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As Jeremy Holmes himself proclaims, this book is intended to be more than just a biography of psychoanalyst and scientist John Bowlby. While offering a comprehensive summary of attachment theory and research, there is also a distinctive synthesizing process at work which makes this a unique compilation of theoretical concepts, research findings, clinical vignettes and biography set in historical and socio-cultural context. The book is written in a straightforward, creative and flowing style which makes for a titillating read. Holmes’ enthusiasm for John Bowlby and his work is clear, yet there is critical evaluation as well which serves to keep this from becoming a shrine to Bowlby. The possible audience who might appreciate this work is wide, including not only the psychotherapist but also the developmental psychologist, psychiatric social worker and sociologist among others. The underlying message is one aimed particularly at the psychotherapeutic community — a message to consider attachment theory and research as a paramount source of information and support to effective work in the consulting-room.
The book is organized into three sections: Origins, Attachment Theory and Implications. In ‘Origins’ one is invited to consider Bowlby's own attachment history in terms of its significance for his work. There is something mischievous in the air as one is invited to page through Bowlby's life in a candid fashion that makes one feel privy to that which is most often left off-limits, especially since we are also told that John Bowlby was ‘notoriously reticent’ about his background. Crisp and clear anecdotes abound which convey a lively portrait of Bowlby's family origins, including his relationship with mother, father, sister and, especially, his rivalrous tie to