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Originally published in 1961 this book is divided into two parts. In the first Laing critiques the Kleinian view of unconsciou phantasy, as developed by Susan Sutherland Isaacs. He emphasizes the overwhelming presence of social phantasy systems. In Part 2, Laing discusses the extent to which an individual is or is not invested in their own actions, using ideas drawn from Martin Buber and Sartre

The Divided Self, R.D. Laing's groundbreaking exploration of the nature of madness, illuminated the nature of mental illness and made the mysteries of the mind comprehensible to a wide audience. First published in 1960, this watershed work aimed to make madness comprehensible, and in doing so revolutionized the way we perceive mental illness. Using case studies of patients he had worked with, psychiatrist R. D. Laing argued that psychosis is not a medical condition, but an outcome of the 'divided self', or the tension between the two personas within us: one our authentic, private identity, and the other the false, 'sane' self that we present to the world. Laing's radical approach to insanity offered a rich existential analysis of personal alienation and made him a cult figure in the 1960s, yet his work was most significant for its humane attitude, which put the patient back at the centre of treatment. Includes an introduction by Professor Anthony S. David. 'One of the twentieth century's most influential psychotherapists' Guardian 'Laing challenged the psychiatric orthodoxy of his time ... an icon of the 1960s counter-culture' The Times

This is a unique book about power & love--a novel verite which unfolds in the form of a "how-to" book. It offers--depicts--a way in which one person can be empowered by another's attention; borrowing from the psychotherapeutic model, it guides the reader in constructing a mutually beneficial paradigm with a carefully chosen other. Advance reviews: "...fascinating...an intelligent self-help book...reads like a novel."--Daphne Merkin, Contributing Editor, Critic, Partisan Review. "Admirably honest...one woman's search for love in the shape of R. D. Laing, the diabolical; lyric muse of the psychiatric profession."--Donald Klein, M.D., Columbia University. "...written from the 'inside'...a form of mutual aid...the presentation style is most unusual & the writing is superb."--Frank Riessman, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief, Social Policy "Two strong intellects meet in this tumultuous relationship...an on edge record of wit. An excellent read, this clash between like spirits is a must for all Laing fans & students."--Maurice Kenny, Winner of American Book Award. "...an occasion to be with (Laing) in spirit & feel his presence. (Offers)...therapeutic insight, understanding, & intention (applied) to an intimate partnership."--Claudio Naranjo, M.D., Fulbright Scholar, Guggenheim fellow.

This set reprints seven of Laing's major works, originally published between 1960 and 1971 and out of print for many years. Laing was an existential psychiatrist who offered a radical critique of abnormal behaviour and social and medical models for its treatment. He was critical of the extent to which psychoanalytic concepts may conceal or distort human experience and of the tendency to label the patient "sick" as opposed to looking at "sickness" in the patient's family or in society. It was Laing who argued that schizophrenia is not an illness but a label for another kind of problematic experience and behaviour. Laing's ideas have been particularly popular among those who object to the hypocrisy of society and its treatment of those considered to be abnormal. Available also as individual volumes, this set offers the ideal opportunity to replace missing or damaged volumes. Laing's works included in this set are: * Volume One: The Divided Self:0-415-19818-6: 241pp: £45.00 * Volume Two: Self and Others: 0-415-19819-4: 186pp: £45.00 * Volume Three: Reason and Violence: 0-415-19820-8: 184pp: £45.00 * Volume Four: Sanity and Madness in the Family: 0-415-19821-6: 284pp: £45.00 * Volume Five: The Politics of the Family: 0-415-19822-4: 142pp: £45.00 * Volume Six: Interpersonal Perception: 0-415-19823-2: 189pp: £45.00 * Volume Seven: Knots: 0-415-19824-0: 94pp: £45.00

Originally published in 1970, Knots consists of a series of dialogue-scenarios that can be read as poems or brief plays, each complete in itself. Each chapter describes a different kind of relationship: the "knots" of the title: bonds of love, dependency, uncertainty, jealousy. The dialogues could be those between lovers, between parents and children, between analysts and patients or all of these merged together. Each brilliantly demonstrates Laing's insights into the intricacies of human relationships.

A brilliantly original book from one of the 20th century's most influential psychiatrists that goes beyond the usual theories of mental illness and alienation to make a convincing case for the "madness of morality." R.D. Laing is at his most wickedly iconoclastic in this eloquent assault on conventional morality. Compelling, unsettling, consistently absorbing, The Politics of Experience is a classic of genuine importance that will "excite, enthrall, and disturb. No one who reads it will remain unaffected." (Rollo May, Saturday Review)

In the late 1950s the psychiatrist R.D.Laing and psychoanalyst Aaron Esterson spent five years interviewing eleven families of female patients diagnosed as 'schizophrenic'. Sanity, Madness and the Family is the result of their work. Eleven vivid case studies, often dramatic and disturbing, reveal patterns of affection and fear, manipulation and indifference within the family. But it was the conclusions they drew from their research that caused such controversy: they suggest that some forms of mental disorder are only comprehensible within their social and family contexts; their symptoms the manifestations of people struggling to live in untenable situations. Sanity, Madness and the Family was met with widespread hostility by the psychiatric profession on its first publication, where the prevailing view was to treat psychosis as a medical problem to be solved. Yet it has done a great deal to draw attention to the complex and contested nature of psychosis. Above all, Laing and Esterson thought that if you understood the patient's world their apparent madness would become socially intelligible. This Routledge Classics edition includes a new Foreword by Hilary Mantel.

A series of dialogue-scenarios, which can be read as poems or plays, describing the ""knots"" and impasses in various kinds of human relationships.

Using concepts of schizophrenia, R.D. Laing demonstrates that we tend to invalidate the subjective and experiential and accept the proper societal view of what should occur within the family. A psychoanalyst and psychiatrist, Laing worked at the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations. His books include The Self and Others and The Politics of Experience.