The Act of Living: What the Great Psychologists Can Teach Us About Surviving Discontent in an Age of Anxiety

So far, I’ve only read the first few chapters, but I’m really enjoying this book. The author, Frank Tallis, takes the reader on a journey through much of twentieth-century psychology, and along the way he covers psychologists and their theories, showing us what they can teach us about living in today’s world. The book is written beautifully, and although there are a few technical terms here and there, there is nothing that any interested reader could not understand. I came to this book by way of Josh Cohen’s How to Live, which is also a very good read.I’ve only just realised that Frank Tallis is also a novelist, so following the completion of The Act of Living I’m pretty sure I’ll be dipping into his other works.I hope you find my review helpful.

I enjoy Frank Tallis’s novels so was attracted to this when I saw it. It is an excellent introduction to the history of Psychology and psychotherapy, but more relevantly, also shows how we can use some of the professional outputs in our daily lives. Whilst not a self help book as such, it does raise some extremely pertinent issues and leaves the reader wanting to explore more.And it is written in an easy compelling style.

I enjoyed this book very much, both for its wisdom and the lucidity of its writing. There is so much we need to learn about the human condition, and this book illuminates the subject while presenting a readily understandable history of how the disciplines of psychology and psychotherapy were developed. I recommend it for anyone who wants to know more.

You learn so much from this book. I’ve bought friends and family copies. Really interesting

Highly recommend to anyone with a passing interest in psychology, or none at all.

I really enjoyed Frank Tallis's book, which is a great overview of the advances in and uses for psychotherapy, written in a friendly and insightful way. Psychotherapy remains really mysterious and remote for many people and this book does a great job or demystifying it. Well worth a read for anyone