The Art of Listening

Excellent ideas presented. In examining one's existence one should read first Socrates, then Kierkegaard and then Fromm... This is a collection of essays/lectures concerning the way one makes decisions to compromise on the values held dear, the language we use to describe them and how a therapist relates to the patient. The art of listening is an essential part of modern mindfulness. Listening to one's self as we relate to both the internal and the external... How we adjust ourselves to become happy or clear think and thoughtful. We must first be ready to relate as a whole individual and second to actually relate. Fromm jumps back and forth as though in a debate with Frued and Jung, but his ideas are clear and concise, easy to understand and easy to implement... Brilliant!!!

A nice overview from one of the founders of the art. He stresses the need to listen to have an understanding of the client. He adds in some of the significant influential leaders who affected his process of analysis. He particularly mentions Freud's process but points out what he found to be particularly unrelated to modern society at that time. He encouraged meditation and self-analysis. He was especially interested in dreams and stressed the need to interpret them. The book is a bit dated but it offers an insight into societal changes. Parts of the book are tedious but overall a good read.

Like all his books Fromm leaves you with a lot to think about. This book has a title that makes it sound better than it is if you have read his other books. This book is oriented towards clinicians more than his other books. But as always there is much to learn from every word.

Interesting at first, but eventually it lost my interest. I will go back and try it again one day. I expected it to be a lot about how to be a great listener, but really it is more of an explanation of psychoanalysis.

Listening is the art of catharsis. Catharsis is not the product of speaking or free association as one might think because it does not occur if we wander about saying the same thing in our homes. Lying alone on a couch speaking the same words produce no affective change. It is in the art of careful listening that the healing process occurs. While the very end of this book deals with that art the use of this title is a misnomer for the bulk of the content. But in Fromm style, the academic thoroughness makes him a great summarizer and synthesizer of the Vienna Analytical Movement. The reader should know that another less known hero coaches him from the shadows. Karen Horney his senior and mentor can be heard between the lines, thoroughly present in spirit in this and many of Fromm's works.

This book was recommended to me from a friend and I was not disappointed.

Fromm has always been a favorite of mine, "The Art of Loving" continuously on our book shelves, in fact while looking for another addition as a gift was when I stumbled on Fromm's "The Art of Listening" . It was one of Fromm's unpublished books recently released, and a treasure. Well written sensible, everyone listens, it's just that most of us don't do it very well, and this book helps to really move that skill up a notch. A great companion to the Art of Loving, in different time it could have been the prequel. Try it you'll like it, a great read, written with Fromm's sensible but interesting, scattered with anecdotes, it's on my gift list for this year.

I expected a book on listening and the art of conversation. It is instead a textbook for Psychiatrists and the title is derived from the last chapter. Not what I wanted and the title was misleading for me, but probably not if you were a young psychoanalyst in training.

This book is very much Fromm as therapist, comprising his views on Therapeutic methods as gathered from seminars, lectures and unpublished materials intended as companion content for the material that he did release on the greatness and limitations of Freud (see  Sigmund Freud's Mission , Greatness and Limitations of Freud's Thought (Abacus Books) ).In the preface by Rainer Funk the present volume is described not as aiming to inform psycho-analytic technique, Funk stating that in Fromm's opinion there was no such thing. Instead it is aimed at providing information about Fromm the therapist and his way of dealing with the psychological sufferings of people of our time. Fromm's therapeautic methods consisting not of "verbose theoreis and abstractions, nor by differential diagnostic 'rapes' of the 'patient material' but rather by his capacity for individual and independent perception of the basic problems of man".Like his other books, Fromm's humanistic view point clearly permeates his ideas about patients and how he interacted with them. Fromm describes how therapists can only provide a social process aimed at personal growth to patients only if they have made themselves a patient. By this Fromm means considering the counter-transferences, ie how the patient makes them feel, within the interaction. So while a therapist analyses a patient, they will then analyse themselves also.The concepts here in prefigure a lot of relational innovations in psycho-analysis and psycho-therapy since. Fromm's consideration of analytical processes is akin to more recent reflection practitioner theories from the fields of education, social work and contemporary psychotherapy, while his conclusion that psycho-analytical "technique" is the art of listening corresponds with much theorising about Active Listening. Consequentially, while I know that Fromm would have hoped that the ideas herein would read as wide a readership as possible, ie both professional in interested public, I can see it having more appeal to professionals. I think this is why fans of Fromm's more theoretical and prescriptive reads like  The Sane Society (Routledge Classics)  or  To Have or to be?  are "turned off" by this book.For Fromm's views on the trivalisation of talking and listening consider  The Art of Being (Psychology/self-help)  and  For the Love of Life .In addition to the introduction, there is a great contents page, comprehensive index, making the book accessible to anyone with less time to read it cover to cover, and a great bibliography. The contents and chapter headings break down as follows:-Factors Leading to Patient's Change in Analytic Treatment: Curing Factors According to Sigmund Freud and My Critique; Benign and Malignant Neuroses - with a Case History of Benign Neurosis; Constitutional and Other Factors for Cure.Therapeautic Aspects of Psychoanalysis: What is Psychoanalysis?; Preconditions for Therapeautic Cure; Factors Leading to Therapeutic Effect; About the Therapeutic Relationship; Functions and Methods of the Psychoanalytic Process; Christine: A Case History with Remarks on Therapeutic Method and on Understanding Dreams; Specified Methods to Cure Modern Character Neuroses; Psychoanalytical "Technique" - or, the Art of Listening.I dont understand why there is no look inside option for this book on Amazon UK because I think there is on Amazon US, I'm nearly sure that I saw the contents before reaching the decision to buy the book myself. It is informative and helpful whether your concern is strictly professional or you are interested in listening skills and social interaction more generally to improve your communication skills.NB I plan to write an expanded review of this book following a rereading. Sigmund Freud's MissionGreatness and Limitations of Freud's Thought (Abacus Books)The Sane Society (Routledge Classics)To Have or to be?The Art of Being (Psychology/self-help)For the Love of Life

prompt delivery, good condition. I am happy with the book. Haven't finished it yet but read the last chapter first, very beautiful

Great

ok