Though references to it are scattered in the writings of Klein and Winnicott, the topic of greed has drawn meager attention from contemporary psychoanalysts. This book fills that lacuna. Noting that the inconsolable, relentless, and coercive dimensions of such hunger have profoundly destructive impact upon the self and its objects, Greed: Developmental, Cultural, and Clinical Realms sheds light on the emotion’s myriad manifestations as well as its camouflage by the ego’s defensive operations. Issues of childhood deprivation, adolescent novelty-seeking, and clinging to the object-world toward the end of life are examined. The avarice that prevails in today’s business world is discussed, as is the deleterious impact of greed upon marital relations. More to the clinician’s interest, the book highlights the various ways in which greed makes its appearance during treatment, taking into account the tabooed topic of the analyst’s own greed for money, prestige, and intellectual prowess. Contents: Acknowledgements; About the Editor and Contributors; Introduction Part I: Developmental Realm
1) The development of greed in childhood—Ann Smolen
2) Anticipatory greed and compensatory greed as developmental steps during adolescence—Christine C. Kieffer
3) Primal greed, developmental greed, and terminal greed—Thomas Wolman Part II: Cultural Realm
4) Greed in the life of William Shakespeare and generosity in the life of Edward De Vere, aka “Shakespeare”—Richard Waugaman
5) Corporate greed and the new class system—Kenneth Eisold
6) Greed in Hollywood movies—Thomas Wolman Part III: Clinical Realm
7) Meanings, manifestations, and management of greed—Salman Akhtar
8) Greed in the context of marriage and other close relationships—Elizabeth H. Thomas
9) Greed, greediness, and greedy patients—Andrew Klafter
10) The analyst’s greed—Aisha Abbasi References; Index The Editor: Salman Akhtar is Professor of Psychiatry at Jefferson Medical College and Training and Supervising Analyst at the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia. He is the Book Review Editor of the International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies, Film Review Editor of the International Journal of Psychoanalysis, and has served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association. He is the author of a number of books, including Broken Structures, Inner Torment, Objects of Our Desire, and Turning Points in Dynamic Psychotherapy. He has also contributed to many edited books. Dr. Akhtar is the recipient of several awards including the Best Paper of the Year Award and Edith Sabshin Award from the American Psychoanalytic Association and the Sigmund Freud Award for Distinguished Contribution to Psychoanalysis from the American Society of Psychoanalytic Physicians. |
