Memoirs of a Psychiatrist

Best-selling author and psychotherapist, Irvin D. Yalom, presents his memoirs, "candid and insightful -Abraham Verghese-".

Having built his career on exploring the lives of others, Irvin D. Yalom turns his writing and therapeutic gaze upon himself in these powerful memoirs. He opens his story with an account of a nightmare he had: twelve-year-old Irvin is riding his bicycle in front of the house of a girl whose face is covered in acne. As was his custom every morning, he called out to her mockingly in the hope of forming a friendship: "Hey, Measly!" But in the dream, the girl's father appears and makes Yalom understand that his daily greetings hurt her. In Yalom's view, this marked the birth of empathy, and he would never forget the lesson thereafter.

Throughout the book, we witness the birth of the insightful thinker who illuminated the path for many. This is not the story of a simple man's life; Yalom's reflections on his life and development are an invitation for us to reflect on the origins of our psychological traits and the meanings of our lives.