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The Vital Balance: The Life Process in Mental Health and Illness

The Vital Balance: The Life Process in Mental Health and Illness

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The Vital Balance: The Life Process in Mental Health and Illness

by Menninger, Karl

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Very Good in Good dust jacket
Seller
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Palatine, Illinois, United States
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About This Item

New York: The Viking Press. Very Good in Good dust jacket. 1964. Fifth Printing. Hard Cover. Lower quarter of books publisher's full blue cloth over grey boards, blue lettering on spine and cover, top edge blue. . Top edge slightly soiled, dust jacket slightly worn, else tight, square, unmarked, and clean. VERY GOOD/GOOD. . 8vo 8" - 9" tall. 531 pp .

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
Round Table Books, LLC US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
23450
Title
The Vital Balance: The Life Process in Mental Health and Illness
Author
Menninger, Karl
Format/Binding
Hard Cover
Book Condition
Used - Very Good in Good dust jacket
Edition
Fifth Printing
Binding
Hardcover
Publisher
The Viking Press
Place of Publication
New York
Date Published
1964
Keywords
Psychology;, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Mental Breakdown, Psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud
Bookseller catalogs
Religion & Mythology; Philosophy & Social Sciences;

Terms of Sale

Round Table Books, LLC

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED - Any book may be returned in the same condition within 30 days of receipt for a full refund.

About the Seller

Round Table Books, LLC

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2008
Palatine, Illinois

About Round Table Books, LLC

Round Table Books, LLC lists rare, beautiful and interesting books. All books are described accurately, packed carefully and shipped promptly. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED - Any book may be returned within 30 days of receipt for a full refund.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Spine
The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
Cloth
"Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
Jacket
Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
Soiled
Generally refers to minor discoloration or staining.
Tight
Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.

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