Customer Reviews

The Stages of Life: A Groundbreaking Discovery: The Steps to Psychological Maturity

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I bought the book some time ago, but as is my habit, did not read it until recently. I am astounded by the recent reviews. I found this book to be one of the most helpful and enlightening books I have ever read, and I have read many. Just the part about organizers and borrowing was an eye-opener for me. It explains what my life has been all about recently, what with the difficulty my wife and I are having finalizing our divorce. In fact, it helps explain why we grew apart in the first place.

I am so grateful to have the information Dr. Anderson presents. When "placed in developmental perspective" behavior takes on an entirely different meaning. My wife and I can both stop feeling guilty now. Also, I think the author's suggestion that we are still immature as a species and still going through phases and stages--just as we did in childhood and adolescence--is brilliant.

From the reviews you have received, I guess one either loves the book or hates it. And I guess that all depends on how much of the book one "gets." I got it - at least enough to make a difference in my life.

Quick spiral reading, and a model for what many sixties revolution baby-boomers have been trying to put into other-than-New-Age or Jungian words: Some of us are reaching new and emerging levels of human cognitive capacity. This explains why we feel that we are taking care of children in both generational directions and were raised by children ourselves, that our parents really are from "Another Country" and require our patient parenting no less than our children do. This model fits well with Lloyd deMause's famous Psychohistory of Childrearing tables and with Ken Wilber's Full Spectrum and Integral Psychology. All serious Wilber fans will find more confirmation of pivotal unfolding stages to One Taste and of the extraordinary accelerated point in time we are trying to live creatively with faith in an unfolding God and some measure of stability. I hope to hear more from Dr. Anderson and other researchers confirming his findings and to see a more comprehensive best seller emerge from his theories.

I read Dr. Anderson's book about 3-4 years ago after another psychologist recommended it after I asked her why I kept making the same mistakes and how I could go about addressing that issue rather than just trying to work out the individual conflicts resulting from the mistakes. This book changed my life. It immediately answered my questions and gave me a new way of looking at events in my life. Since that time I free-associate on a regular basis by writing every morning. My life is changing -- slowly but consistently. I am going FOR more fulfilling and meaningful activities and projects rather than spending so much time trying to figure out what I should have done in the past. Dr. Anderson understands the mind and how it works and how we can make the most with what we've got if we follow the steps. I hope he will have another book in the future to reveal more of his insights and knowledge. His ideas are working for me when I thought nothing would help me out of the quicksand I was in. The harder I struggled, the more I would sink. As I approach my mid-50's and the new millenium, I find myself thinking more positively and looking forward to all that life has in store. His theories work and I thank him for this gift.

I read Harry Dent's book, The Roaring 2000s, and taking his recommendation, ordered The Stages of Life. This is a marvelous book. I now understand the human life cycle. In addition, for the first time, I understand the concept of nonlinear processing and what must happen within each developing mind for one to become a nonlinear processor. Having said this, my business partner, who is not at all interested in human or personal development, found Anderson's book less rewarding.

The style may be a little dry, but the insightfullness of this book is very rich. I picked up this book at the suggestion of a friend, and it's the biggest favor that friend has ever done for me. I really feel a sense of "mental liberation" since reading it. I don't want to overstate the effect this book has had on my life because it will come across as contrived, but I thought I'd try to pass along the favor my friend has done for me.

I finally found a book that fully explains the life cycle, and, does it in a most understandable and useful way. I recommend it for anyone interested in psychology in general or self-development in specific.

Having had the wonderful opportunity to know Dr. Anderson first hand, I admit my opinion may be biased. He was a dear friend and helped me tremendously. The "dry" writing many have posted has to do with the fact that he never anticipated this book be read outside his profession. The fact that so many laymen like me read and understand the concepts is a testament to its quality and accuracy. I beg of you, when reading it please take my favorite of Dr. Anderson's advise: "Your remedial mind is your best friend - allow it time to work properly". He advised that to digest a new concept and begin to apply it to your life, allow your remedial mind to work by NOT listening to anything on the drive home, or NOT turning on the TV while you are cooking or doing anything routine. Your remedial mind works best when you think of the new concept, skill or idea at the beginning of doing something routine that you have done a hundred times. Then let the thought go. Your brain has the chance to `rewire' with the new knowledge and true change can occur. He was a dear, brilliant man and I miss him. Every time I read this book I cannot help but think of a favorite quote, "If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves." - Thomas A Edison.

Dr. Anderson is not a writer -- if he was, The Stages of Life would call for 5 stars; despite its frustrating flaws as more of a strangely dry, repetitive developmental outline than satisfying new psychoanalytic theory, the specific contributions of The Stages of Life to what we know of the lifelong construction of the mind -- and new developmental stages of adult life emerging since the revolutionary sixties -- remain relevant. S1 carriers, S2 carriers, practicing, borrowing, self contained Intuition -- if you're in your thirties and wondering why your early happy marriage failed or a boomer convinced you're losing your newly "psychic" mind to early Alzheimer's while parenting parents who are more like stubborn, needy children, The Stages of Life remains a must quick read easily correlated with other developmental theories (including Jung's complexes and evolutionary psychology's "modules"). A Sixth Sense is emerging in the compelling evolution of the adult stages of life; understanding this will be both a relief and a marvel, and a reason to wish Dr. Anderson would follow up on this important first outline of his Maturation Theory.

By itself, the concept of psychological maturity justifies the time spent reading this book. Fascinating viewpoint. Full of useful gems.

Seven graduate students read The Stages of Life this fall as an assigned project. Three of us found the book exciting and enlightening and basically agreed with the conclusions. Moreover, we continue to discuss the implications independently. Another student found some of the concepts interesting, but not to the extent we did. Another two were probably two-star readers, having to struggle in places. One student got lost early and did not finish the book.

My conclusion is that reading the book is well worth the effort some may find it takes.