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jorgeaelgueta 's review for:
On Becoming a Person
by Carl R. Rogers
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Rogers proposes a brilliant theory of psychotherapy, bridging what seems at times the unbridgeable gap between psychoanalysis and the cognitive-behavioural approach, while at the same time formulating thought-provoking critiques of both approaches. What's brilliant about this book is the way it constitutes an in-depth approach to client-centered therapy, and afterwards, Rogers fully explores the possible ramifications of the theory he has generated, including but not limited to its implications in the broader social spectrum, the social sciences, education, art, and creativity itself. Then, in the final chapters of the book, Rogers carefully attempts to asses the place of his theory in the corpus of knowledge of psychology and science in general, confronting two conflicting views and, once again, reconciling them; that of the objective vs. the subjective, as well as its implications for freedom and the conception of man we currently hold.
Perhaps the entire work of Rogers can be seen through the previous statement; he sets out to reconcile apparent opposites. However, while he doesn't always succeeds in that endeavor, he never quite fails...some of the most fundamental concepts in client-centered theory are dark and hard to grasp on a first attempt, such as what he holds to be unconditional positive regard, as well as what he establishes to be the true nature of man. Perhaps this is the most common source of confusion, as it often feels that Rogers underestimates the dark aspects of human psyche. After a careful analysis, I've come to believe that this is not true, although I still have my doubts. However, this speaks highly of the nature of the material, which is the true essence of client-centered therapy; it's purpose is to provoke thought, but leaves the content and interpretation of such entirely up to the reader.
The only negative side I found to this book is that it gets too repetitive at times. While it's true that each chapter adds a new dimension to previously established concepts, it holds no regard for conciseness, as it goes through the terms all over again, again, and again. However, I strongly feel that this is due to the book mainly being a compilation of individual papers Rogers published through the years.
Perhaps the entire work of Rogers can be seen through the previous statement; he sets out to reconcile apparent opposites. However, while he doesn't always succeeds in that endeavor, he never quite fails...some of the most fundamental concepts in client-centered theory are dark and hard to grasp on a first attempt, such as what he holds to be unconditional positive regard, as well as what he establishes to be the true nature of man. Perhaps this is the most common source of confusion, as it often feels that Rogers underestimates the dark aspects of human psyche. After a careful analysis, I've come to believe that this is not true, although I still have my doubts. However, this speaks highly of the nature of the material, which is the true essence of client-centered therapy; it's purpose is to provoke thought, but leaves the content and interpretation of such entirely up to the reader.
The only negative side I found to this book is that it gets too repetitive at times. While it's true that each chapter adds a new dimension to previously established concepts, it holds no regard for conciseness, as it goes through the terms all over again, again, and again. However, I strongly feel that this is due to the book mainly being a compilation of individual papers Rogers published through the years.