Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'

Love's Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy by Irvin D. Yalom

9 reviews

mrtrower's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Sexism, Misogyny, Terminal illness, and Suicidal thoughts

abbrown118's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia

amy_park's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

1.5

This book had so much potential, but the author/psychotherapist's judgemental opinion on patients and society is terrible! 
I was intrigued by this book a few years ago as it was referenced in 'Happy' by Derren Brown and with a psychology background I picked it up.
At the start the judgemental opinions were subtle and the book focuses on psychiatry approaches, and was clinical in it's approach which I enjoyed. But once it hit chaper 3 "Fat Lady" the authors judgemental philosophy and discrimination was so apparent it made me unbelievably uncomfortable. I hated the way he was so very judgemental towards patient's lives, and how he was only interested in treating a patient if it benefited him, I.e how he was repulsed by fat women but wanted to "challenge" himself, how he didn't find a patient attractive so he had little empathy, relating to male patient's wanting to "conquer" women. The judgemental observations and nasty remarks were utterly relentless. I found he had little empathy in his writing, his opinions were too much and I overall found it farcical on how he can treat people but yet be so negative towards humanity. Very misogynistic opinions, alot of emphasis on whther he found the women patients attractive, it just wasn't appropriate. If interested in reading, I would avoid!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia

vivieeeeeeenn's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia

kait_sixcrowsbooks's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

Y’all. Oh my god. What a phenomenal book.

Putting aside Yalom’s fatphobia and misogyny (because yeesh, there was lots of it, and I hope he did work through that on his own time like he mentioned), this book really spoke to me. His analysis of his clients, especially when it pertained to more existential ideas such as death anxiety, was truly enlightening. I thought a lot about how certain bits and pieces from each case pertained to me and what that means for me.

An instructor recommended this book to my class a while ago, and I’m glad he did. It made me think a lot.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Fatphobia, and Misogyny

Minor: Rape

stacy_es's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense fast-paced

4.0

Hard to explain. From one side, it was good, gave the insight into the psychotherapist’s work, and not the average one, but well-knowingly good one. Some of Yalom’s methods/techniques gave me personal insights. The last conversation with the late relative is indeed powerful exercise. 
From the other hand, the book is controversial, the author is too honest, his brutal sincerity might scare away from addressing a psychotherapist, as he/she’d would likewise judge and evaluate you, might get bored of you etc. 
I understand that we all are human beings, but might be professional ethics is of higher personal value for me than brutal sincerity. The author shows his vulnerability, own issues and how deeply he himself is disturbed with his certain past. 
Anyways, I liked the epilogue written 25 years later. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, and Mental illness

hjesm's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Fatphobia, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Child death, Sexual content, Misogyny, and Grief

nkmustdie's review against another edition

Yalom is absolutely disgusting. His immediate and cruel judgements of the included patients keep him from seeing them at their base as humans. His internal narration and dialogue are nothing but unhelpful brags about his own life or career or else long-winded rants dehumanizing a patient that he doesn't find interesting (is not a patient's responsibility to entertain their therapist), considered a patient delusional because he thought her too old to ever be considered as someone who could have a romantic relationship, and finds it easier to sympathize with a would-be rapist than a fat woman.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Medical content, Child death, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Grief, Cancer, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Eating disorder, Death, and Chronic illness

mollyrose's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Body shaming, Cancer, and Death