Where to find a case of case studies?
April 2, 2011 3:02 AM Subscribe
Last week, I've picked up a book "Introduction to Personality" by Jerry Phares, and now looking for similar books. What can you recommend me Metafilter?
The book is quite old (from 1988) and feels outdated, however, I've realized that I love reading the case studies and I'm fascinated with them. The longer the better. In this book they are at most 1-1.5 pages and I wouldn't mind reading 4-5 pages (or even longer) long case studies.
I've looked at amazon to see "similar items" but wasn't quite sure if they are what I want. So basically I'm looking for books with just case studies. I've seen this post too and will check the books, however, what I'm after is just case studies. So tell me Metafilter, where are the books I'm looking for?
The book is quite old (from 1988) and feels outdated, however, I've realized that I love reading the case studies and I'm fascinated with them. The longer the better. In this book they are at most 1-1.5 pages and I wouldn't mind reading 4-5 pages (or even longer) long case studies.
I've looked at amazon to see "similar items" but wasn't quite sure if they are what I want. So basically I'm looking for books with just case studies. I've seen this post too and will check the books, however, what I'm after is just case studies. So tell me Metafilter, where are the books I'm looking for?
Response by poster: Thanks crocomancer, that looks interesting, but I'm looking for case studies of "normal" people with "normal" problems. The man who mistook his wife for a hat looks like has "extreme" cases.
I have no training in psychology, so I'm not quite sure what exactly I'm looking for.
posted by caelumluna at 4:56 AM on April 2, 2011
I have no training in psychology, so I'm not quite sure what exactly I'm looking for.
posted by caelumluna at 4:56 AM on April 2, 2011
Go to your best local used book shop and spend some time lingering in the "psychology" section. I also love this kind of reading, and I generally find that you chance upon the gold among those old shelves.
You might enjoy reading books by therapists that contain accounts of their patients' therapy - more or less case studies. Check out Irvin Yalom ("Love's Executioner") or Herbert Strean (both psychotherapists). An amazing book-length case study is Dibs: In Search of Self by Virginia Axiline. (It is very easy to come by in used book shops.)
Also, you might want to consider studying psychology! Happy Reading.
posted by beccyjoe at 4:59 AM on April 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
You might enjoy reading books by therapists that contain accounts of their patients' therapy - more or less case studies. Check out Irvin Yalom ("Love's Executioner") or Herbert Strean (both psychotherapists). An amazing book-length case study is Dibs: In Search of Self by Virginia Axiline. (It is very easy to come by in used book shops.)
Also, you might want to consider studying psychology! Happy Reading.
posted by beccyjoe at 4:59 AM on April 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
(Books by therapists about their patients' experiences in therapy are usually about "normal" people. and very readable.)
posted by beccyjoe at 5:01 AM on April 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by beccyjoe at 5:01 AM on April 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Here are two, based upon the hypno-theraputic techniques of Milton Erickson:
My Voice Will Go with You: The Teaching Tales of Milton H. Erickson , by Sidney Rosen.
Uncommon Therapy: The Psychiatric Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, M.D, by Jay Haley.
Both fit your description quite well. The second book, in particular, is absolutely fascinating from beginning to end. Erickson was a deeply intuitive psychiatrist, with a penetrating insight into practical approaches that helped moved people past the behaviors that they were "stuck" in. Because his technique is so idiosyncratic and intuitive, each case study is like a little Sherlock Holmes mystery, with a narrative, a twist, and a satisfying denouement.
posted by curtm at 7:59 AM on April 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
My Voice Will Go with You: The Teaching Tales of Milton H. Erickson , by Sidney Rosen.
Uncommon Therapy: The Psychiatric Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, M.D, by Jay Haley.
Both fit your description quite well. The second book, in particular, is absolutely fascinating from beginning to end. Erickson was a deeply intuitive psychiatrist, with a penetrating insight into practical approaches that helped moved people past the behaviors that they were "stuck" in. Because his technique is so idiosyncratic and intuitive, each case study is like a little Sherlock Holmes mystery, with a narrative, a twist, and a satisfying denouement.
posted by curtm at 7:59 AM on April 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
One of my favorite theory books is Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends, and it contains my favorite case study, "Sneaky Poo".
I would encourage you to read what people are suggesting, as it may help you to be understanding/empathetic about the fact that people with brain damage, or schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder, or borderline personality disorder, or sexual abuse are just as "normal" as people with major depression, anxiety, or little kids who shit their pants.
posted by so_gracefully at 9:20 AM on April 2, 2011
I would encourage you to read what people are suggesting, as it may help you to be understanding/empathetic about the fact that people with brain damage, or schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder, or borderline personality disorder, or sexual abuse are just as "normal" as people with major depression, anxiety, or little kids who shit their pants.
posted by so_gracefully at 9:20 AM on April 2, 2011
Funny, I had Dr. Phares for a couple psychology classes as an undergrad.
Looking for "similar items" on Amazon is probably going to yield other psychology textbooks on personality, but maybe a current one of those would be exactly what you need? At the very least, they'd be better than pop-psychology personality books that you might find in an average bookstore.
posted by donnagirl at 3:10 PM on April 2, 2011
Looking for "similar items" on Amazon is probably going to yield other psychology textbooks on personality, but maybe a current one of those would be exactly what you need? At the very least, they'd be better than pop-psychology personality books that you might find in an average bookstore.
posted by donnagirl at 3:10 PM on April 2, 2011
Response by poster: so gracefully, thanks, I am aware that people with brain damage are just as "normal" as others, the problem is, I'm just not interested in those cases.
it looks like there are no books just devoted to "case studies", I've also seen this post on personality textbooks, so I might look into those as well.
posted by caelumluna at 3:26 PM on April 2, 2011
it looks like there are no books just devoted to "case studies", I've also seen this post on personality textbooks, so I might look into those as well.
posted by caelumluna at 3:26 PM on April 2, 2011
Response by poster: donnagirl, would you say Dr. Phares is one of the best textbook writers on this subject?
The edition I have is quite old, and it feels very outdated, however it doesn't mean a current edition will be like this.
What I'm trying to say is, if someone wanted to learn macroeconomics, I could tell which textbooks are useless and which ones are worth reading (from my point of view of course). So given, there are multiple personality textbooks out there, and if you had to pick one, which one would you pick?
posted by caelumluna at 3:31 PM on April 2, 2011
The edition I have is quite old, and it feels very outdated, however it doesn't mean a current edition will be like this.
What I'm trying to say is, if someone wanted to learn macroeconomics, I could tell which textbooks are useless and which ones are worth reading (from my point of view of course). So given, there are multiple personality textbooks out there, and if you had to pick one, which one would you pick?
posted by caelumluna at 3:31 PM on April 2, 2011
Best answer: Dr. Phares was a good lecturer, near the end of his career when I had him, for the large midwestern state university I attended. I honestly don't have any idea if his textbook was good; it's a pretty common practice for academics in some disciplines to turn out a textbook or two.
Most general textbooks are going to be pretty similar, and getting a "great" one won't necessarily guarantee the feature you're looking for in case studies. If there's a college or university in your area, I'd just head to the campus bookstore and buy a used copy of whatever they're using for their undergrad personality course.
posted by donnagirl at 7:13 PM on April 2, 2011
Most general textbooks are going to be pretty similar, and getting a "great" one won't necessarily guarantee the feature you're looking for in case studies. If there's a college or university in your area, I'd just head to the campus bookstore and buy a used copy of whatever they're using for their undergrad personality course.
posted by donnagirl at 7:13 PM on April 2, 2011
Try An Intimate History of Humanity by Theodore Zeldin
posted by cross_impact at 2:05 PM on April 6, 2011
posted by cross_impact at 2:05 PM on April 6, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by crocomancer at 4:36 AM on April 2, 2011 [1 favorite]