New York: The Viking Press, 1963. Jacket heavily rubbed and chipped with tearing and loss. Presentation inscription on ffep written to the Ellisons (food writer Audrey Ellison) from the Menningers, and signed and dated by author. Content VG.. Cloth. Very Good/Poor. 8vo.

Reviews

On Jun 4 2007, Learningaramaic said:

This wise book-- by one of the greatest psychodynamicly-oriented psychiatrists of the 20th century-- explores human psychosocial function as a "total system" years before Bertalanffy and the General Systems people made its approach into a rigorous discipline in mental health.

Simply put, what Dr. Menninger calls the "vital balance" is equivalent to the human potential for homeostasis in the psychic and social areas. There is nothing mystical or superstitious about this notion, albeit is is holistic and not reductionist.

What is not well-appreciated is that-- given enough inputs/outputs-- the "steady state" of the vital balance Menninger discusses can be described mathematically. BUT FEAR NOT ON THIS NOTICE! NOT A SINGLE MATH FORMULA APPEARS IN MENNINGER'S BOOK HERE, DESPITE THIS COMPLETE COMPLEMENTARITY IN HARD-SYSTEMS TERMINOLOGY.

THE VITAL BALANCE was pressed in 1963; while it was reprinted several times, I understand it can be obtained only in used-bookstores. Pity! This work was well-ahead-of-its-time upon pressing, and I consider it to be CUTTING-EDGE PSYCHIATRY unto this day. This work was the most-consistent and most-rigorous contribution by "Dr. Karl," as he is known at the Menninger Clinic-- is well-crafted theory fit for the family-systems practitioners, the quantifiers, and all in mental health who seek a comprehensive framework within which one can cast the PROCESS OF GETTING WELL PSYCHOLOGICALLY.

--Vernon Lynn Stephens, M.S.S.W.

D.S.M. IV # 350

F31.2

10:49 p.m. -- Monday, June 4, 2007

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Details

Bookseller: Bookcase (GB)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 68877
Title: The Vital Balance: The Life Process in Mental Health and Illness
Author: Menninger, Karl
Format/Binding: Hardcover
Book Condition: Used - Very Good
Jacket Condition: Poor
Publisher: The Viking Press
Place of Publication: New York
Date Published: 1963
Size: 8vo

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FFEP: A common abbreviation for Front Free End Paper. Generally, it is the first page of a book and is part of a single sheet that...
Cloth: "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
VG: Very Good condition can describe a used book that does show some small signs of wear - but no tears - on either binding or...
Jacket: Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...