About the Book

Bestselling author of Love's Executioner and The Gift of Therapy, psychotherapist Irvin D. Yalom probes further into the mysteries of the therapeutic encounter in this entertaining and thoughtful collection.

In six enthralling stories drawn from his own clinical experience, Irvin D. Yalom once again proves himself an intrepid explorer of the human psyche as he guides his patients--and himself--toward transformation. With eloquent detail and sharp-eyed observation Yalom introduces us to a memorable cast of characters. Drifting through his dreams and trampling through his thoughts are Paula, Yalom's "courtesan of death"; Myrna, whose eavesdropping gives new meaning to patient confidentiality; Magnolia, into whose ample lap Yalom longs to pour his own sorrows, even as he strives to ease hers; and Momma--ill-tempered, overpowering, and suffocating her son with both love and disapproval.

A richly rewarding, almost illicit glimpse into the therapist's heart and mind, Momma and the Meaning of Life illuminates the unique potential of every human relationship.

Critical Praise

“These spellbinding tales of pain and of healing transport us into the very core of the therapeutic experience.” — Maggie Scarf, author of Intimate Worlds

“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

“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)

“Yalom absorbingly recounts the resilience some patients bring to the task of healing themselves.” — Booklist

“[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

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Product Details

• ISBN: 9780060958381
• ISBN 10: 0060958383
• Imprint: Harper Perennial
• On Sale: 07/28/2020
• Trimsize: 5.310 in (w) x 8.000 in (h) x 0.610 in (d)
• Pages: 272
• List Price: $17.99
• BISAC1 : PSYCHOLOGY / Psychotherapy / Counseling
• BISAC2 : PSYCHOLOGY / Interpersonal Relations
• BISAC3 : PSYCHOLOGY / Psychotherapy / Couples & Family