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The book consists of 29 short essays and can be looked upon as an experienced analyst's free responses to various subjects which have inspired him to write. The text varies from philosophical vignettes on current cultural matters, to a psychoanalyst's thoughts on interpersonal phenomena, to
some lovely symbolic tales which are very illustrative of what he wants to get across. The viewpoint is psychoanalytic and the author looks all the time at the underlying unconscious phantasies. The short essays are meant mainly for a lay public and are easy to read. I found his non-theoretical, popularising style both expressive and convincing. The variety of subjects as well as the differing approaches contribute to making the book lively reading.
Im many of his essays, the author takes up the narcissistic dimension. For example, when he writes abourt the male Oedipus complex, he leaves out the classical triangular constellation and focuses on the issues of narcissistic competition and power struggle accompanied by the difficulty in tolerating feeling small and inadequate. He touches upon the importance of the early mother-child relationship in how envy comes to colour the oedipus complex and how phallic omnipotence is a defence against feelings of oedipal inferiority and envy.
He looks at the lately increasing moralistic attitudes in Finland from a few interesting viewpoints. He focuses here too on the narcissistic need of the moralist to boost his own superiority at the expence of ‘those others’ who are immoral. He shows how the moralist uses his moralistic attitude to subordinate others to accept his views and values of life. “Through caring for values of health, we have created a new form of moralism. It's target is mainly children and youths