Fearful Symmetry is the summation of 25 years of valuable clinical work and research on sadomasochism by the Novicks, both child and adult analysts. It is dedicated to the memory of their teacher Anna Freud, and its clear and elegant prose is reminiscent of her writing. Her influence is felt also on the multidimensional metapsychological perspective of the authors, who emphasize a developmental point of view, and utilize data drawn from infant observational research and from the analytic treatment of children, adolescents, and adults, to explicate the determinants and epigenetic layering of sadomasochism. The book includes a selection of previously published papers as well as more recent material. It contains 15 chapters, divided into four sections.