This book by Shengold gives us a psychoanalytic view of the life cycle from the everything of narcissistic undifferentiatedness from the primary object to the nothingness of death. It emphasizes the way powerful impulses and their frustrations and gratifications shape psychological processes and mental representations, which become observable via the psychanalytic process. There is special emphasis within this on symbolism, narcissism, and aggression. The author takes us through the life cycle with a virtuoso display of psychoanalytic theorizing, intricately interwoven with clinical and especially literary illustrations. The book is a tour de force, deeply committed to human and psychoanalytic values, and richly rewarding in describing how psychoanalysts view the human condition.

Shengold uses the metaphor of the journey to describe mental