The Schopenhauer Cure: A Novel

Great book, Yalom wrote a clear cut and precise way of viewing group therapy and it's dynamics. It made group therapy seem doable and possible. He used characters who were lively and held your attention. Aside from all of the "Ologies" that were referred to this book gets 5 stars.

If you are a fan of Schopenhauer, get this book. There are things in here that will surprise you. As a novel... well, I'll be polite. I've read better. It doesn't really work as a novel. But as an exploration of the basics of Schopenhauer (with a few surprises thrown in), it is very worthwhile, even valuable.

Well written from a therapist to therapist. I have read all of Yaloms books so some of the techniques are a bit played out- but nevertheless Yalom is a beautiful story teller and gives us all a lot to reflect on. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.

This book is a guidance for a
Iifetime, how to cope with death, with guilt, remorse, emotions and not ultimately with people, all kind of relationships.
It is like all this can happening to you, in present, in future, or happened in the past.
Good work

...then you'll enjoy the Schopenhauer Cure. While extremely moving at times, it lacks some of When Nietzsche Wept's depth. Nevertheless, it's an interesting tale, well told, and a great introduction to Schopnhauer's core ideas (and thus many of Existentialism's central concerns).

Extremely well written, entertaining, and educational. I had a hard time setting it down. At the end I found myself both surprised and mourning as with the the actual loss of an inspiring and cherished friend.

I enjoyed the book because as a graduate student in counseling, I am in my group practicum and had the option to report on this book. The setting helped me to understand the construct of group and the inner workings surrounding the group process.

This collection of stories focuses mainly on single sessions with clients and how with his relationship centric method Yalom is able to help many people even in this brief therapy.

It's a testament to the man that he's able to describe so well his mistakes as well as his successes both to us and to his clients, and the most entertaining story is about the client who resists all therapeutic intervention and leaves informing Yalom that he would love to explain more about his life but "Sally their time is up."

Yalom focuses a lot on existential crisis here and the fear of death as it emerges in people of all ages but in particular his older clients.

This is a wonderful book for anyone starting out or practicing as a therapist or anyone wanting to see what great therapy can be about.

As a graduate counseling student taking group right now, this book was a great illustration of what I was learning and experiencing in my class. I had issues with its abrupt ending, but that did not over cloud the strength of the book. Great read!

This book is wonderfully written and gave me many interesting and enriching hours of reading. If you are interested in philosophy and the interactions of people in group therapy and its parallels to real life, I can truly recommend this book.

I find it difficult to rate this book mainly because I DO NOT LIKE Schopenhauer. His negative, pessimistic and misanthropic view of humankind is very depressing indeed.
I was interested in the therapy sessions although at times the tone is a bit condescending. Maybe Yalom should give more credit to his readers.
On a literary level, not Yalom's best book. The style is too simple not to say simplistic and the use of literary tools too evident.

Appreciate the first person accounts of therapy sessions as both teaching and personal experience of entertainment. Would give five stars but feel multiple references to various other of author's books within this book feel a bit like advertising plugs, though within the context of stories in which they are mentioned appear appropriate most of the time.

Irvin Yalom's book, The Schopenhauer Cure, is a wonderful blend of fiction, philosophy, and therapy. The debates in the story between the emotionally disconnected philosopher Philip and Julius, the therapist who tries to reach him, are fascinating from both a personal and an intellectual point of view. This book is a must-read for all continental philosophy lovers, Freudians, and those interested in the relationship between the heart and the mind.

Although this book repeats much of what Yalom has written before about existential issues in psychotherapy it has some fresh perspectives and interesting case histories and Yalom speaks of his own existential struggles as well. A quick read, and for those who have not read some of his denser material, a good primer on his existential framework for psychotherapy which, in this reader's view, has considerable merit

I’ve read all of Yalom’s books, some multiple times, and find that I continue to learn and grow each time I read them. I never tire of rereading them. So this book feels like a delightful bonus! What a gift! Once again he allows us to enter into the sacred chamber of his therapy room – to experience with him these extraordinarily moving and yet profoundly relatable stories. Yalom continues masterfully to guide us in how to make close contact with another – despite our ultimate aloneness. And, with this latest book, we get the added benefit of Yalom’s 82 years, and the wisdom and perspective that comes with that. I most highly recommend this book. It is yet another Yalom masterpiece – but it seems to me that in this one, he takes us a step further in the journey, along with him.

I’ve read all of Yalom’s books, some multiple times, and find that I continue to learn and grow each time I read them. I never tire of rereading them. So this book feels like a delightful bonus! What a gift! Once again he allows us to enter into the sacred chamber of his therapy room – to experience with him these extraordinarily moving and yet profoundly relatable stories. Yalom continues masterfully to guide us in how to make close contact with another – despite our ultimate aloneness. And, with this latest book, we get the added benefit of Yalom’s 82 years, and the wisdom and perspective that comes with that. I most highly recommend this book. It is yet another Yalom masterpiece – but it seems to me that in this one, he takes us a step further in the journey, along with him.

As a psychotherapist in private practice, i really appreciated this book. The writing is wonderful, the stories engaging. The author is both experienced and insightful, weaving his finely honed skills into a flawless approach to helping people.

This book was rather disappointing and unfortunately is repetitious in places. While the examples are fairly interesting and some particularly sad, they are not deeply illuminating. This is not Yalom's best work. It is evident that issues of aging and mortality are creeping more into his consciousness and in his choice of stories and themes (meaning and mortality) for this book. In fact, it was kind of bothersome the focus on aging and its incipient trajectory toward decline for many. However, there was one particularly uplifting story about Yalom's unwillingness to give up on a patient that resulted in a remarkable recovery over time. It's that kind of psychotherapist that you would want when things rapidly spin to a downward spiral and cognitive decline. That was the most uplifting part of the book and his willingness to continue to write and share makes it a worthwhile read, despite its limitations.