Book- Love's Executioner

I had my last session before T goes on vacation today. Before I left, she loaned me one of her books if I was looking for something to read. She gave me Love's Executioner. I've definitely heard about it. I'm actually in the middle of a book now, and kinda thought about reading HER book that she had published a second time, while she's gone.

I'm just wondering if this book is pretty good reading.

It made me want to bludgeon them all.
I tried reading Yalom and found him completely insufferable.
Some people like him.

Yalom is a no go for me. I can't get past the condescension and misogyny (my personal opinion).

Hmm....I read his book The Gift of Therapy and I really liked it so I was hopeful!

If you liked the one book, then you may like the other. I hated all of his stuff. A condescending, narcissistic misogynist is how I found him in all of the ones I tried to read.

I've been reading a fair bit of Yalom for my counseling class (his book on group psychotherapy) and have read The Gift of Therapy.

I think he's rather misogynistic.

Yalom is a pretty smart guy and very well respected amongst psychologists, and his writing is often highly cited. But I don't think he is a sensitive person. At least not in his books. He comes across as distant, haughty. It's not in every book or every chapter, but it happens enough times that it has alienated some people. If you are not sensitive enough to be bothered by that, I think his books are quite insightful. I'm pretty sensitive so it bothered me the couple of books of his I was trying to read.

Edit: This is one book review, for instance, I came across and I think it captures some of these things I have been referring to:

"This is not the book to read while you are actually in therapy. Although I think Love's Executioner was meant to show people the "behind the scenes" of psychology, Dr. yalom will make you question the motives of any practitioner, no matter how saintly. That's not to say that the book isn't intriguing, informative, or balanced; it is all of those things. It's just that Yalom comes across as unbearably arrogant in many of the case studies, which belies the work he's trying to do. According to him, he hides his feelings well, to which I say, I hope so, because if I knew a therapist was looking at me with the same sort of misogyny, boredom, and disgust, I'd certainly never be back."

I liked the book. My therapist loaned it to me too. Some of the stories are better than others. I think there is something to learn in each of them, whether you like them or not, whether you learn about a DO or a DON'T.

That review is interesting. Unfortunately as it is, I question the motives of my T here and there.... I may try it, I may not....but I'll finish the book I'm reading before I consider.

I enjoyed it, and gift of therapy too. I like his writing style, and humour. Each to their own I guess!

Thanks...I liked The Gift of Therapy, so perhaps I will be one who likes this one too.

>>Unlike Stopdog, I like Yalom. YMMV.