The Structure and Dynamics of Character: A review of Personality and Psychopathology: Critical Dialogues with David Shapiro, edited by Craig Piers. New York:  Springer, 2011,  318 pp.

For readers of Contemporary Psychoanalysis, the name David Shapiro mostly likely calls to mind his groundbreaking work, Neurotic Styles, first published in 1965 and now translated into six languages. These same readers might then wonder about David Shapiro's place among the many factions within psychoanalysis—from modern structural theorists to Interpersonal theorists, from adherents of Brenner to acolytes of Mitchell. How do we understand Shapiro's influential books: Neurotic Styles (1965), Autonomy and Rigid Character (1981), Psychotherapy of Neurotic Character (1989), and Dynamics of Character: Self-Regulation in Psychopathology (2000)? How do we approach his work? Which faction is he closest to? Well, here's a brief answer: David Shapiro is one of the most independent, original, and provocative thinkers in the psychoanalytic world, and he has developed a systematic understanding of personality and psychopathology that warrants attention from all factions.

Personality and Psychopathology: Critical Dialogues with David Shapiro, ably edited by Craig Piers, provides a comprehensive understanding of his influence. By having Shapiro engage individually in exchanges with a roster of distinguished psychologists and psychoanalysts—researchers and clinicians alike—Piers captures the scope and boundaries of his perspective. Shapiro's interlocutors—Herbert J. Schlesinger, Paul L. Wachtel, E. Virginia Demos, Sidney J. Blatt, Louis A. Sass, Morris N. Eagle, Mardi J. Horowitz, Michael F. Schober and Peter J. Glick, Lawrence Josephs, Craig Piers, Mindy Greenstein, and Andreas Evdokas and Ali Khadivi—bring their unique perspectives to bear on Shapiro's work. A noteworthy feature of this volume, which takes it beyond a simple collection of articles, is its emphasis on dialogue. From genuine dialogue