ACT OF LIVING

Science, technology and Western liberal democracy have all had a dramatic impact on our quality of life. The book is peppered with delightful nuggets on this engaging and expansive tour of our modern-day therapeutic landscape. It teaches us what the great psychologists have learned about surviving discontent in an Age of Anxiety. Compared to previous generations we have unprecedented access to information, increased personal freedom, and more material comforts and more possessions. Yet, even before the shock of Covid-19, more people than ever were reported being depressed, anxious or unfulfilled. As our material circumstances become easier, life seems to get harder. Why should this be? For over a hundred years, psychotherapists have been developing and refining models of the human mind. Psychology can offer original perspectives on the big human questions usually entrusted to philosophers and representatives of faith - Who am I? Why am I here? How should I live? This compelling and important book provides the principal contributions of the outstanding figures associated with psychology, from Freud to Ellis, Jung to Laing, Adler to Hayes. Viewed as a single, cohesive intellectual tradition, Frank Tallis argues that psychotherapeutic thinking is an immensely valuable and under-exploited resource. 343pp, paperback with illus.