T. Byram Karasu, a respected teacher and author in the field of psychiatry, has ventured far beyond his field in this masterpiece of spiritual wisdom. Clearly he has been doing more than seeing patients all these years, he has been reading assiduously, absorbing the wisdom of the ages. Now, in The Art of Serenity, he distills this wisdom and his own expereinces, for all of us who are willing to taste.

It is not light reading. Karasu deals with the deep questions of life. He begins with love, work, belonging, moves on to the spiritual journey, the nature of self, the acceptance of aging, and the understanding of death. His concluding chapters, dealing with God, and bringing spirituality back home to its ground in religion, are like soaring towers, straining toward the light. The final section left me stunned, wanting to go back and read the book again.

The author uses clinical vignettes, folk-tales, bits of poetry, the Bible, the Quran, and many other works. His writing is fluid and graceful, with a kindly sense of humor. He says little about himself, putting himself into the background, and so his presence is powerfully felt--a man of learning, integrity, wisdom and care for others.

This book, I'm afraid, is not for everyone. It does not promote (or denounce) any single religion. It is not for the narrow-minded. And, I think, it is not for the young. It is a book for those who have some maturity and life experience. For those who are ready it will be a life-changing masterpiece. Thank you, Dr. Karasu. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber

"The Art of Serenity" is RIGHT! This book is incredible in that it really brings you directly into the glaring face of serenity--and then serenity doesn't break eye contact!! People always say: "Do not judge a book by its cover" but I'm going to have to plead the opposite in this case. The cover of this book gives you a perfect idea of the calm nothingness that awaits inside.

Take serene and multiply it times 25! THAT'S HOW SERENE YOU WILL FEEL AS YOU READ THROUGH PAGE AFTER PAGE OF "The Art of Serenity." It is the literary equivalent of a handful of sleeping pills, and I mean that in the most positive, relaxing way. In closing, I would like to assert (serenely) that if I hadn't read this 5-star book, I would never have been able to pin down what "happiness" is. I wouldn't have known that BEFORE I can love someone I have to love MYSELF...

The price of this book is absolutely ridiculous for what you get:

total self-comprehension.

This book doesn't leave a stone unturned in finding all paths from all backgrounds and all schools of thought in our eternal search for inner peace and happiness. Great book. Also recommended, The Little Guide To Happiness. Another book that brings us closer to the prize.

Historically, the psychology of the sex industry has been the psychoanalytic theory of the sexual perversions. Since Robert Stoller's contributions, Charles Socarides, MD, has given us a much expanded unitary theory of the sexual perversions. Socarides' concepts include those of "unacceptable/retained primary feminine identifications" in both males and females, as well as "pre-oedipal separation/individuation crisis" as a fixation point marking arrested development, and "gender identity disorder", which probably has a direct bearing on the motivations of those seeking to "prove" their maleness/femaleness through sex industry encounters or sex work.

The polymorphous sexuality of female sex workers, for example, points to the underlying pre-oedipal processes which create the sex industry as a whole, and is consistent with the reports of these women, who say they see sex work as a way to find their own separate, sexual identities. Paradoxically, male customers are typically older males(i.e., father substitutes), suggesting that the incest prohibition is indeed being served by the imperative to out-migration. These same female sex workers typically choose anonymous paid sex with men alongside a bisexual relationship with a woman. Theoretically, this avoids unsafe pre-oedipal or Oedipal feelings of incest towards either mother or father, as such polymorphous sexuality represents the infantile version of choosing "all other options" other than the dreaded incest. In an endless cycle of repetition compulsion, once these same female sex workers become mothers themselves, and their own children attain that same age of infantile sexual awareness(usually no biological father is present), they again feel internally driven to return to polymorphous sexual acting out.

Out-migrating female sex workers also typically submit to madames or pimps, just as out-migrating adolescent female bonobos make submissive sexual overtures to the other, more dominant females on entry into new groups, creating a "secondary sisterhood" among them, as described by Frans de Waal in his book, Bonobo: the Forgotten Ape. This clear-cut pattern of "secondary sisterhood" is similarly seen throughout the sex industry.

The Psychotherapist As Healer by T. Byram Karasu (Silverman Professor and the University Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine) asserts that in order to best promote healing, the psychotherapist himself or herself is more important to psychotherapeutic success than the particular school of psychotherapy he or she practices. The Psychotherapist As Healer cogently warns about becoming too embroiled in scientific, regimental detail, especially since so much about the human psyche and emotions deny strictly logical analysis. The Psychotherapist As Healer is a different type of book about the mental health profession, treating psychotherapy not as a daily job but as a way of being. Intriguing, scholarly, iconoclastic, highly relevant, and strongly recommended reading for students and practitioners in the field of psychotherapy.

I used this book as a psych resident starting out doing psychotherapy. It is great. Easy to read (mostly), easy to understand and gives basic fundamentals. The vignettes are great.

This book is very well written and organized. It is easily understood by the non-professional who is seeking to gain a greater understanding of the therapy process