The Examined Life
How We Lose and Find Ourselves
by Stephen Grosz
Recommended by David Heinemeier Hansson and Olivia Wilde
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Should I read this?
Recommended by 2 sources and appears in Psychotherapy, Psychology, and Philosophy.
Echoing Socrates' timehonoured statement that the unexamined life is not worth living, psychoanalyst Stephen Grosz draws short, vivid stories from his 25fiveyear practice in order to track the collaborative journey of therapist and patient as they uncover the hidden feelings behind ordinary behaviour. These beautifully rendered tales illuminate ...
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Why recommended
Recommended by 2 sources and appears in Psychotherapy, Psychology, and Philosophy.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
David Heinemeier Hansson
“Recently, I really enjoyed The Examined Life as a fast, mindblowing jaunt through the world of psychotherapy. Dr. Grosz is brilliant and essentially boils down a collection of his “ah ha” moments into a few pages each. It’s enlightening, and highly satisfying.”
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Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. Recommended by 8 sources.
“Soft-spoken, heavily illustrated fable built from short dialogues and watercolor sketches. Each spread pairs a spare line of text with a loose drawing, so the pleasure is visual and aphoristic rather than narrative; readers collect felt-true sentences more than plot. Most useful when you want quick consolations, a prompt for conversation with a child, or a pause during a rough day. Limiting if you want sustained argument, concrete advice, or tightly plotted storytelling: the repetition of gentleness can feel sentimental or thin after a while.”
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Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.
The Examined Life
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