The Art of Being (Paperback)

~ Erich Fromm (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Eric Fromm is both a psychologist of penetration and a writer of ability." -- Chicago Tribune

"Eric Fromm is both a psychologist of penetration and a writer of ability." --Chicago Tribune --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Description

This classic work by psychologist and social philosopher Eric Fromm builds upon his previous popular book To Have or to Be? The Art of Being teaches us to avoid the tantalizing illusions of our consumer-driven world by learning to function as a whole person from a state of inner completeness or being. The transition from an identity of having to being creates a state of enlightened psychological and spiritual happiness. Fromm observes that the modern person is less a self-reflective being than a composite of data promoted by the mass media, and he encourages us to pursue true self-awareness beyond simple political, ideological, and religious clichés. By learning to be centered in the self, the individual is less swayed by the endless pressures and dissatisfactions of the culture of consumerism. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (November 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826406734
• ISBN-13: 978-0826406736
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #116,030 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Adventures in being., November 20, 2002

By	G. Merritt (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Meister Eckart once asked, "How can anyone live without being instructed in the art of living and dying?" Examining what it means to truly live, psychologist and social philosopher, Eric Fromm (1900-80) drafted the manuscript of this book as a supplement and expansion to his book, TO HAVE OR TO BE. This book, which is somewhat uneven, is not so much a how-to book on how to live life more meaningfully, but an insightful exploration into the theories of escaping the "shackles" of greed and illusion that prevent us from realizing our full potentials for self-awareness, well being, independence, and the capacity to love.

The "average man today," Fromm observes, thinks very little for himself, and his capacity to concentrate has become "a rarity" (pp. 44, 89). We are a composite of data presented by schools and mass media, and we know very little from our own observations and thinking. We live our lives by the political, idealogical, and religious cliches that appeal most to our character and social class. Fromm encourages his reader to avoid the false paths ("shams") in the field of human enlightenment, and to also avoid "trivial talk." Instead, we should pursue self-awareness through the difficult practices of concentration, meditation, psychoanalysis, and breaking through the consumer/property structure of our existence.

G. Merritt

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In search of your 'self', June 23, 2001

By	George Stratev "gstratev" (Harrison, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

Erich Fromm has spent many years studying the corners of our human psyche. We go to school to learn biology, chemistry, physics, economics but we do not take any courses on how to live.

Mr. Fromm has made an intense effort to help us realize that we are who we want to be. There is a genetic structure that leads everyone of us in their own direction. However, nature is only one of the forces behind our development. As we become aware of who we are - our fears, strengths and weaknesses, we begin to understand how little we know about ourselves.

Looking inside is a wonderful way to begin seeing the world around us. Erich Fromm is allowing us to become more comfortable with who we are, where we are, and where we want to go!

Enjoy the book and the River of Life!

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another book for life, April 3, 2000

By	wanda lambert (Canada) - See all my reviews

This book is an expansion of his book entitled "To Have or to Be". One should not read one without the other. Highly recommend both,as an insight into the art of trying to function in this life as a whole, real person in this consumer driven world.