Thoughts Without a Thinker - by Mark Epstein (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Blending the lessons of psychotherapy with Buddhist teachings, Mark Epstein offers a revolutionary understanding of what constitutes a healthy emotional life

"One of the most sophisticated integrations of the therapeutic and spiritual disciplines." --New York Times

The line between psychology and spirituality has blurred as clinicians, their patients, and religious seekers explore new perspectives on the self. A landmark contribution to the field of psychoanalysis, Thoughts Without a Thinker describes how Buddhist teachings in particular have reshaped understandings of our minds and behavior. Drawing upon his own experiences as a psychotherapist and meditator, New York-based psychiatrist Mark Epstein lays out the path to meditation-inspired healing. Thoughts Without a Thinker offers a revolutionary understanding of what constitutes a healthy emotional life.

Review Quotes

"A groundbreaking work.... The book will take its place among the classics of the literature of meditation."--Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Mindfulness for Beginners

"A marvelous book that is at once scholarly and fresh, informative and personal."--Stephen A. Mitchell, author of Can Love Last?

"A most lucid and expert account of the wedding of psychotherapy and meditation. An Eastern-Western psychology that truly speaks from the inside of both worlds."--Jack Kornfield, author of The Wise Heart

"Epstein tries bravely and earnestly to make such matters of the mind and heart as clear as possible."--Robert Coles, New England Journal of Medicine

"I loved Thoughts Without a Thinker. Mark Epstein has given us a brilliant account of how an ancient science of mind, based on a rich meditative tradition, can complement therapy and lead to new dimensions of wisdom and wholeness."--Joan Borysenko, author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind

"Mark Epstein's book is inspired by its lucidity.... After Thoughts Without a Thinker, psychotherapy without a Buddhist perspective looks like a diminished thing."--Adam Phillips, author of Missing Out

"One of the most sophisticated integrations of the therapeutic and spiritual disciplines."--Daniel Goleman, New York Times

"A highly personal, thoughtful, illuminating synthesis.... Patients, psychologists, and mediators...will find much spiritual nourishment."--Publishers Weekly

"Eloquent yet down-to-earth, this gem offers an exhilarating and expansive perspective on the therapeutic process."--Booklist

"Epstein's solid book offers another example of contemporary efforts to revitalize psychotherapy."--Spirituality and Practice

About the Author

Mark Epstein, M.D., is a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City and the author of a number of books about the interface of Buddhism and psychotherapy, including The Zen of Therapy, Advice Not Given, and Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart.