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Theodore Lidz's The Person is an excellent exposition of the psychology of the normal personality. Although it is written primarily for medical students, it also serves the needs of psychologists, social workers, nurses, lawyers, and others who wish to understand the complexities of human emotional development.
The book is based on the observations of psychoanalysts, and is generally enriched by pertinent disclosures from other behavioral sciences. In an introductory section Lidz establishes certain basic premises which join the biological, the cultural, and the psychological. He suggests that through the evolution of the human brain, capacities for symbolism and the formation of language have emerged. The unique character of cerebral functioning in man enables him to transmit his cultural heritage through the institution of the family. Also, according to Lidz, genetic endowment produces the four basic drives which he considers pillars of the human personality, namely: the homeostatic drives, the sexual drives, the defensive drives, and impulsions to stimulation and activity.
The bulk of the book, a description of the life cycle from infancy to death, is completely done, utilizing observation from