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The presentation of new ideas and concepts is difficult in any field, certainly psychoanalysis, without first having to set aside old or classical propositions. Introduction of new thinking is an emotionally and intellectually challenging process and an even-handed tone and well thought-through objectification cannot be expected to be maintained unfailingly. But Robert D. Stolorow & Frank M. Lachmann in their book Psychoanalysis of Developmental Arrests. Theory and Treatment have attempted with relative success to make contributions to the theory and treatment of developmental arrest and to integrate their thinking with the mainline of psychoanalytic endeavour. Their work is well considered, deliberate in its pacing, and well supplied with clinical illustrations of the concepts and techniques which they are presenting. Because the work represents an informed, carefully constructed and relatively even-handed contribution, it is receiving widespread attention and has already been reviewed in professional journals.
In their introduction the authors acknowledge the influence of 'the innovative, seminal writings of Heinz Kohut' in providing 'a unique frame of reference from which to study new terrain'. They state their opinion that the narcissistic character problems they are studying are not a new species produced by modern society but belong to an old species that is 'now treatable within the framework of the more encompassing theory'. The approach of Stolorow & Lachmann is to highlight the central importance of lines of development that lead to structuralization of 'the representational world' (Sandler & Rosenblatt, 1962), that is, highlighting the establishment and consolidation of a subjective world and of differentiated and integrated self and object representation. Closely related to the task of self-object differentiation is the need to integrate or synthesize representations with contrasting affective colourations, e.g. the all-good and the all-bad object