Mothers, Sons, and Lovers: How a Man's Relationship with His Mother Affects the Rest of His Life
Modern society lacks the rituals available in primitive cultures, claims Gurian, whereby a boy separates from his mother as he moves into manhood. As a result, many modern men do not adequately separate from their mothers. Gurian discusses the troubled relationships that result. He points out that the father's role in this separation is crucial; from him the boy learns what it is to be a man. If the father is absent or disengaged, the boy may be hurt. In unhappy families, mothers may give the wrong messages to their sons. In the second half of the book, Gurian offers a workbook-like exercise designed to take the reader on a journey to heal his relationship with his mother. Enlivened by examples and easy to read, this book makes a contribution to the literature on male personal development. For large popular psychology collections.- John Moryl, Yeshiva Univ. Lib., New YorkCopyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.