Customer Reviews

The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I have read many books in my lifetime but none has had such an impact as this one. This is easily, hands-down the best book of its kind. I have read Further Along the Road... by Peck and while it had useful information, it was not as informative and enjoyable as this book. ( I would also highly recommend "People of the Lie") I enjoyed the stories of his personal life as well as the patients he helped (and that had helped him) along the way. This is a serious book that still made me laugh & cry sometimes. It touches on so many issues of responsibility and discipline that no review I could write could possibly do it justice. Despite a previous reviewer's comments that this book is inaccessable- it is not! Very easy to read & not too technical. This is a book that anyone who is willing to open themselves to the pain of change & challange, will forever be changed & enriched. And the author himself admitted that any definition of Love would be subject to criticism from others- but dealing with something as nebulous and intangible, I think Mr. Peck does a terrific job. Especially when he notes what love is NOT. It has helped me to identify when someone's motives are not out of love- which seeks to help the person it touches. I really cannot think of another book that is as important as this one. Give it to a loved one as a gift--a gift they will never forget and hopefully- if they aren't "character disordered" they will see that this book can help them perhaps more than any other.

I am a therapist. Part of my treatment for all of my patients includes giveing them a copy of this book and book An Encounter With A Prophet. Both books are God sent.

I first read "The Road Less Traveled" at a rather low point in my life. I needed something, but I wasn't sure what. This book was it! So many of Dr. Peck's insights really hit home. I felt he had written the book for and about me. For once I felt as if someone really understood me, and I felt that I understood myself and my life much better. This is no doubt due to the fact that love and spirituality are subjects which we all must deal with on some level. I suspect that those who don't like this book or don't "get it" are those who aren't ready to accept the messages it contains. The section about Love is one of the best writings on this subject I have ever read, and the author's thoughts on Grace will be of interest to many. Some may not agree with certain aspects of the book, e.g., religious views or the merits of psychiatry. But there is still enough thought-provoking content to interest the open-minded individual. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking personal growth who has the courage to look at his or her life honestly.

I've read a lot of books about life and stages of life that people claimed were awesome and were must read books. The books were all right but never really told the truth about life. Such as life is hard and during life we face challenge in each stage of our lives and once you get pass that life is easier and more understandable. Peck is the only author that tells the truth about life. A lot the problem that he faced and talked about I could relate to and if I couldn't I new some one who faced them problems. From reading this book it show me that I'm not the only one who faces problems in life. It's easier for a person to talk about situations they didn't encounter, but from what a friend may have told them. That is probable the reason why I can't relate to the authors. But with Scott Peck, I see that he has faced the same problems that everyday people faced and if he hasn't his patient have faced these problems. There was one section in this book that really influenced me. The section on Discipline this section dealt with Problems and managing time. I recommend this book to all people who are experience any problems in life this book is guaranteed to help you in any stage of your life that is experiences difficult situations.

Ever wonder why, when you think you are in the greatest relationship of your life, it suddenly ends? Or how about the reason you can't seem to get your work done and your falling behind in all aspects of your life. "The Road Less Traveled; A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth" by M. Scott Peck, M.D. could be the answer for you. M. Scott Peck wrote a book using the experiences of his patients and some of his own and tried to relate them to the problems of everyday people in the real world. In the first section of his book he talks about discipline, self-gratification, character disorders, responsibility, and depression. He explains that all of these are healthy and the only way to get beyond them so they do not become a problem is to admit that you have a problem. Because if we ignore them they will only cause more pain and suffering. In section number two, Peck talks about love, falling in love, and falling out of love. He teaches us how to recognize true compatibility, how to distinguish dependency from love, and how to become one's own person while in a relationship. This book is one that should be read by anyone who has questions about their life. It can show you how to take control of your life so that you can experience it to the fullest. No more sitting and wondering why things are happening to you. It is like having your own psychaitrist in the palm of your hand, just a whole lot cheaper!!

Dr. Peck's book, The Road Less Traveled, has been a cornerstone in self-help for years. Many of the insights in the book (the disciplines, etc.) offer practical instruments of life change to readers everywhere. Furthermore, he reserves his extensive vocabulary for academia, and offers this book in a easy-to-read style. The examples that he uses also drive many of his points home. The major limitation of this treatise is the fact that Peck extrapolates too much from his experiences. He looks at what has happened in his life, and he creates dogmatic claims from the instances. In many of these cases, other explanations are either more appropriate or as valid as the hypotheses that he posits. Some empirical research to support his claims would satisfy someone like me more. At any rate, however, the claims in the book do offer many people techniques that are helpful even if the explanations offered by Peck seem inadequate. This book should be read by everyone, and then each person can glean from it what they will.

Dr. Peck's book was suggested to me when I was in the 7th grade at a Catholic school sex ed lecture. The suggestion stuck in my mind until I picked it up at the end of my freshman year of college. I was wondering what love was and I concluded that Peck's definition is one of the finest I've come across. Love is extending oneself for the benefit of another. Coming from a strongly Catholic background, I appreciated Dr. Peck's insights on the importance of finding one's religious path and not being content with hand-me down religion. As someone who recently entered therapy, I'm comforted by Peck's words that it is an act of courage to place oneself's under such intense scrutiny. However, I do find Peck slightly flaky in places. I think that his giving such credence to the importance of dreams is a little foolish. Dr. Peck is right that life is difficult, but learning the disipline to endure it can be wonderful. I like Dr. Peck's assurance that it is a good thing to think a lot, since I've been critized for this ever since childhood. Instead of giving a high school graduate Dr. Seuss's "the places you'll go", considering giving them "The Road Less Traveled". You won't regret it.

Mr. Scott Pick's work is truly commendable, not only because he has tried to present an original view but also because of the effort that was involved in actually writing the book. On reading the book, it becomes clear that Mr. Scott has himself overcome tremondous barriers himself and that the path he has guided us to is what he himself believes in.

He has divided the book into 4 sections.
Discipline
Love
Religion
Faith

1) Discipline - In this section, Mr. Scott Pick has accurately pointed out the various causes that keep us away from discipline. These include delaying gratification, acceptance of responsibility, dedication to truth and balancing. No amount of words would substitute reading this section of the book.

2) Love - Mr. Scott Pick provides the best description of love that I have ever come across. Love, according to him, is extending oneself for another's spiritual growth. This means that we may give others what they need rather than what they want. It also means that we constantly think about how we can extend ourselves for the benefit of those whom we love.

3) Religion - Here Mr. Scott says that everyone has a religion whether or not they are aware of it. He seems to suggest that religion should not be taken in its most extreme forms.

4) Grace - By far, the best section that I found in the book this section describes our interaction with God, of the ways that God has helped us that we could never had been consciously possible. This section insists us to keep our minds open and be consistly looking out for Grace for when God may shower it upon us, we should be ready to receive.
Also he tells us that we all have to try to become God. In trying to be God, we are overwhelmed by the demands that are laid upon us when we try to be God because we constantly have to keep thinking and utilize our powers so that we may be able to extend ourselves for the benefit of others. Also at this point, we may feel quite alone for there will be very few poeple at that point. But that should not detract us from growing spiritually.

This book is definitely a book to be read if one really wants to grow spiritually. The concepts in the books are simple though they are novel and unique, also the explanation provided with examples serves as a big plus in understanding the concepts. The concepts of life seems to flow as Mr. Scott Pick explains. The sentence "Life is difficult" seems appropriate as the first sentence as Mr. Scott rightly and truly challenges some of the wrong concepts that we have believed in.
A MUST READ.

This is a very inspiring book for those who need answers about self discipline, love, faith and spiritual growth. Psychology professors have recommended this book from some time and I understand why. It takes the reader into a deeper look at what love is and the author spends quite some time explaining what it is not. I agree on some of his proposals but the only problem I find with his insights is that they are too simplistic. His definition of love is way to general and although he painstakingly emphasized that, all and all, love is the basic act of a couple's boundaries collapsing, I still feel that this does not apply in all situations. And I really didn't agree with his idea that falling in love is as a "trap" into marriage. Again too simplistic and not to mention cynical and sarcastic. There are a lot of things that disturb me about this book. I feel the author is a little rough on the parents and should read Louise L Hayes books and give parents some credit. No one is perfect!! Remember: one should understand how parents work with their children. They are doing the best they can from what they have learned themselves from their own parents. This is how they've been conditioned. Come on..I know there are some really BAD parents out there. But for those who do not live up to their child's EVERY need, one can not equate that with evil (yes, he equates laziness with evil.. again too simplistic and false, but that's another book). Toward the end of the book... Peck practically gives us his testimony.. It was very inspirational for those seeking to reach their higher self.. but if you are not a Christian you will feel left out i would have given this book fewer stars but there ARE a look of good insights in this books.. especially the chapters on self-discipline.. can't blame the world for your troubles.. you got to get up and work to achieve you main goals in life... eventually into spiritual growth. I also agreed with his view on changing and how he equated it with maturity. Peck's a very stern, no-nonsense speaker and a good thinker. I would recommend this book for those looking for answers to why their life is going no where, but at the same time I would recommend they disregard some of his theories to achieve the maximum effect of this book (and also prevent them from getting upset and throwing the book). Remember it's ok to disagree with what you read in this book. Peck has a way of making things seem so definite and written in stone just because he says so. I've read plenty of his books so I know!

Of the many paths there are of spiritual growth, author, Scott Peck, (psychiatrist) focuses the reader mostly on the values of discipline, genuine love and the miraculous assistance of grace. These are the major themes that make up his ambitious message; much told from his experience as a psychiatrist. All this makes for thoughtful reading for those who need to be reminded of the basic virtues that love and discipline would offer in developing meaningful relations with the self and others. Love, discipline and grace--so elemental, so over-looked and so misunderstood, but not in The Road Less Travelled. Peck takes great pains in defining his own terms for clarity of reading. It surely appears as though he has carefully arrived at his definitions through much humble introspection and studied observations of others--being at once insightful, yet scientific.

To bring more substance to his discussion of love, he props his definitions against the common misconceptions of love, thusly exposing its fraudulent forms. To illustrate, he defines love as, "The will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth." Additionally, "Falling in love, is not an extension of one's limits or boundaries; it is a partial and temporary collapse of them." Other notable quotes: "Without discipline we can solve nothing." "God wants us to become Himself (or Herself or Itself)." And, "Evil people resist the awareness of their own condition." These are challenges to the reader.

But perhaps you may take objection to the following quotes: "Move out or grow in any dimension and pain as well as joy will be your reward. A full life will be full of pain." "I have stated that discipline is the basic set of tools we require to solve life's problems. It will become clear that these tools are techniques of suffering... ." "One measure--and perhaps the best measure--of a person's greatness is the capacity for suffering." Unequivocally here, a belief in the necessity of pain.

Despite his attitude that suffering is on the path to joy, the book (copyright 1979) went on to be a national best-seller for four years. Clarity and readability are the strengths of this book, with many chapters focused on examining and changing behavior. To that end this is a valuable book. But for those looking to work with more esoteric ideas, this is not likely to be a redeeming resource as it only scratches the esoteric surfaces, albeit quite energetically. An intelligently written book of great care and precision from a memorable author/psychiatrist who surely walks the road less travelled. A very good primer for those beginning their own path.