THE LOST REVIEW
from 1999

I messed up the first review I sent to Amazon by not first logging in to my account. Therefore, the review is attributed to “a reader,” and I lost 40 positive votes to my credit in the overall standings; moreover, Amazon says they have no way of connecting me back to this item, so it does not appear on my list of reviews, either.

40 of 44 people found the following review helpful

“Tends to praise philosophy at the cost of psychology”
August 10, 1999 • Reviewer: A reader

As a person who reads a great deal of philosophy and psychology, and who tries to combine them in his approach to life, I was quite interested to read Lou Marinoff's new book "Plato, Not Prozac!" But in time my excitement turned to mild disappointment.

First, Mr. Marinoff's habit of elevating philosophy at the cost of psychology diminished my enjoyment of the book. Second, while Mr. Marinoff's understanding of philosophy is impressive, his lack of insight into psychology is somewhat regrettable.

For example, on page 38, while describing his method of philosophical counseling, he writes that for a troubled person facing a problem, "Their emotional reaction is immediate and clear -- no one needs to learn to feel emotion ..." That statement -- only one of many that leap out at the reader -- reveals a disturbing lack of insight into personal psychology and the human condition in general.

While I strongly recommend the book for its philosophical strengths and for introducing readers to the exciting new field of philosophical counseling, I think it would be wise for readers to have something on hand by the wonderful analyst and author Adam Phillips to counteract the drab picture "Plato, Not Prozac!" paints of psychology.