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What Are You Going to Do With Your Life?: Unpublished Writings and Diaries

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A Good Life

After Ed Friedman died his son, Ari, and daughter Shira kept looking at the eight foot file cabinet filled with diaries, sermons, and (mostly) unpublished manuscripts at the family home in Bethesda. Ari said, "Why don't we publish them?"

Two other people who have beeb instrumental in the posthumous publication of writings of Friedman spent several days going through drawers, boxes, and files. The result is "What Are You Going To Do With Your Life?"

This book is by far more biographical and personal than anything else published under the Rabbi's name. And generally more accessible. Thinking about family process can be a bit like the rabbinical wisdom that God is not accessible by a direct approach but rather by metaphors. Likewise, understanding and managing triangles and the transmission of anxiety (or calmness) throughout a family system (including larger systems) can be daunting. Friedman is a master of doing this and explaining what he is doing. In these articles he traces his own encounters with the systems to which he is connected through his illnesses and the crises faced by others which required his own self-management.

In the final article he visits two cemeteries where family are buried and shares his reflections on the experience. For the purposes of better understanding family process a chronology would have been helpful. As it is, I was able to piece together the main events which are noted in the text.

For anyone undecided about purchase of the book the Amazon tool call "Look Inside" is a very useful way of sampling a book. And don't miss `Surprise Me!' which gives access to dozens of other pages. A terrific convenience.

An added bonus to the entire experience of working with this book is the cover - an expanse of beach on an overcast day with a man leaping exuberantly into the air in the middle of it.

The ramblings of a rabbi can bring much light into one's life. "What Are You Going to Do With Your Life? Unpublished Writings and Diaries" is a collection of writings from acclaimed writer, rabbi, and therapist, Edwin Friedman. These are previously unpublished writings, now available thirteen years after his death, and their insights will make readers of any faith ponder at length. "What Are You Going to Do With Your Life?" is of interest to any seeking contemplation.

I enjoyed studying with Dr. Friedman four years, and now can read some of the newly published talk by a master teacher. Thank you for putting this together. Art Hadley