C. A. Card

Intriguing and enlightening

Reviewed: 01-31-24

The detailing of the evolution of the Moscow rules was informative and often inspiring in terms of imaging our USA future. I would have enjoyed learning this in the context of greater development of the persons and relationships. This is just my proclivity so may not be needed or appreciated by other readers. Thank you for sharing this story.

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Always changing always a silver lining

Reviewed: 10-05-17

A wonderful survey of current theory, research and personal experiences in the dating world of the early 2010's Helps give perspective to the sometimes perplexing, sometimes painful romantic explorations in this digital world. In addition to the changes cited that go with the presence of digital communications and plethora of options this has presented, also considers the important changes taking place as woman have won more rights and opportunities This is shaking up many previously taken for granted aspects of romance, relationships, marriage, family, work-basically all of our culture. We are in the process of adjusting to these clearly beneficial changes. One important conclusions seems to be that respect for each communication, keeping in mind there is a person behind every message, and spending more time in person than on screen to give our selves to delve a little beyond the relatively superficial aspects we use to "screen" potential and discover the more important aspects of our selves that are generally more essential to developing a deeper, more intimate and satisfying
relationship.

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The golden wind as holding environment

Reviewed: 06-04-17

What did you love best about The Trauma of Everyday Life?

Through exploration of stories of the Buddha, Epstein allows us to recognize, acknowledge, and accept the inherently traumatic nature of our everyday experience. With these stories of the Buddha's journey to enlightenment, he weaves in philosophy (e.g., Husserl), psychoanalysis (e.g., Winnicott), developmental psychology and brain science. The result is a lucid explication of the inherently intersubjective nature of existence and the value of implicit relational knowing. The latter has perhaps been referred in the Buddhist cannon as the golden wind. The golden wind seems to be emblematic of the necessity of bringing of attention, acknowledgment, and acceptance of our experience, across the positive and the negative, the painful, the pleasureful, the neutral, in order to discover self as well as other. The golden wind may be in psychoanalysis the essence of the healing relationship between therapist and client; in developmental psychology the good enough mother-child relationship, and in meditation the open awareness evoked in mindfulness meditation. As I read this book, I could not help but be drawn to see his argument as an excellent portrayal of recent calls to honor our "right brain" way of "being" and to quiet the "left brain" way of "doing, grasping and manipulating" as described by the neuroscientist Iain McGilchrist ("The Master and his Emissary"-another must read). Thank you Mark Epstein for this lovely book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

the Buddha

What three words best describe Walter Dixon’s voice?

bit too fast

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Any additional comments?

The speed made following the audio version somewhat challenging, just little too fast to process while listening. Interspersing reading with listening worked better.

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