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The author, Richard Evans, writes that the goals of this dialogue are “(1) to introduce the reader to the contributor's major ideas and points of view; and (2) to convey through the extemporaneous dialogue style a feeling for the personality of the contributor.”
Within the limitations of the printed form these goals are reasonably well achieved. The content is essentially a bare outline of Erik Erikson's ideas and concepts rather than an explanatory discussion or developmental presentation of theory. As such the reader cannot expect to obtain an understanding of Erikson's significant productions in any breadth or depth.
For the scholar who has traveled the path of Erikson's writings, this volume serves as a personal reminder of the profuseness and profundity of his philosophic work. For the person who is unfamiliar with Erikson the appetite is frustrated by the very sparsity of material. If frustration can animate rather than anger, and the appetite is whetted, this dialogue is worth its weight and more. If reading this book is used as a substitute for Erikson's writings then a disservice is committed.
This volume is one of a series of extemporaneous dialogues that have been designated as teaching devices. It seems that the dialogue as presented here more readily presents an outline of what should be taught rather than actually being a teaching device. This doesn't negate the value of dialogue in this regard.
The use of dialogue in the context of Evans's material is not considered in the sense of a mutual discourse or interaction where the interviewer becomes the “critical challenger.” Instead he regards himself as providing “a medium through which” Erikson can express his views.