Staring at the Sun : Overcoming the Terror of Death

by Yalom, Irvin D.

• ISBN13: 9780787996680
• ISBN10: 0787996688
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-02-04
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

Written in Irv Yalom's inimitable story-telling style, Staring at the Sun is a profoundly encouraging approach to the universal issue of mortality. In this magisterial opus, capping a lifetime of work and personal experience, Dr. Yalom helps us recognize that the fear of death is at the heart of much of our anxiety. Such recognition is often catalyzed by an "awakening experience"-a dream, or loss (the death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a job or home), illness, trauma, or aging.Once we confront our own mortality, Dr. Yalom writes, we are inspired to rearrange our priorities, communicate more deeply with those we love, appreciate more keenly the beauty of life, and increase our willingness to take the risks necessary for personal fulfillment.

Author Biography

Irvin D. Yalom, M.D., is Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine. The author of the definitive textbooks The Theory and Practice of Psychotherapy and Existential Psychotherapy, Dr. Yalom also wrote the New York Times best seller Love's Executioner and the international best-selling novel When Nietzsche Wept.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments	p. vii
The Mortal Wound	p. 1
Recognizing Death Anxiety	p. 11
The Awakening Experience	p. 31
The Power of Ideas	p. 77
Overcoming Death Terror Through Connection	p. 115
Death Awareness: A Memoir	p. 149
Addressing Death Anxiety: Advice for Therapists	p. 199
Afterword	p. 275
Notes	p. 279
About the Author	p. 289
A Reader's Guide to Staring at the Sun	p. 291
Index	p. 299
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