You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
These five books, of varying usefulness, represent the most significant literature in the field of Gestalt psychology and psychotherapy since its inception. Gestalt Therapy Verbatim, probably the most rewarding, is a direct transcript of the work of the late Frederick (Fritz) Perls, interspersed by informal discussions with a group of trainees. In and Out of the Garbage Pail, written near the end of his life, is an informal, egotistical and highly charming autobiography, conveying the playfulness which was one of Fritz's most delightful personal characteristics and one of his most effective therapeutic tools; it can be recommended either as light recreational reading or as an introduction to Gestalt thought. Ego, Hunger and Aggression, along with the collaborative work done with Hefferline and Goodman, provides a formal and somewhat abstract introduction to Gestalt theory. Although they include discussions of its direct application to personality problems, and even offer some materials on the self-application of this approach, they are probably of most interest to scholars of personality theory. The Fagan-Shepherd book, subtitled Theory, Techniques, Applications, contains contributions from various practitioners of Gestalt therapy, including Fritz himself, and provides an excellent survey of ways in which these theories can be applied.
Perls himself was a German-born psychiatrist, trained originally in psychoanalysis, who trained with Reich, Fenichel and Horney, then