Customer Reviews

The Group: Six People in Search of a Life

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a fine book, tracing the progress of group therapy involving six participants and the group leader, a psychiatrist qualified as a psychopharmocologist. The author is an acute observer of human behavior and offers deft sketches of these intelligent and troubled people and of their equally intelligent and equally troubled leader. His exploration of the dynamics of the group and of the actions of its members is acute and compassionate and his writing is fresh and articulate. This is a richly-drawn,carefully observed sketch of human pathology and recovery. It will be hard to avoid recognizing aspects of yourself in all of these characters. The writing is clear and unobtrusively elegant. Read and enjoy.

As a practicing group therapist, active group member and teacher of group therapy, I was delighted to read Paul Solotaroff's account of one group's experience in therapy.

Initially, I expected little, but within minutes I was transported. Mr. Solotaroff has provided the interested reader with a fascinating portrait of the guts of group therapy. He has a keen eye for detail, a sure grasp of language and a great feeling for the drama of group life. Vividly depicting his subject's self-destructive impasses and the group's healing power, Solotaroff should be commended for his contribution to the very small literature of what group therapy actually "looks like."

To be sure this is not everybody's group therapy experience. There are many approaches and styles of doing group. But this book captures something beyond theraputic ideology. It gets at the root forces which move people to seek groups as pathways to growth and change. For that alone, this book deserves five stars.

For those of us who sometimes need to be reminded that even glamorous New Yorkers don't have it all figured out, this book was excellent. While I realize that Solitarfoff has his own biases, it was helpful to see that even he was able to continue learning and growing as the book progresses, particularly in his relationship with the therapist. A fine read for those interested in the growth of everyday human beings.

the cover of 'group' reads like dominick dunne goes to psychotherapy. what the book actually does is move beyond the superficial 'fabulousness' of this hand-picked group and explore those very human pains that cause these 3-dimensional people to do irrational and destructive things. as the members 'take on' their lives, their experience becomes a universal experience. solotaroff gives us the opportunity to feel compassion for all seven of the people (therapist included)even though you as the reader, and perhaps solotaroff himself, might not even like them. and he transforms the idea of group therapy from the arena of psychobabble self-absorption to a place that answers a primitive, human need to express oneself and to care for others. i felt like a participant in the group and found myself rooting for each member as they attempted to reactivate. it read like a 'whodunit' but it was more like a 'who's going to "just do it".' it was very enjoyable.

Paul Solotaroff takes a very personel look into the world of Group Therapy. Revealing, mind provoking and entertaining all rolled into one. Reading this collection of personel stories, one can't help to take inventory of their our life's story. As a Graduate student in counseling this takes your from the textbooks to the the real world. It's all real and it's all good.

Well-written, insightful account of six "average" NewYorkers in group therapy trying to overcome the pain in their livesthat is holding them back from connecting with themselves and achieving happiness.

The pacing is terrific and the writing is direct, clear and flowing, capturing both the characters' emotions and the observations of the writer as he follows their journey. The outcome is uncertain so that the ending provides some of the satisfaction of a good thriller, in which the loose ends are tied up, although with several twists (and not all endings are happy).

I bought this book on the day of publication and read it cover to cover in 24 hours, only stopping to write notes on insights that seemed particularly relevant to my own life. And then I read it again - yes, it is that good...

The main quibble I have is the fact that the group is quite non-diverse, all being white affluent heterosexual New Yorkers. Even so, I could relate to them as they revealed their self-destructive problems and pain.

I recommend this book especially to those who are in group therapy or considering it, but are not fully sure of its relevance and value; this book provides a vivid illustration of just how success happens in that environment, even for those who seem to be lost causes.

In summary, a great read and valuable reinforcement of the usefulness of group therapy...

I had mixed feelings about this book. I felt a little cheated when I found out the group was hand-picked by the therapist who seemed to equate being very rich (or attaching to the very rich) with being special.Having said that, I still enjoyed listening in to the sessions (as I would with any group) and being reminded of how we engage in what the therapist calls suffering conversions to avoid our pain.

Although I still have one-third of the Book left to read--- I was curious as to what other's opinions are of it....which is why I am here... For myself, I wonder how different the 'dynamics' of the Group might have been, if more *average* people were represented.

For example---would there be totally different "problems"(and group Dynamics) if a client were from poor family (and was still relatively poor?) Or....do *we* all basically "suffer" from the SAME type problems NO MATTER WHAT are childhood/lifestyles were?

I would have liked to have seen/read about a more diverse Group---with poor, white/non-white paticipants mixed -in....

(But---then again, arguably some of *neediest* clients can not afford his $175 rate (per group meeting!) And so-- I get the point that the "elite" have just as many problems as the "less-advantaged"....but still--it would have been nice to see the relationships evolve between the two 'classes'. (and what pre-concieved ideas ideas each 'class' has/d about the other....)

Other than that limitation, I find it to be a good read.

This is an excellent book for anyone considering group therapy. It gets right to the heart of what a group can do.

I really enjoyed this book. It is written in an easily readible style that compels you to keep reading. I started to feel as if I knew the characters. I was happy for the successes and disappointed in the failures. I was especially disheartened when the therapist proved to be "human" as well. A must read for anyone interested in discovering themselves or in the psychotherapy profession!