Taking the novelist as an exemplar, Erving Polster models a new frame of mind for the psychotherapist — one wherein he sees healing potential in the fact that people often marvel at the adventures of others but don’t notice that their own lives are filled with drama. The author’s theme also provides insights for people who are not psychotherapists. Readers realize that they live through experiences that, when rightly noticed, are as dramatic as the world of novels. Both the novelist and the therapist invite us to open the covers of our own lives to find the wonders inside. When we do, we move toward the satisfactions of a confirmed existence.
A splendid gift for anyone who enjoys both the art and craft of psychotherapy and the art and craft of good fiction. Erving Polster interweaves vignettes from his patients’ lives with vignettes from outstanding fiction, past and current, to illuminate his loving belief that every person is uniquely interesting and important. — Mary Goulding, Ph.D.
A wonderful book! Erving Polster has done a great service to both the literary and therapeutic communities by helping us understand the common ground we share. — The California Therapist
A rich tapestry of ideas linking the novelist and psychotherapist. — Carl Rogers