This biography of the famous British psychoanalyst, John Bowlby, is both illuminating and frustrating. The beginning of the book recounts Bowlby's claim to fame, and it is considerable. I came to believe, after reading this book, that Bowlby's landmark discoveries have not been sufficiently recognized or taught in psychiatric residencies and psychoanalytic institutes.

According to this biography, Bowlby would have been the quintessential Academy member, but not exactly the American (Psychoanalytic Association) type. I say this because Bowlby was described as more interested in behavior than words. In his early practice, he worked with delinquent boys and found a common denominator in the instability and inadequacy in the maternal (parental) bond. These delinquent boys had been invariably abandoned, rejected, and abused, and their parental ties were frequently interrupted. We know that