Customer Reviews

A Way of Being

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I am most impressed with how Rogers speaks to me through his words. This is not a dry, rational, theoretical book - this book truly is a personal dialogue with the reader, allowing us to gain insight into the thinking and wisdom of one great visionary. How grateful we can be, that we no longer are treated as objects, numbers, problems to be labeled and fixed, when we see a therapist. What a huge shift Rogers has brought about in how to treat another person, not only in therapy, but in daily life! This is an extremely insightful book, not only for all counsellors, but for anyone who prides him/herself as being a good friend and listener. Read this, and you will be swept away.

Like all Rogerian work, this is another masterpiece to add to your collection. Easy, enjoyable, and flows beautifully. A must read for the psychology, social work student. An excellent introductory book for the inspiring Humanistic psychologist. Highly recommend On Becoming A Person, by Rogers. Enjoy!

This is a wonderful read for people who are interested in understanding dialogical relationship. It will not only benefit people working in the field of counselling/psychotherapy but will be enlightening to anyone interested in meeting the other with genuine interest and respect. Rogers highlights an attitude towards one's self and to others, not techniques to be pulled out of a hat and in essence decribes a way of being - a lived experience rather than doing something to someone.

This is a good book to read in addition to "becoming a person." Reading these books will give you insight and ideas as well as refreshing your perception and making you feel great! I found Carl Rogers to elaborate many of the themes that I felt rising up in me while I sat through countless University lectures in Psychology. Rogers also deals with the future of education, and it's plain to see that Universities still have much work to do in this arena, work which they desperately need to undertake. Buy this book!

Carl Rogers (1902-1987) was an influential American psychologist and (along with Abraham Maslow) among the founders of humanistic psychology.

He states in the Introduction to this 1980 book, "Sometimes I am astonished at the changes that have occurred in my life and work. This book encompasses the changes that have taken place during the past decade---roughly, the seventies. It brings togetehr diverse material which I have written in recent years. Some of these thoughts have been published in a variety of journals, some have never been published... I have grouped together at the outset five papers which are very personal---revealing my experiences in relationships, my feelings as I grow older, the origins of my philosophy, my perspective on my career, a personal view of 'reality.' ... The second part of the book centers on my professional thoughts and activities... The third section deals with education ... In the final section I give my view of the drastic transformation which faces our culture due to little unknown advances in scientific thinking and new developments in many other fields..."

Here are some quotations from the book:

"My one disappointment in regard to Skinner is his refusal to permit the nine-hour confrontation we held at the University of Minnesota in Duluth to be released. It was all taped and is the deepest exploration in existence of the issues between us... After the meeting, Skinner refused his permission. I feel the profession was cheated."
"In the eighteen months prior to my wife's death in March 1979, there were a series of experiences in which Helen and I and a number of friends were all involved, which decidedly changed my thoughts and feelings about dying and the continuation of the human spirit. The experiences were intensely personal, and some day I may write fully about them... All these experiences ... have made me much more open to the possibility of the continuation of the individual human spirit, something which I have never before believed possible."
"The third challenge I wish to raise, especially for clinical and social psychologists, is the radical possibility of sweeping away our procedures for professionalization. I know what heresy that idea is..."
"Person-centered therapists were under pressure---just as innovative educators are today---to prove that our approach to therapy was effective... the results, even though the evidence of effectiveness was positive, were always disappointing. We found, as could have been predicted, that some clients were more successful than others, some therapists were more effective than others. But assessment studies are not heuristic, do not lead forward."

I read this book as a requirement for a pyschology course that I'm taking. At the time I read the book, I thought it was a bit dry, but there were definitely touching stories and concepts that I really remember. Carl Rogers was quite the visionary, especially in the conservative 1950s. I recently saw a video of Carl Rogers working with a client using all the concepts he spoke about in his book. I don't know if the movie was more effective because I had already read the book, or if the book now held more meaning because I saw the movie. Either way, for anyone interested in really learning how just to "be" with people in a heart-centered way, try looking past the academia in this book because Rogers does gift us with some priceless gems.

This book provides a clear understanding of the philosophy of humanistic or client-centered therapy. It also goes deeper to examine how the humanistic approach can be used in education and society in general. Dr. Rogers is, as he so often states, warm and genuine. You can sense the honesty of the man. Sometimes the honesty is actually quite intense as he explores feelings surrounding his wife's sickness and as he talks about his willingness to explore the supernatural.

As an educator and a psychology and history enthusiast, I actually see great value in the humanistic approach. Although it has it limits in regard to profound psychotic disorders; I think that humanistic therapy may benefit those who deal with less severe mental health problems or are just not happy.

I also think that the humanistic approach can do much for education in that the student-teacher relationship has the potential to be one that makes for a much more generative and creative learning environment. In short: if the teacher can treat the student with kindness, maybe the student will treat himself with kindness; if the teacher believes in the student, the student may just start believing in himself.

Lastly, humanistic philosophy has a lot to offer the human being in terms of the art of listening to one another; being genuine with one another; and seeing the growth potential in ourselves and the others.

I have read many of Carl Roger's books and I often connect with his perspectives in psychotherapy. This book was no different. For anyone who is interested in Humanistic (person-centered) therapy for any reason, I recommend this book. Though written in 1980, I am sure his wisdom and intention will continue to apply long into the future.

Rogers had the secret when he started down the path of encounter groups. He seemed to be evolving even in his later years, where he found that even more hope existed in the world, if only we could tap that hope and positive energy.

This is a wonderfully written book. The words flow easily and the ideas are conveyed in a simple yet stimulating way.