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lestradez0's review
5.0
Creatures of a Day is my first book by Irvin Yalom and I have to be honest that this is the greatest book I have read so far relating to Psychotherapy. Despite being a psychology student, I'm not inclined in reading this kind of book until my friend recommended it to me even though I was reluctant at first.
Irvin Yalom has a catchy writing style despite my vocabulary sometimes falling short to understand some of the words he uses. However, the learning and the insight I've gained from reading his work fully compensates for the little annoyance of my limited vocabulary. Not to mention that it strongly motivates me to gain a better sense of a healthy and effective therapeutic relationship.
One thing I love about Yalom is the way he responds to his clients - knowing exactly what to say and when. Considering his experience, I'm not even surprised. It must take a great deal of effort, training, and experience to reach there, because for me, even listening to my friends' sharing and coming up with the right response is often a difficult thing to do.
I think what strikes me the most about him is the feeling of deep caring that he has towards his clients, even with some who can be very difficult to deal with. Yalom's approach toward his patients is quite gentle, empathetic, and genuine. He continually expresses compassion and care which I love about him.
Overall this book is very thoughtful. If you are someone who is dealing with existential issues, I recommend this book to you. It helps us to face our mortality and fear of death. It also encourages me to strive more to become the best psychologist I can be, to learn from him to become better.
“All of us are creatures of a day; the rememberer and the remembered alike. All is ephemeral — both memory and the object of memory. The time is at hand when you will have forgotten everything; and the time is at hand when all will have forgotten you. Always reflect that soon you will be no one, and nowhere.”
- Irvin D. Yalom, Creatures of a Day: And Other Tales of Psychotherapy
“Whether I will live a long time or a short time, I’m alive now, at this moment. What I want is to know that there are other things to hope for besides length of life. What I want to know is that it isn’t necessary to turn away from thoughts of suffering or death but neither is it necessary to give these thoughts too much time and space. What I want is to be intimate with the knowledge that life is temporary. And then, in the light (or shadow) of that knowledge, to know how to live. How to live now.”
- Irvin D. Yalom, Creatures of a Day: And Other Tales of Psychotherapy
Irvin Yalom has a catchy writing style despite my vocabulary sometimes falling short to understand some of the words he uses. However, the learning and the insight I've gained from reading his work fully compensates for the little annoyance of my limited vocabulary. Not to mention that it strongly motivates me to gain a better sense of a healthy and effective therapeutic relationship.
One thing I love about Yalom is the way he responds to his clients - knowing exactly what to say and when. Considering his experience, I'm not even surprised. It must take a great deal of effort, training, and experience to reach there, because for me, even listening to my friends' sharing and coming up with the right response is often a difficult thing to do.
I think what strikes me the most about him is the feeling of deep caring that he has towards his clients, even with some who can be very difficult to deal with. Yalom's approach toward his patients is quite gentle, empathetic, and genuine. He continually expresses compassion and care which I love about him.
Overall this book is very thoughtful. If you are someone who is dealing with existential issues, I recommend this book to you. It helps us to face our mortality and fear of death. It also encourages me to strive more to become the best psychologist I can be, to learn from him to become better.
“All of us are creatures of a day; the rememberer and the remembered alike. All is ephemeral — both memory and the object of memory. The time is at hand when you will have forgotten everything; and the time is at hand when all will have forgotten you. Always reflect that soon you will be no one, and nowhere.”
- Irvin D. Yalom, Creatures of a Day: And Other Tales of Psychotherapy
“Whether I will live a long time or a short time, I’m alive now, at this moment. What I want is to know that there are other things to hope for besides length of life. What I want to know is that it isn’t necessary to turn away from thoughts of suffering or death but neither is it necessary to give these thoughts too much time and space. What I want is to be intimate with the knowledge that life is temporary. And then, in the light (or shadow) of that knowledge, to know how to live. How to live now.”
- Irvin D. Yalom, Creatures of a Day: And Other Tales of Psychotherapy
ivanamacaroni's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
wordmuncher's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
mxfrog's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
4.75
birdwatching's review
4.0
Gorgeous, powerful book. Like a written form of Where Shall We Begin by Esther Perel, this details various therapeutic interactions between Dr Yalom and his clients. Filled with humanistic wisdom tackling the existential issues facing us all - our mortality and how to live in the meanwhile