Romanyshyn explores the assumptions regarding person, others, body, and world, that are the cornerstones of scientific psychology, anad he compellingly dissolves these in terms of the metaphors of our cultural history. In doing so her articulates the irreducibly metaphorical character of psychological life and opens the possibility of a phenomenological depth psychology. This little book is a classic in phenomenological psychology and metabletics. Its gifts are numerous, and it is essential reading for anyone concerned with the meaning and direction of psychology.

Of all the books I have read, very few so profoundly affected me so as to literally change the way I see the world. This is one of them, among a select few. I am amazed how Dr. Romanyshyn can write with such lucidity about ideas that are so profound and otherwise complex; it speaks to his essence as a teacher, who knows how to provide a perfect balance between the concrete and the abstract.

In the very beginning of the book, Dr. Romanyshyn begins with the example of looking in a mirror, and from there he unravels with apparent ease the basic assumptions of modern psychology, and in its place, builds the foundation for a different "psychology" that is concerned with "psychological life." Such a psychological life is profoundly metaphorical in nature--and yet unmistakably grounded in concrete experience.

Make no mistake, Dr. Romanyshyn's thesis, if taken seriously (as it should be) has widespread significance for what it means to understand, teach and practice the discipline of psychology. Psychology from the perspective of psychological life will be a psychology that is not reducible to a natural science, nor to philosophy, nor to literature. But, rather, psychology as a way of seeing comes into its own--and for the first time in the history of the discipline, would finally come home, in the sense that it would for the first time have its own identity.

Certainly, Romanyshyn is standing on the shoulders of giants: Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Sigmund Freud, Paul Ricoeur, Carl Jung, Martin Heidegger, Edmund Husserl, Wilhelm Dilthey, Michel Foucault, and many other thinkers in the history of the philosophy of the human sciences. But no one has quite synthesized and formulated psychological life the way Romanyshyn does so in "Mirror and Metaphor." I have no doubt that if Dr. Romanyshyn's text were to be read widely and carefully, psychology as we know it would never be the same.

It is a must read! Don't miss it!

This insightful book has accompanied me through grad school, two corporate reorganizations and numerous consulting projects. The authors have written an excellent text on the contradictory forces/movements endemic to group life. Their use of paradoxical thought as a lens for thinking about and successfully navigating the territory of group life is both practical and innovative. If you're looking for the usual book about conflict resolution, please look elsewhere. Smith and Berg advocate reclaiming rather than repressing or eliminating the fears and anxieties that define many aspects of group life. Their explanation of concepts such as group paralysis, oscillation, group-as-whole, splitting and individual ambivalence are clear and highly cogent when integrated into a paradoxical framework.

Paradoxes of Group Life is a masterful explication of the concepts its title announces. This readable volume will serve the newcomer to Group Dynamics as well as the more experienced cognoscenti. People are often fundamentally ambivalent about ourselves and our participation in groups. Smith & Berg explain these (often unconscious) dynamics with great clarity and force. Treat yourself to this compelling analysis. I highly recommend their important work!

I wanna read this book. This book is good. I have no money and time. If possible, I send money later. please...

A light-headed description of our friend GOD. Almost all of him! This book'll make you think, make you laugh yourself to tears, make you wish it never ends. Will bring something new everytime you read it over and over and over again.

I read this book first time when I was 8 or 9 years old, until it fell apart when I was 13 and have been looking for it ever since. After all how many books do you have that "stick" sentences in your head for 30 years?! For example: "People are Gods idea of a practical joke"...

It Bites my wacker

Haven't read the book, but Mr. "bites my wacker" shouldn't be allowed to lower the average score.

The Physics of Sound is a great book for both musicians and nonmuscians alike. Its not a book for anyone who is afraid of a little mind work. I recommend Physics of Sound because immediately upon after reading it I gained a whole new perspective and deep appreciation for the fundamental elements,and principles that govern this wonderful phenomena we call "SOUND".

Ever wondered how fast sound travel? What about how various sound frequencies react to each other,and in rooms? What exactly is sound? All these questions and more,are answered here. Physics of sound even gives you basic formulas that allow you to manipulate sound in the real world.

Gain Knowledge,Gain Insight,Gain information.

Elizabeth Berg's latest book, "Say When," is the story of a marriage that is going downhill. Griffin and Ellen seem to have it made. They live comfortably in a Chicago suburb, and they adore their precocious eight-year-old daughter, Zoe. Suddenly, Ellen reveals that her marriage is unsatisfying and she asks Griffin for a divorce. Ellen tells Griffin that she is in love with a younger man who truly understands her.

Berg tells this story mostly from Griffin's point of view. For the first time in their marriage, Griffin starts to contemplate some of the ways that he and Ellen are different from one another. Ellen is cerebral, creative and spontaneous. Griffin is grounded, organized and predictable. Ellen and Griffin have always had their differences, but Griffin believes that their marriage is still worth saving.

Berg writes with a delicate touch and gentle humor. I love the character of Griffin. He is a great father and a man of deep feeling and devotion. Many female readers will claim that he is a complete fabrication, since there are no men like Griffin on this earth. If that is so, then there should be. Ellen is a cipher and not a particularly sympathetic character. She comes across as flighty and capricious, although her love for Zoe is unwavering.

In "Say When," Berg turns the cliché of the male having a midlife crisis on its ear. Here, it is the woman who needs to find herself, while the man wants his life to go on as it always has. Berg has written an entertaining contemporary novel that explores the theme of how difficult it is to sustain long-term relationships. After all, why stay married when divorce is such a quick solution to marital problems? Berg hits all the right notes in this touching, funny, wise and very satisfying novel.

Elizabeth Berg is always so right on and this book is no exception. A great read, I finished it in 2 sittings.

I love ALL of Berg's work and this book is no exception. Not knowing that she had a new book out, I practically jumped up and down when I saw it on the New Release shelf at our local library. The twist for Berg is that the novel is written from a male perspective. So it was really, really interesting to feel like I was spying on the Male Mind in its most intimate moments. We're all accustomed to the stories where the man has an affair, the woman suffers, the woman grows strong, yadda yadda yadda. In "Say When," it's the woman who has an affair and we experience the man's tangled emotions and thoughts throughout the story. Even for those in happy marriages, there is much truth in the husband's memories of the marriage and in the character dialogue. As soon as I finished it, I laid it on my husband's nightstand so he can read it too.

Six-year-old Michael Thaler became the National Kindergarten Chess Champion in 1999. The book follows his brief career to date and imparts the life lessons Michael has learned through chess: prepare, focus, win some, lose some, have patience, etc. These are difficult to learn lessons for most adults, let alone children. Still, the author very clearly demonstrates Michael's passion and talent for the game.
The book takes a turn for the worse when the narrative details three games Michael has lost and learned from - and rehashes them in complex chess code without any explanation save an unexplained diagram! Who is this book for? Not for the novice chess player, and not for your average 8 year old. A brief chapter on basic moves, or even a glossary (what is an opening? An endgame? The Scandanavian defense?) is decidedly lacking.
The art design of the book is a little disturbing - the designer opted for contrasting colors instead of chess-themed black and white. The cool tones on the cover are nice, but inside, nothing seems to fit together. A checkerboard motif is repeated throughout, and the border wittily changes from pawns to kings as Michael progresses. Lots of white space makes the book easy to look at, but the readability of the text is very uneven. David Hautzig's photos are evocative, but it is disappointing that the same picture was used at the beginning of each new chapter.
A thoughful afterword by Michael's dad encourages parents to introduce their children to chess, and mentions its benefits. Suggestions for starting a local club or finding a teacher or evening contacting the National Organization could have made a useful appendix.
Hardly a necessary purchase, briefly consider it for chess fans. Best to save your money until - or if -- Michael reaches master status.

This is the best book I ever read! If someone doesn't understand the book, I suggest reading "Modern Chess Openings."
The 3 games taught me: pawns are important, 2 rooks is better than a queen, and gambits are not dangerous, lik the QG. For beginners and experts, chess knowledge blongs behind this book!!!

please go to ............................ to see an in-depth review of this book from an adult chess players point of view. In fact, the reviewer, Mr. Winer actually played Michael Thaler at an open tournament in Wash.DC last year and had some astute and very positive, thought provoking conclusions about the value and content of this book. This book is clearly a wonderful primer for the young chess player both from a practical standpoint as well as a guide to the rules of preparation for all challenges to the young student.

There are a lot of poems in here but you look far and wide for something really good. I mean, sure, there are the people we already knew were good -- C.K. Williams, Eavan Boland, Frank O'Hara and et cetera et cetera -- but with a book this big you want a few surprises, you want to find some new stuff you didn't know about before. And for me, that didn't really happen. Philip Larkin's "Aubade" is maybe the best poem here -- and maybe the best poem about death ever written -- though what it's doing in a book of AMERICAN poetry I can't figure out (I guess it was just too good to exclude). They put Seamus Heaney in, too, which makes me wonder why they left out Paul Muldoon -- he's been living in New Jersey for years now, and writes poems as good as anything in here (and better than 99% of it). Go to your local bookstore and look through this monster -- maybe you'll have better luck than me, and find something thrilling -- but don't buy it.