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Author biogs are so tedious usually as one waffles about one's qualities, insights and. if wise, doesn't use the space to settle scores with old enemies. When I used to do reviews for the Times Higher Educatrional Supplement I once wrote a mildly critical review of a book by a distinguished psychologist. When I went to interview him, he said 'you hurt me, you hurt me'. He was in his mid 60s. Thirty years of success in psychology had left him with no self confidence.
But Tajfel was a nice man - and did ground breaking work on why we are prejudiced. He is one of those I interviewed for my first book, Psychologists on Psychology which Routledge have recently reissued.
Prejudice features in a new Kindle - Pervitudes which I provide a foreword for. Pervitudes is the account of a troubled teenager and Kidd's experiences of what he calls Therapie as his therapist (not me) is particularly fond of steak and oyster pie, apple pie, lemon pie, steak and kidney pie, fish pie, pish pie and Tarte Tintin. Freud only saw one child as a patient (Little Hans). Little Hans was frightened unconsciously natch that his father would castrate him. But he could not admit fears so he refused to leave the house because a horse might attack him. Freud diagnosed that Hans' dad had a moustache which made him look like a horse. No wonder the surrealists made Freud their patron saint.
After Little Hans, Freud did not treat any children. When you read Kidd's account, you can only applaud Freud's wisdom. Kidd's adventures bring him into conflict with Judge Wig, Sgt No Brains, P.C Tazer and Head Teach. He gets the better of them rather like Jane Eyre does in the end. I hope you're intrigued enough to risk £1.98.
I have also written a foreword to Talking Sense about medicine by Richard Asher, the father of the actor Jane Asher. He was a famous physician in the 1950s and 60s who wrote for the Lancet among many others. His essays are wise, funny and still relevant. Asher taught the late Oliver Sacks who said "I thought Richard Asher a most remarkable teacher, physician and human being.'
Whether Kidd will ever meet Prince George is interesting. Still Advice to Prince George on how to cope with what is likely to be a long apprenticeship for the throne. It's not very reverent but it does draw on my research into royal history and child psychology. It stems from research I did for Bringing Them Up Royal.
I became a writer for a number of reasons. Vanity, of course. Show me the writer who dosen't have some of that. Interesting experiences I wanted to share. And the bizarre pleasure of getting the stuff down on the page. Much but not all of my writing has been about psychology and psychiatry. I've also tackled the death of Diana - because I've had a second career as a film maker - as well as Mrs Beeton and my own childhood. My parents left me in a fine flat in the West End when I was just under thirteen and I managed never to let my school find out. I told the story in Home Alone.
My books and my films also include The Pleasure Principle, a comedy, with Peter Firth, Diana The Night She Died and I'm producing a film made up of ten shorts directed by students - London I love you.
I also in my guise as a small small publisher brought out a book on Broadmoor by the ex medical director of the hospital, Harvey Gordon, and a memoir by Mark Forstater who has uncovered a horrifying account of Belzec extermination camp. I am very happy to have published How to Cook Your Husband the African Way by the wonderful French writer, Calixe Beyala.
And a book by Alex Lynford on how banks work.
Meanwhile I'm working on turning my book on how Freud escaped Vienna with the help of a good Nazi into a film.
Always happy to hear from readers at
dcpsychologynews@gmail.com
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