Adlerian books
All the books on the lists below are currently available from Amazon
Four key texts by Adler | Top 5 essential IP books | Complete list of recommended Adlerian reading | Other relevant books we like
Four key texts by Adler
Written for the general public, these classic examples of Adler's popular books from the 1920s & 30s are published with excellent introductions by the editor and translator Colin Brett, who places them in their historical and cultural context. Reissued by Oneworld Publications in 2009 (see links below for full details).
• Understanding Life: An Introduction to the Psychology of Alfred Adler
• What Life Could Mean To You: The Psychology of Personal Development
• Social Interest: Adler's Key to the Meaning of Life
• Understanding Human Nature: The Psychology of Personality
Adler's lifespan took him from 'Old Vienna' to New York in the 'jazz age', and the enduring vigour of his future-oriented psychology is evident in each of these modern translations. Reading any one of them is a good way to access his original depth of thinking about the individual in society. If you choose only one, Understanding Life (first published in 1927) is probably the most comprehensive, but they are all worth studying.
Top 5 books about IP
Adler For Beginners by Anne Hooper, Jeremy Holford, Kathryn Hyatt (Writers & Readers 1998)Entertaining and informative 'documentary comic-book' vividly presenting Adler’s ideas within the context of his early life, his personal development and medical career, his marriage to the socialist-feminist Raissa Epstein, the break with Freud, and his remarkably influential legacy. The text contains the odd misprint, and some of the illustrations are daft, but these do not detract from the value of the book. A great starting point if you know little or nothing about Adler and Individual Psychology. Even if you are already familiar with Adlerian psychology, this book is a colourful reminder of the sociopolitical context in which Adler’s personality made such a huge impact.
A Primer of Adlerian Psychology: The Analytic-Behavioural-Cognitive Psychology of Alfred Adler by Harold Mosak & Michael Maniacci (Brunner-Mazel 1999)
A very readable and comprehensive book by two Adlerian clinical psychologists working in Chicago. This slim but impressive volume packs a lot of practical philosophy and vital theoretical learning into 170 pages. Well organised with students in mind, includes chapter summaries and points for reflection, full references, a glossary, annotated bibliography, and (unusually) a critique of IP. A ‘must have’ for any student of Adlerian psychology.
Individual Psychology: Theory & Practice by Guy Manaster & Raymond Corsini (Adler School of Professional Psychology 1982, 1995, 2009)
Another highly effective collaborative contribution. Both authors did some of their training with Rudolf Dreikurs (1897-1972) who was trained by Adler, so they are steeped in the history of IP as well as being highly experienced practitioners of it. It is perhaps typically Adlerian of them to include a chapter frankly recounting the personal challenges involved in writing the book together (co-operation is not always easy!). They generously communicate their deep understanding of both the theory and practice of Adlerian psychology with plenty of stories, jokes, and illustrative metaphors, and provide two case studies plus several research abstracts. A rich resource.
The Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler: A Systematic Presentation in Selections from his Writings edited by Heinz Ansbacher & Rowena Ansbacher (Harper Perennial/Torchbooks 1964)A review of this seminal book in Contemporary Psychology stated: “Adler’s ideas have gone into the mainstream of contemporary thought and have become the accepted clinical common sense of our time. In this process they have often lost the tag of his name, but they are operating widely to achieve the mission that was closest to his heart.” The Ansbachers were Adler’s most dedicated editors as well as untiring proponents of IP, and were committed to organising his diverse papers into a coherent whole. This invaluable example of their work – which includes their astute commentaries on Adler’s writings – should be on every Adlerian’s shelf.
Adlerian Psychotherapy by Ursula Oberst & Alan Stewart
(Brunner-Routledge 2003)
Subtitled 'An Advanced Approach to Individual Psychology', this book gives an account of the evolution of classical Adlerian theory, re-examines the principles from a contemporary international perspective, and then discusses how IP can be developed further. The authors, who take a strongly integrationist and constructivist approach, bring IP right up to date and highlight its theoretical and practical relevance in a postmodern world. The section on the relationship of Adlerian therapy to other psychotherapeutic approaches is particularly valuable and intellectually stimulating. As well as chapters on family therapy and child guidance, there is research material and a case study. Highly recommended.
Complete list of recommended Adlerian reading
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Other counselling-related books we like a lot
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