The Art of the Obvious [Hardcover]

Bruno Bettelheim (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 1993

Archetypical case presentations address a variety of issues that therapists for children and adults typically face, among them, building a patient's trust, finding empathy for a violent child, avoiding preconceptions and prejudices, and more. BOMC & QPB Alt.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rosenfeld here reconstructs a series of training seminars he and renowned child psychiatrist Bettelheim ( The Uses of Enchantment ) held with psychotherapists in the late 1970s and early 1980s at Stanford University Medical School. As director of training in child psychiatry there, Rosenfeld enlisted the help of the retired Bettelheim to enhance the students' understanding of psychoanalytically oriented therapy. Starting from single cases presented by students (all of whom were practicing therapists), the five free-ranging and substantial chapters explore such issues as the first interview, transference and counter-transference. Particularly moving are Bettelheim's observations on one young psychiatrist's work with an anxious elderly physician. Bettelheim, who died in 1990, demonstrates unwavering, compassionate attention to the individual under discussion, consistently rejecting quick, generalizing diagnoses and urging his listeners to seek out each patient's uniqueness. Rosenfeld is now director of psychiatric services at the Jewish Child Care Association in New York City. BOMC and QPB alternates.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

For six years, the late, world-renowned child psychologist Bettelheim and practicing psychiatrist Rosenfeld co-conducted Socratic method seminars for psychotherapists at Stanford University. They then extracted representative case studies from these sessions, with the goal of providing a teaching tool for psychotherapists and giving insight into the process to non-professionals. Although this seems a formidable task, Bettelheim and Rosenfeld do an admirable job of elucidating some difficult and elusive concepts. As with psychotherapy itself, however, the knowledge this book offers results from the willingness and patience it takes to examine objectively all its aspects. At times, such detailed analysis can be tedious, but the rewards here are worth the effort. Recommended for all libraries serving professionals and motivated lay readers. BOMC and Quality Paperback Book Club alternates.
- January Adams, Somerville
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 247 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 1st edition (January 4, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067940029X
• ISBN-13: 978-0679400295
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #862,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, January 16, 2006

By 

Torino Michael Iori - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of the Obvious (Hardcover)

This book is absolutely brilliant and a must read -- I highly recommend it! My review and rating is based on the subject matter covered in the book (that is what these reviews are for, right?). I understand that some readers could have serious issues with certain accusations made against Dr. Bettelheim, and I leave that to the rules of evidence, due process, and the jurisdiction of the appropriate governing bodies. Its important to learn from our history before we start lighting torches: fair judgment can only occur when ALL the facts are in. And OBVIOUSLY, the context of time and place is an important factor in any just analysis. Taking the standards of today or any other time in history and projecting them onto a previous time in history is completely ridiculous -- you'd end up locking up entire populations. Maturity dictates an understanding of CONTEXT. This is in no way offered to minimize or invalidate anyone's personal pain or trauma; but one must be careful not to project their personal pain -- that's what perpetuates the cycle of abuse. This book is beautifully written and the insights offered herewithin are nothing short of profound. Nothing even remotely advocating abuse is offered in these pages. There's much to be learned from this presentation.

3 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Let's reward child abusers, May 2, 2005

By 

Monica Shouts (Santa Fe) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of the Obvious (Hardcover)

I don't care if Bruno Bettelheim was able to brilliantly speak about psychological issues. He beat and whipped and repeatedly smacked mentally ill patients under his care at the Orthogenic School for years without any interference. The man may have compartmentalized some part of his brain to rattle off psychological insights, but he was a criminal. Even if the laws regarding corporal punishment were more lax in the U.S. while Bruno was in charge at the Orthogenic School, these laws did NOT permit anyone in charge of mentally ill children to repeatedly smack and punch them in the head, or to smash the heads of two boys together, or to punch and smack children in some irrational outburst, or to pull down a girl's pants and whip her with a belt because she broke a dish. How can the co-author of this book just overlook Bruno's abuse of mentally ill children? Does the co-author, by publishing this book, believe that as long as a criminal is highly intelligent and can speak brilliantly on a topic, his crimes should be cast aside?