success, but the time and effort needed is arduous. This approach is really different.You simply have the client think about the problem, rate the level of distress, and tap on prescribed pressure points on the body.The result is an elimination of the distress.Distress includes any troublesome emotion: anger, grief, guilt feeling, jealousy, anxiety, phobic reaction, panic, etc.The results also last and there is an obvious cognitive shift in how the person perceives the issue from then on.For example, the movement is from anger to forgiveness, anxiety to calm and confidence, guilt to self forgiveness and acceptance, trauma to it's over and done with.This approach is needed in EVERY THERAPIST's repetoir.Eventually all good therapists will incorporate this approach in what they do to help clients.

Comment on previous review, March 26, 2000 from "A Reader"
I must comment on a previous review as it contains incorrect information which may dissuade people from reading this book.In his review of March 26, 2000 "A Reader" writes "Read Swenson, Skeptical Inquirer, 1999, Vol 7, No. 4 for a review of this quackery."There is no Vol 7, No. 4 1999 issue of Skeptical Inquirer magazine that I can find on the csicop.org website.There is a online article from the July/August 2000 issue by Gaudiano and Herbert that I found that covers a superficial review of TFT.This is a standard academic "review" of the literature and complains that no scientific study has been done to date.I'm not surprised at the lack of study.More like lack of open mindedness.I have seen TFT and other tapping work on people including people who were skeptical.It does NOT work on me for some unknown reason.I would encourage readers to read this book and other books on this subject and make up their own minds.This area needs more research not bad reviews by a person who did not read the book and is closed minded.

An Excellent Guide in Helping Self and Others
This is an extraordinary book written by an expirienced therapist in the field of Meridian Therapies. Dr Gallo gives us quite enough theory and history about developing techniques such as TFT, EMDR, TAT, NAEM... But thevalue in this book is authors PRACTICAL approach. By learning methodsdescribed here one is able to become a really high efficient therapist andcan give lot of relief and benefit to oneself and others.

Dr Gallobravely and openly shared with us manysecrets of the Energy Psychology.We just need to take the keys and open the door.

I personally thank tothe author as I gained much sucess for me and for other people by applyingthe techniques that I learned from his book. And really, this wasn't sohard to achieve.

I give my strong recommendation about this book toeveryone who is willing (and brave enough) to start learning on the paththat leads to helping self and others. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a most interesting book that combines psychology with homeopathy. Philip Bailey describes in depth the personality profiles of some 35 polychrests. The last pages of the book cover a mix of psychological astrology and homeopathy when he explores the elements and some polychrests. Bailey provides detailed information on 35 major types, giving insight on diagnosis, mental and emotional traits, and physical characteristics. His broad profiles of major constitutional remedies give the reader a good overall picture of the personality type and therefore ways of remembering facts about the archetype, by having a unifying theory for each remedy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Absolutely nailed it!
I was looking for info on a constitutional remedy and stumbled upon an online preview of this book. As 'luck' would have it, the preview had the chapter on the needed remedy in its entirety (though most other chapters were missing from the preview). I got what I needed, so I didn't really need the book anymore, but I was SO impressed that I ordered it anyway!

I agree with the other reviewers - this book is hard to put down! I have nearly finished the whole book, even though most of the remedies did not apply to anyone I know. It is exceedingly well-written and details the subtle differences between the remedies. I especially liked how he mentioned other remedies in each chapter, further clarifying the differences between several remedies which might confuse the practitioner at first glance.

I am absolutely blown away by this book! I'm not a practitioner, so I cannot comment on the accuracy of the info from a clinical perspective, but I can say that his descriptions were uncannily accurate, on the several remedies that matched my loved ones. I have a keen, personal interest in Homeopathy, and have read only a few books on constitional remedies, but so far, this blows them all away! By far the most in-depth Homeopathy book I've ever read!

I was also impressed with the author's knowledge of and correlations with mythological archetypes, which proved very useful.

If I may be so bold, I would venture to say that practitioners would find much of value in this book, even if they disagree with some of the author's observations.

Life changing book
If I'd acquired this knowledge of personalities in my 20 my whole life would have been different. I would not have wasted my time and life and health on unavailable men like Tuberculinum, I would have made better choices regarding my own path and would not have judged myself so harshly for being who I am.
This stuff should be taught in high schools, regardless of effectiveness, or not, of homeopathy.
So much better than astrological profiling, way more accurate.
Brilliant writing, concise and clear.

Understand others
A good book to help you to understand other people and how to relate to them in a meaningful way.

Review of Homeopathic Psychology
While I would have liked a more clinical approach, this book has a lot of excellent information. For some of the constitutional types the author dsecribes, the descriptions are too general and vague, but even in those chapters, there is a lot of very useful information. I definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting a more in depth understanding of constitutional types.

Excellent Insights
This book is a great back-up reference for aspiring or practicing homeopaths (or, truthfully, for anyone wanting better understanding of why some people act the way they do).

I think the author is a great writer.He really paints full pictures of the various remedy types he covers.

In reality though, I have found that no one is only one remedy type (constitution); people generally have a few "constitutions" that predominate.This is why not everything he says about a type is true.The profiles must be taken in holistically and intuitively, not as set in stone.

The only "problem" I have with this author is his never changing doses of 10M.This is really bad advice!!I take the LM potencies -- 10Ms would not only jar my system, but they simply don't go deep enough or last long enough to bring cure.Hahnemann created the LM potencies specifically because 20% of his patients didn't heal all the way with the C potencies (M potencies are at the high end of the C scale).And even if a patient doesn't want to do the LMs, he may need a 200C or a 30C or who knows?But all patients, most certainly (!) do not "automatically" need or respond favorably to the 10M potency.Potency is a very, very individual thing (see Sankaran's work, or read Neil Tessler's interview with Divya Chhabra as two examples of the highly individualist nature of choosing the best potency for each individual patient). ... Read more

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Argues that our struggle to become good parents can help us to become good persons. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Inviting us to examine how we each can be a better person
Mufid Hannush meets his aim of illuminating and describing the meaning and essential elements of good and loving parents.With this he helps us also see how to be good and loving persons.I am not a parent, but valued this book in the way it settled me into an awareness of how I can live a more value-focused life moment by moment.

As he says: "Although it offers no 'how to' techniques and strategies for the achievement of good parenting, it holds the conviction that an in-depth description of the theoretical structure of good and loving parenting leads to an understanding that can inspire change in our consciousness and actions."

The first few chapters were difficult to sit with; I wondered what I was learning.I soon realized this was an expression of what is known; I was gaining an increased awareness rather than information/knowledge.While reading Chapter 3 I suddenly sensed I'd internalized the message of the book.I longed to live a good life, to have a 'perfect' character.(A challenge that reminds me of Confucianism.)I was able to hear the message and reflect more fully on its meaning.I encourage those who read it to stay with it.Like a good parent, be patient, sit with the reading and allow yourself to hear it fully without rushing.It is well worth it!

Through his readings, which included themes from Iris Murdoch's moral philosophy, and Harper's character "Atticus" in To Kill a Mockingbird, I have been inspired to read and study these writers also. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Essential reading
This book is likely the single most important theoretical work in psychology. It is a post-modern analysis with a depth far exceeding most analyses. Dr. Slife deconstructs some of the most widely accepted views of modern psychology and deftly reconstructs then from within a non-linear framework. This book strikes home the fact that we have lived under the rubric of linear, reductionistic, and deterministic models for far too long while ignoring the more agentic, non-linear alternatives. ... Read more

Product Description
This text presents all pertinent material on Carl Jung's dialogues with Victor White and Martin Buber. It argues that both these dialogues failed for the same reason. Buber and White held to a conception of divine transcendence and otherness incompatible with the more intimate divine-human relation foundational to Jung's understanding of the psyche. A transitional chapter presents the thought of Paul Tillich and Teilhard de Chardin as concerned with establishing similar synthetic views of the divine-human relation as exists in Jung's understanding of the psyche. The work contends that neither of these major correlations of the divine and human is as thorough as Jung's. The work then goes on to show the philosophical and theological implications of Jung's appreciation of mystical experience as the primordial form of religious experience, an experience he functionally equates with the further reaches of human maturity. Thus the work explains the paradox of Jung's inability to agree with major representatives of religious orthodoxies and his high appreciation of that immediate religious experience termed mystical. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Awesome critical approach to Paul Tillich
John Dourley is a very important author for students of Paul Tillich.He represents the obstacle we have to overcome if we are to validate the writings of Tillich.Dourley challenges theologians by introducing the idea of the psychological origins of religion.What are the hopes, the fears, the deperation which drives us to believe in God?Do these emotions come from God or from the unconscious psyche?If we lose faith, is there an alternative?If so can we tap into the nature of the secular psyche and find meaning?These are the questions John Dourley attempts to answer in this very important and very unique book. ... Read more

Product Description
A critical and historical overview of psychology at the crossroads. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Virtually One of A Kind
This is one of those products that is a true treasure, even if only because it is virtually one of a kind._About Psychology_ provides a look through a small window at the confluence of history, theory, and philosophy in the development and perpetuation of ideas in psychology.If only to provide such a perspective, I recommend this to readers.More than that, however, I believe this would make a wonderful addition, as perhaps supplemental reading, for an undergraduate History of Psychology course and a Clinical Psychology course. ... Read more