num_pages: 224
description: Most people will never find a great psychiatrist or a great Buddhist teacher but Mark Epstein is both and the wisdom he imparts in Advice Not Given is an act of generosity and compassion. The book is a tonic for the ailments of our time.--Ann Patchett New York Times bestselling author of Commonwealth Our ego and its accompanying sense of nagging self-doubt as we work to be bigger better smarter and more in control is one affliction we all share. And while our ego claims to have our best interests at heart in its never-ending pursuit of attention and power it sabotages the very goals it sets to achieve. In Advice Not Given renowned psychiatrist and author Dr. Mark Epstein reveals how Buddhism and Western psychotherapy two traditions that developed in entirely different times and places and until recently had nothing to do with each other both identify the ego as the limiting factor in our well-being and both come to the same conclusion: When we give the ego free rein we suffer; but when it learns to let go we are free.With great insight and in a deeply personal style Epstein offers readers a how-to guide that refuses a quick fix grounded in two traditions devoted to maximizing the human potential for living a better life. Using the Eightfold Path eight areas of self-reflection that Buddhists believe necessary for enlightenment as his scaffolding Epstein looks back productively on his own experience and that of his patients. While the ideas of the Eightfold Path are as old as Buddhism itself when informed by the sensibility of Western psychotherapy they become something more: a road map for spiritual and psychological growth a way of dealing with the intractable problem of the ego. Breaking down the wall between East and West Epstein brings a Buddhist sensibility to therapy and a therapist's practicality to Buddhism. Speaking clearly and directly he offers a rethinking of mindfulness that encourages people to be more watchful of their ego an idea with a strong foothold in Buddhism but now for the first time applied in the context of psychotherapy.Our ego is at once our biggest obstacle and our greatest hope. We can be at its mercy or we can learn to mold it. Completely unique and practical Epstein's advice can be used by all--each in his or her own way--and will provide wise counsel in a confusing world. After all as he says Our egos can use all the help they can get.
language: English
title: Advice Not Given: A Guide to Getting Over Yourself
publisher: Penguin Press