Ethics and Lao-Tzu: Intimations of Character

Ethics and Lao-Tzu is both a poignant narrative of psychotherapy and a profound meditation on character. Drawing on numerous psychological, philosophical and literary works, this book relates the story of Kristina, a young woman with multiple personalities. Kristina's story is told, in part, through her own stunning artwork, visual representations of a phenomenological world richly imbued with symbolism and meaning. Mendelowitz creates a tapestry of sorts as he mixes dreams, encounters, and letters from psychotherapy, illustrative quotes from classic works, and his own poetic insights. In this way, the book becomes an interweaving of art forms, each evocatively underscoring essential themes and exhorting humility, wonder, and care. The rhythm of the text constitutes both metaphor and coded message for the careful reader, the pauses between its many sections quiet moments for reflection as the book's subtle meanings find a home in one's personal narrative. As the collage within these pages moves toward a coherent and eloquent whole, so, too, does Kristina learn to find beauty in her many "parts": an integration of elements, aspects, and voices. Kirk Schneider, the leading existential psychologist in the United States today, refers to Mendelowitz as "the poet laureate of existential psychology." In Ethics and Lao-Tzu, Mendelowitz illustrates why this praise is so fitting. It is an inspired work exploring the depths of the human soul.