Being sane has long been defined simply as that bland and nebulous state of not being mentally ill. While writings on madness fill entire libraries, until now no one has thought to engage exclusively with the idea of sanity.In a society governed by indulgence and excess, madness is the state of mind we identify with most keenly. Though ultimately destructive, it is often credited as the wellspring of genius, individuality, and self-expression. Sanity, on the other hand, confounds u...

Psychoanalysis works by attending to the patient's side effects, "what falls out of his pockets once he starts speaking." Undergoing psychoanalytic therapy is always a leap into the dark—like dedicating our hearts and intellect to a powerful work of literature, it's impossible to know beforehand its ultimate effect and consequences. One must remain open to where the "side effects" will lead.Erudite, eloquent, and enthrallingly observant, Adam Phillips is one of the world's most res...

Can rats learn to surf? How fat was the fattest cat? How many Lego bricks would it take to reach the Moon?Find out the answers to these questions and many, many more in this fascinating fact book. With clear, engaging text and vibrant illustrations, kids can discover the world's fastest, biggest, oldest, and weirdest in an accessible and engaging way. Perfect for children aged 7+.ABOUT THE SERIES: Big Ideas! is a dynamic, educational "fun f...

Adam Phillips, the foremost psychoanalytic writer of our time, plays with ideas about the lives we want.Where do we get ideas about the kinds of lives we want? What do we fail to do about actually getting them—and why do our ideas so often fail to satisfy us in the end?Ever curious, sympathetic, and perceptive, Adam Phillips uses both psychoanalytic and literary approaches to show that we are obsessed with the idea of our lives being ones we want and enjoy ...

In this brilliant, epigrammatic book, the eminent psychoanalyst Adam Phillips and the social historian Barbara Taylor examine the terrors of kindness and return to the reader the intense satisfactions of generosity and compassion.Kindness is the foundation of the world's great religions and most-enduring philosophies. Why, then, does being kind feel so dangerous? If we crave kindness with such intensity, why is it often the last pleasure we permit ourselves? And why...

A powerful exploration of the human capacity for renewal, as seen through Shakespeare and FreudIn this fresh investigation, Stephen Greenblatt and Adam Phillips explore how the second chance has been an essential feature of the literary imagination and a promise so central to our existence that we try to reproduce it again and again. Innumerable stories, from the Homeric epics to the New Testament, and from Oedipus Rex to Hamlet, explore the reali...

One of The New York Times Critics' Picks of the YearFrom acclaimed psychoanalyst Adam Phillips, a meditation on what we must give up to feel more alive.To give up or not to give up?The question can feel inescapable but the answer is never simple.Giving up our supposed vices is one thing; giving up on life itself is quite another. One form of self-sacrifice feels positive, something to admire and aspire to, while the...

A thoughtful exploration of personal change and growth from Britain's leading psychoanalystIn On Getting Better, Adam Phillips, author of Missing Out and On Kindness, delves into the complex topic of self-improvement. He examines how our desires for change are shaped by our past experiences and the narratives we've encountered. Phillips questions how we can approach the uncertain future that change brings, and how we might improve the way we discuss person...

In this dazzling exploration, renowned psychoanalyst Adam Phillips delves into the universal human desire for transformation and the complexities of personal change.We live in a world that constantly invites us to change—to become our best selves through politics, fitness, diet, or therapy. As we age and face setbacks, we yearn to view our lives as narratives of positive growth and progress. In On Wanting to Change, Adam Phillips brilliantly examines the s...

Attention Seeking is a short, fascinating introduction to the concept of attention from Britain’s leading psychoanalyst, author of Missing Out and On Kindness.Everything depends on what, if anything, we find interesting: on what we are encouraged and educated to find interesting, and what we find ourselves being interested in despite ourselves. There is our official curiosity and our unofficial curiosity (and psychoanalysis is a story...

This book examines the tension, caused by the conflict between poise and catastrophe, in the therapeutic relationship. It emphasizes positive contributions to growth of self made by seemingly pathological or disruptive movements within the therapy situation.

In a style that is writerly and audacious, Adam Phillips takes up a variety of seemingly ordinary subjects underinvestigated by psychoanalysis--kissing, worrying, risk, solitude, composure, even farting as it relates to worrying.He argues that psychoanalysis began as a virtuoso improvisation within the science of medicine, but that virtuosity has given way to the dream of science that only the examined life is worth living. Phillips goes on to show how the drive to omniscience has ...