The Stories We Live By
Personal Myths and the Making of the Self
Dan P. McAdams
A Paperback Original
A Paperback Original
orderJanuary 3, 1997
ISBN 9781572301887
Price: $42.00 336 Pages
Size: 6" x 9"
“Who am I?” “How do I fit in the world around me?” This revealing and innovative book demonstrates that each of us discovers what is true and meaningful, in our lives and in ourselves, through the creation of personal myths. Challenging the traditional view that our personalities are formed by fixed, unchanging characteristics, or by predictable stages through which every individual travels, The Stories We Live By persuasively argues that we are the stories we tell. Informed by extensive scientific research—yet highly readable, engaging, and accessible—the book explores how understanding and revising our personal stories can open up new possibilities for our lives.
“This is the sort of book around which a narrative psychology course can easily be built....McAdams renders the research literatures from disparate psychological domains (i.e., developmental, social, clinical, and personality) comprehensible and integrated.”
—Contemporary Psychology
“There's a quiet revolution taking place within psychology and at its forefront is a young personologist named Dan McAdams. To understand ourselves, he says, you have to go beyond 'objective' data to the myths we create about our lives. Here at last is a book that will introduce you to the revolution, and here is a social scientist—a storyteller, too—who will guide you through the intricacies of your own myths. You'll welcome the chance to spend some time with him.”
—John Kotre, PhD, Coauthor of Seasons of Life, Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan
“McAdams looks beyond the narrow confines of academic psychology and sheds light on the mysteries of the life cycle. He shows how the life stories we create and revise can lead to genuine self-discovery.”
—Peter M. Newton, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, The Wright Institute, Berkeley, California
“This the first exciting theory of adult personality development as seen through the eyes of the person…. A 'must' read for those of us entering midlife and beyond who seek to better understand where we came from, where we are now, and where we are going.”
—Robert Emmons, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis
“McAdams's wonderful book is a major event....McAdams has the gift of being able to express complicated and subtle notions with remarkable clarity.”
—Robert Hogan, PhD, in Contemporary Psychology
“This is a wonderful book. McAdams integrates the rigor of modern psychology with the humanity, sensitivity, and complexity of the best fiction. His message is simple, yet profound. We are our stories. This work places McAdams in the forefront of psychology's efforts to understand people in their life contexts. It defines a whole new tradition of scientific inquiry.”
—William Pinsof, PhD, Founder and Director, Pinsof Family Systems
“I highly recommend this book for classes in pastoral counseling and religious education. In fresh ways, McAdams introduces us to patterns of human development. Grounded in research, the book provides resources for understanding how people build life meanings. The insights of this work complement narrative theology and qualitative research in ministry studies.”
—Jack L. Seymour, Professor Emeritus of Religious Education, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois