Anthony Storr

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) revolutionized the way in which we think about ourselves. From its beginnings as a theory of neurosis, Freud developed psycho-analysis into a general psychology which became widely accepted as the predominant mode of discussing personality and interpersonal relationships.

Freud: A Very Short Introduction

Describes what attitude psychiatrists should have towards their patients, how psychotherapy should be conducted, and what constitutes a cure

The Art of Psychotherapy

An eye-opening investigation of charismatic "gurus" from Jesus to Freud to David Koresh, by the author of "Solitude: A Return to the Self". In "Feet of Clay", eminent psychologist Anthony Storr uncovers the personality traits that link these men and explores the incredible power they have wielded over their fanatical followers. 11 photos.

A Study of Gurus

Feet of Clay

Storr, the bestselling author of Solitude, explores the intimate effects of music, and the reasons for its central place in our lives. He traces the origins of music and its functional development in society as entertainment, communication, and therapy, making a powerful argument for the universality and centrality of music.

Music and the Mind

الاعتكاف – عودة إلى الذات

Selected Writings

Essential Jung

A dual introduction / [by] Anthony Storr ; [by] Anthony Stevens

Freud & Jung

'Extremely engaging... A book full of good moments and humane insights.' Alan Ryan, Observer

Churchill's Black Dog and Other Phenomena of the Human Mind

First Published in 1991. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Jung

Originally published in 1972, this fully revised edition was published in 1991 and provides a classic study of humanity¿s capacity for evil. The human species is capable of the most appalling cruelty. Why is this and where does our capacity for such destructiveness come from? In Human Destructiveness, Anthony Storr explores these important questions. In seeking to shed light on such brutal phenomena as genocide, racial conflict and other large-scale manifestations of violence, he cautions against easy extrapolations from individual behaviour to the behaviour of groups and nations, though he offers illuminating discussions of aggressive personality disorders, sadomasochism and the mechanisms of paranoid delusion. Most provocatively, he locates the propensity for mass outbreaks of cruelty in the imagination: ¿to be able to see fellow human beings as wholly evil requires an imaginative capacity not found in other species.¿ Combining wide scholarship, humane intelligence and a graceful style, Human Destructiveness provides an illuminating study of some of the darkest corners of the human psyche.

The Roots of Genocide and Human Cruelty

Human Destructiveness

Solitude by Dr. Anthony Storr

C. G. Jung

The School of Genius

What drives the artist to create masterpieces and the scientist to forge breakthrough theories? This is the fundamental question that British psychiatrist Anthony Storr sets out to answer in The Dynamics of Creation. Storr begins by debunking the popular notion that creative people are necessarily motivated by neurosis. Although creativity can spring from a desire for power, wealth, prestige, or sexual conquest, at its deepest level it is an integrative impulse that both nourishes and consoles the human soul. In probing the origins and the consequences of creativity, Storr paints brief, stunningly insightful portraits of an astonishing range of gifted individuals, including Leonardo da Vinci, Darwin, Mozart, Einstein, Kafka, Newton, Balzac, and Wagner. A brilliant synthesis of psychology, biography, cultural analysis, and artistic appreciation. "Rich and rewarding . . . Full of wise and humane understanding." The Economist

The Dynamics of Creation

Originally published in 1988, Anthony Storr's bestselling meditation on the creative individual's need for solitude has become a classic. A pre-eminent work in self-help and popular psychology literature, Solitude was seminal in challenging the psychological paradigm that “interpersonal relationships of an intimate kind are the chief, if not the only, source of human happiness.” Indeed, most self-help literature still places relationships at the center of human existence. Lucid and lyrical, Storr's book argues that solitude ranks alongside relationships in its impact on an individual’s well-being and productivity, as well as on society's progress and health. Citing numerous examples of brilliant scholars and artists—from Beethoven and Kant to Anne Sexton and Beatrix Potter—he argues that solitary activity is essential not only for geniuses, but often for the average person as well. For nearly three decades, readers have found inspiration and renewal in Storr's erudite, compassionate vision of the human experience—and the benefits and joy of solitude.

Solitude a Return to the Self

Anthony Storr's accessible and humane account of the art of psychotherapy has been widely read by practitioners in training and others in the helping professions, as well as many general readers. The second edition includes a thoroughly revised account of the obsessional personality, and a new chapter that draws on the author's recent work on the importance of the processes of healing that take place within the isolated individual.

Anthony Storr

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