A Delightful Book
Tales of Psychology: Short Stories to Make You Wise
| TALES OF PSYCHOLOGY: Short Stories to Make You
Wise, by Alma H. Bond, Ph.D. Tales of Psychology consists of 19 short
stories selected for their insight into human nature and their merit as
fine works of literature. Each story is followed by a discussion of the
psychological principles revealed. Reading this book will be a unique
opportunity for lay readers and professional psychologists and writers
alike to deepen their knowledge of human psychology. The book is
recommended for students of human nature enrolled in psychological
programs as well as the self-taught. Tales of Psychology demonstrates that
artists can learn the psychological understructure of their characters
from the insight of an experienced psychologist. Similarly, the stories
establish that lay people can absorb the teachings of these master writers
in a captivating, painless manner. It is entirely possible that in some
cases, reading a particular story can change the life of a reader, reveal
the depths of his or her own psyche or that of a loved one, demonstrate
what is pathological and requires medical assistance, or reassure the
individual of what is normal behavior. No one who reads these stories in
depth will ever be the same again. Readers will have a better
understanding of human motivation and behavior Those who absorb the
contents of this book will have a better understanding of character
motivation and behavior. As a result, they will be able to understand
individuals better and to adapt more easily to people in their lives. In
many cases they will understand themselves better, and as a result be able
to lead less conflicted lives. The conclusions reached in the stories bear
out the findings of insightful psychology in a manner interesting to
all.
What Does Make Tales of Psychology So Special? This book offers a rare privilege - a glimpse into her mind." -Drs. Arnold Richards and Arlene Kramer Richards. Review in Rebecca's Reads" Tales of Psychology Alma H. Bond, Ph.D. (Reviewed by The Editor of RebeccasReads - Rebecca Brown) 2002 Paragon House, St. Paul, MN ISBN: 1557788065 List Price: $24.95 Amazon's Price: $17.47 Tales of Psychology: Short Stories to Make You Wise - collected by the author/editor over her life to which she has added her 40+ years of professional insights. Dr. Bond offers us 19 short stories from the obscure writer to the Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Each story is a glimpse into the conflicts we humans stumble upon & through. Sometimes we grasp significance, & sometimes we stagger blithely on. At the end of each story, Dr. Bond offers her insights into the psychological aspects of the drama around which the authors & their Muse wrote their prose. Tales of Psychology is a unique & fascinating collection of complex & colorful fragments of literature accompanied by a psychologist's insights into the human emotional terrain each story illustrates, as well as her occasional personal comments about how she was affected upon reading the story. From perhaps the most horrific of Dr. Bond's choices - Paul Bowles' A Distant Episode - in which everyman's nightmare becomes real when a linguist is kidnapped, bound & then has his tongue cut off. Both the story & Dr. Bond's observations leave an indelible impression. To Alice Adams' Roses, Rhododendron in which we get to re-live those teenage years when we are so hungry for someone/something to adore, to melt into, to incorporate. Dr. Bond's insights here are diamond-bright. To Angelica Gibbs' The Test which brings back memories, not of the 1940s about which it was written, rather of Chicago in the 1960s when I was witness to such racial & gender intimidations. I make no pretense at being an "expert" or even learned in the ways our minds work, & the ways our feelings affect us. Each story Dr. Bond has chosen for Tales of Psychology revolves around the darker spectrum of emotions. Some stories offer redemption, others don't. Dr. Bond's observations & comments at each story's end, offer us further insights about both the history of psychology, as well as aspects we might not have noticed. Sometimes, I wished her comments had been longer! Stories include those by Raymond Carver, Carson McCullers, Alice Adams, William Trevor, Paul Bowles, Harold Brodkey, Henry James, Conrad Aiken, Joyce Carol Oates, John Cheever, Willa Cather, Anne Tyler, and Woody Allen I certainly did feel somewhat wiser after reading Tales of Psychology. With her recapitulations & observations, Dr. Bond has breathed new life into these remarkable literary snacks. As Dr. Bond comments, the stories: "...should be required reading for..." - everyone interested in other ways to think about what we read. Dr. Alma Halbert Bond is a psychoanalyst who was in private practice for 37 years. She is the author of nine published books, including I Married Dr. Jekyll and Woke Up Mrs. Hyde; The Autobiography of Maria Callas, a Novel & Who Killed Virginia Woolf? A Psychobiography. She recently recorded her new manuscript, Old Age is a Terminal Illness, as an audio book. Dr. Bond teaches Psychology & Writing online at WriterSchool. She is a member of the International Psychoanalytic Association, the American Psychological Association, and the Institute for Psychoanalytic Training and Research, where she is a fellow, training analyst, and faculty member. She is listed in Who's Who in America, and 20 other biographies. Review in "Bookviews," by Alan Caruba Dr. Alma Bond is one of the nation's leading psychoanalysts as well as the author of nine books. Her latest is "Tales of Psychology: Short Stories to Make You Wise" ($24.95, Paragon House). Dr. Bond has 19 selected stories by noted authors that include Raymond Carver, Carson McCullers, Alice Adams, John Cheever, and Joyce Carol Oates, to name just a few, and then added her psychological insights based on her 40-plus years of professional experience. This provides a look at the emotional terrain of the stories and their authors as they are revealed to Dr. Bond and now to you. For anyone who enjoys literature and wonders about the motivation of the writer, this book will prove extremely entertaining and interesting. |
Comments on the Book "An exceptional book. A happy marriage of psychology and literature. Tales of Psychology" bring life to literature and literature to life. Dr. Bond has chosen powerful stories that speak to all of us about all of us; she draws upon her considerable professional, literary, and scholarly life's achievement to enrich us with deeper knowledge of our psychology, and greater respect for our literature." -Mary-Alice Herbert, DA, Professor of English, editor, publisher, poet and playwright. "Tales of Psychology is proof that there is more to a good story than a good story. Dr. Bond has selected nineteen, each engaging the reader instantly as any successful short story must. The pleasure of a good read often leads to the desire for discussion - a place to talk about it. Alma Bond must have felt that need herself. With her considerable psychological background and her personal interest in what propels any protagonist, she explores each story's driving forces. The result is amazingly like a dialogue elevating the reader to fellow-discussant. After each story I felt I'd had a lively debate with a very well-read and intelligent person."-Kay Putney Gantt, poet "Tales of Psychology is a fascinating series of reads. It shows how a therapist's mind works and how that kind of mind is developed through contact with the minds of writers. Both readers and writers will find kindred spirits here and therapists will find a kindred spirit in Alma Bond. This book offers a rare privilege - a glimpse into her mind." -Drs. Arnold Richards and Arlene Kramer Richards.
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