"I don't care why we get crushes on Emily Dickinson. It is a rite of passage for any thinking man. Any thinking American man."

All about the Aussie doctor who discovered that lithium manages bipolar disorder. Huge contribution to modern health practices!

I have received the official feline tongue blessing to begin this book that I've been meaning to read for like 10 years...

Up next on audiobook, after which I'll finally watch the movie. (Two-and-a-half glorious hours of David Tennant!)

Listening to this on audiobook. Lots of odd parallels between him and me. He even named his daughter Elizabeth but called her Lisa, which is exactly what my parents did (never met anyone else with that combo). If you are interested in psychology, history of science, or turn-of-the-last century Europe, this (so far) is a goodie :)

A couple of obligatory purchases when you're in Wales at Hay-on-Wye, the bookstore capital of the world :). And sausage and mustard crisps, of course (?).

Spending my last night with this beautiful girl, who is now ravaged will illness and in very bad shape. So very sad to lose my heart kitty :( (She's also in my userpic.)

Swiped this from my aunt and uncle's bookshelf :)

First, a quote: "A free man does not disturb his peace with...feelings of scorn or indignation."
I enjoyed this piece of historical fiction a lot. Unlike the other books by Yalom I recently posted about, familiarity with psychotherapy isn't really important for this read. Might be good to have some interest in philosophy, though.

"Thinking, really thinking, was such hard work, like moving heavy trunks about in the attic. Instead, Alfred grew more adept at suppression....Most of all, he persuaded himself that the strength of convictions obviates the need for inquiry."

Ouch.

This one's next :)

I liked this book a lot, but as was the case with The Schopenhauer Cure, it will probably be easier to appreciate this novel if you have at least a little background in psychotherapeutic practice and/or modern philosophy. And yep, that's a black cat ear on the left 😸

The best truths, he always said, were bloody truths, ripped out of one's own life experience.

"Despair is the price one pays for self-awareness."

Read this (and only this) volume ages ago. Now I have my paws on the audio books! We're going allll the way through this summer!

"...the real problem will be what to do with him if he is *not* suicidal, if he is simply suffering greatly."

When Nietzsche Wept...historical fiction connecting major figures in late 19th century Vienna. Ultimately Nietzsche (about whom they are speaking in the quote) will undergo therapy with Freud's mentor, Josef Breuer, but I'm not there yet.

Just started listening, partially in prep for teaching Abnormal Psychology next Fall for the first time since @Libby1 was an undergraduate!

Ok, well, I'm really waiting for The Believer's Brain to arrive by interlibrary loan, while listening to lectures on a similar topic by researcher and MD Andrew Newberg :)

Y'all got me hooked on Serial Reader!

New yarn, coffee, and thee :)

A Yalom haul in the mail today: The Spinoza Problem, Lying on the Couch, and When Nietzsche Wept. :D #bookmail

Minka and I are refining our interviewing skills. He looks like he has an ear growing out of his side :-p. #CatsOfLitsy

Starting a non-fiction one by Yalom, then plan to return to his fiction. #psychology

Beginning this book for the class I'm taking this term. Gonna learn how to do narrative analyses of people's lives :). Minka will be reading, too. #CatsOfLitsy #psychology

An enjoyable read, especially if you have a background in philosophy, psychotherapy, or both. Interesting interviews with the author in the back. Minka recommends this book :). #psychology #CatsOfLitsy

Sounds like most of us in the psychotherapy biz :-| #psychology

"If perspective is attuned, attention rapt, and knowledge vast, then one enters everydayness in a perpetual state of wonderment."
Mimi agrees :) #psychology #catsoflitsy

Ha...yep, Yalom is definitely an existentialist.

Just ordered this from Amazon! Can't wait to read it. It's about a therapist who is dying and joins a group therapy experience during his final months. Yalom is a huge name in existential therapy and also writes fictional philosophy-psychotherapy mash-ups :)

Holiday battle = prepping fun class for next term vs. crochet for all the days!! #psychology

Wish there was an option between "pick" and "so-so." I'd give this a B. I didn't realize it was explicitly Christian fiction, which has its pros and cons. I thought the author did a good job portraying family dynamics, and the main message was inspiring. However, some of the subplots were kind of predictable, and the writing at points is a bit cliche (not that I could do better, mind you). Set in Chicago/IN, some may appreciate refs to real places

Winter break reading arrived! This was recommended to me by one of our literature professors in response to my query about fiction addressing both death and forgiveness. The Dalek was crocheted by a student and (I assume) will have no relation to the storyline :-p

"[St. Silouan] says somewhere that the criterion for the presence of the Holy Spirit, the criterion of the truth, is the love for one's enemies."
Just started another book of Fr. Zacharias Zacharou. This thought isn't unique to St. Silouan, but I love it each time I encounter it :).

"According to [St. Maximus the Confessor], humility is to know that we have our being 'on loan' from God, an acknowledgment that fills our heart with gratitude. Saint Maximus also emphasises the significance of gratitude, saying gratitude is equal to humility." Meanwhile, Minka is too humble to look at the camera :-p #catsoflitsy

Just downloaded this book, going to be listening during holiday driving! Barrett has a lot of interesting research on children's religious development :). Happy Thanksgiving to all in the US or wherever you may be celebrating!

"I experience research as a form of love in which I immerse myself in other people's lives..." I've only ever encountered this idea among phenomenologists. I think I've found my people :)

Prepping for class next week...yay for Gestalt psychology! Then on to episode 6 of The Crown 👑 🇬🇧💙

This guy is my morning gift...always wants extended AM snuggles! #catsoflitsy

Hehe...who knew doing ethnography could be entertaining? (Book is now in 3rd ed with much nicer cover, BTW.)

Just got this today. The book, that is. The cats have been here a while :). Looking forward to moving my minuscule research efforts towards projects that delve supportively into the richness of people's own understanding of their experiences, rather than being the "objective outsider" trying to reduce their experiences to numbers. We need that second kind of work, but it just ain't me.

I just finished the audiobook, which may not be the most recent version. Chansky explains forms of anxiety and ways parents can help their kids (and themselves!) cope. Her work is based on a cognitive-behavioral approach (CBT), which has evidence behind it. There are other approaches that are evidence-based, too, although after reading her book, you'd think CBT is the only way to go (it isn't).

Huh. Never really thought about the shift in attitude toward antiquity over the course of the Renaissance. I imagine the Scientific Revolution had something to do with this.

Just getting started on this. I've been working on a project about communion, so it seemed relevant. A large chunk of the first part is about making mole sauce, which was a little unexpected! Guess it's going to serve as a metaphor throughout the book.

I love Landreth's "rules of thumb." This is a good reminder to never let someone's weaknesses become your definition of them as a person.

I've been practicing play therapy in my clinical work for almost 10 years and had not read this classic. It's great for developing a positive philosophy of childhood and communication skills that help kids grow. 10% off if you bought it at the annual conference of the Association for Play Therapy :) #psychology #children

Only 100 pages in, but Barzun's book seems to hold a lot of promise for illuminating the question of why Western culture is so unique. McDonald's paraphernalia included for irony :-p