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, MD, is a psychiatrist in private practice 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. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University. He lives and works in the Hudson Valley and New York City.