The Road Less Travelled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth [Paperback]

M. Scott Peck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 1998

Confronting and solving problems is a painful process, which most of us attempt to avoid. Drawing heavily upon his own professional experience, Dr. M. Scott Peck, a practicing psychiatrist, suggests ways in which confronting and resolving our problems can enable us to reach a higher level of self-understanding.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

By melding love, science, and religion into a primer on personal growth, M. Scott Peck launched his highly successful writing and lecturing career with this book. Even to this day, Peck remains at the forefront of spiritual psychology as a result of The Road Less Traveled. In the era of I'm OK, You're OK, Peck was courageous enough to suggest that "life is difficult" and personal growth is a "complex, arduous and lifelong task." His willingness to expose his own life stories as well as to share the intimate stories of his anonymous therapy clients creates a compelling and heartfelt narrative.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: A Touchstone Book; 2nd edition (January 2, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684847248
• ISBN-13: 978-0684847245
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (87 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

M. Scott Peck's publishing history reflects his own evolution as a serious and widely acclaimed writer, thinker, psychiatrist, and spiritual guide. Since his groundbreaking bestseller, The Road Less Traveled, was first published in 1978, his insatiable intellectual curiosity has taken him in various new directions with virtually each new book: the subject of healing human evil in People of the Lie (1982), where he first briefly discussed exorcism and possession; the creative experience of community in The Different Drum (1987); the role of civility in personal relationships and society in A World Waiting to Be Born (1993); an examination of the complexities of life and the paradoxical nature of belief in Further Along the Road Less Traveled (1993); and an exploration of the medical, ethical, and spiritual issues of euthanasia in Denial of the Soul (1999); as well as a novel, a children's book, and other works. A graduate of both Harvard University and Case Western Reserve, Dr. Peck served in the Army Medical Corps before maintaining a private practice in psychiatry. For the last twenty years, he has devoted much of his time and financial resources to the work of the Foundation for Community Encouragement, a nonprofit organization that he helped found in 1984. Dr. Peck lives in Connecticut.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 92 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The "bible" of life- more than that, a book to live by., March 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Road Less Travelled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth (Paperback)

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.

110 of 127 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Healer, October 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Road Less Travelled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth (Paperback)

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.

36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Truly Life-Changing Experience, February 2, 2000

By 

Judith Newman (Metairie, LA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Road Less Travelled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth (Paperback)

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.