As psychologists we are well aware of the power of words. Words shape our very being, from who we think we are to those with whom we choose to associate. Words have taught us about our own powers and weaknesses and about the powers and weaknesses of others. Amongst other things words bring us joy and sorrow, excitement and boredom, lies, propaganda, spin and the truth – at least the truth as it is for its teller. We live with and are shaped with words every moment of our life.

Words, when strung together, tell us geometrically more than each word alone. And when this string, ever so powerful in its entirety, forms itself into complex ideas, we become “more” after having experienced it. Some of these ideas, whether based in the acquisition of new knowledge or in having been caught up in a fictional tale, have become such an important part of our very being that we often look upon the impact of those ideas as a changing point in our life.

When we are young, life changing words are often spoken. As we develop more often than not they are written. We all have our favorites - those books and/or articles that have left a lasting imprint on our psyche be they works of fiction that introduced us to people and took us to places never imagined or professional literature that forever changed our understanding of and ability to do what we do.

The editor of the IP has asked me to start a section, hopefully to be in every upcoming IP, on favorite books. My favorites are my favorites because they captured me in special ways and I hope that by sharing them with you, if you chose to read them, they will capture you as well. And I hope to see future columns in the IP with your favorites so I can read them and hopefully also be excited about them.

First I want to start with fiction, in particular one particular book that I love more than any other and a number of authors who I find always entertaining. Many of my favorite authors are known to most, like Robert Ludlum, Michael Crichton and others of that ilk – excitement all the way through! I also have another favorite author than many if not most of you have never heard of although she is a best seller. She writes what I call “mind candy” – that stuff that is seemingly without any “nutritional” value but still calls me all the time. She is Diana Gabaldon and she writes historical novels. Her very long works (600-1000 paperback pages are not unusual) are filled with something for everyone. There is history, intrigue, romance, time travel, war, sex, espionage, love, tension, relationships – her books are jammed packed with page turning content.

But now for the most compelling work of fiction that I have ever read. It is a dark and disturbing tale with magnificent writing. It is like walking through a museum of words! (And this is only the translation from German.) The book is Perfume: the Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind. It begins: “In eighteenth-century France there lived a man who was one of the most gifted and abominable personages in an era that knew no lack of gifted and abominable personages”.

Regarding professional works, there is Allen Wheelis’ How People Change. It is seemingly very easy reading. If someone is ready to change, this book may be a factor in helping them do so. It is not self help by any means. It is philosophically deep and just reading the book can change someone. I challenge just about anyone to not at least tear up when reading chapter 5, Grass.

I also ask all supervisees to read David Shapiro’s Neurotic Styles and Donald Rinsley’s Developmental Pathogenesis and Treatment of Borderline and Narcissistic Personalities. I especially like this book for supervisees because, although Rinsley does assume that the reader has some basic psychoanalytic knowledge, he defines terms when using them in understandable form.

Finally there is Robert Karen’s Becoming Attached: First Relationships and How They Shape Our Capacity to Love. Karen brings us on the journey of the discovery of attachment theory and all the politics involved in Bowlby’s intuitions which eventually led to Ainsworth’s discoveries. This reminds us that even though we are scientists, belief systems are hard to overturn, even in the face of evidence to the contrary. On the 42 listserv recently the word “opifact” was coined. This book not only educates us on attachment theory, but reminds us about the power of opifacts.

PLEASE, feel free to send in your favorite books to the IP Editors or our Great Books Section Editor, Kathie Rudy at krudy@psychoanalysis.net

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