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In dialogue with David Shapiro, Craig Piers has successfully edited a most interesting volume whose focus is Shapiro's contribution to psychoanalytic psychology. The title of this book is apt. The book is comprised of papers from several scholars who take up the relevance and implications of Shapiro's work.
Many contributors, including Paul Wachtel and Sidney Blatt, are central to the contemporary endeavor of psychoanalytic psychology, whereas others, such as Louis Sass and Mardi Horowitz, may be considered to have a wider compass that includes phenomenology in literature and psychiatric diagnosis respectively. In addition to such variety, Piers and Shapiro opted for a conversational format that situates the work in a lively manner. This format leads to such knotty problems as self-deception and intentionality being addressed in real time. This is further accomplished by the fact that in addition to responses by Shapiro to each of the twelve focal chapters, nine of the twelve interlocuters afford additional critique via a rejoinder to Shapiro's response. Such multiplicity affords a chance for the reader to think alongside the book itself.
That such difference, not idolatry, is essential to this endeavor calls to mind the spirit of Bion as described by Grotstein (1987, in Mitchell, 1993). Grotstein writes:
Among many of his followers in Los Angeles, and especially among many analysts all over South America, Bion's worst fears seem to have been realized: “I was so loaded down with honors that I nearly sank without a trace!” That is, he became “known” and “understood” through his works. His words became litanical on their way to becoming liturgical.
I have long puzzled over his style of presentation. My “understanding” of it began in an analysis with him. On one occasion he gave me a lengthy but cogent interpretation, to which I unsuspectingly answered, “I think I follow you.” His reply was as follows: “Yes, I was afraid of that!” (1987, p. 61)
Fortunately the voices found