Customer Reviews
Recipe for depression - By: John, 30 Apr 2008 
I read this book almost thirty years ago & it sent me straight into depression. Instead of helping me to take on a responsible attitude to overcome my problems it created in me a crippling victim-attitude that took me years to overcome. Twenty five years later a former friend of mine read this book, as well. She was already depressed at the time. Unfortunately, this book worsened her depression & not long afterwards she killed herself. I am a counsellor now & I can only recommend to give this & other books of Alice Miller a miss. Do your research first. There are several interviews of Miller on the net that reveal her as a very depressed person herself. That's absolutely no surprise to me.
the only 'self help' book you will ever need - By: C'est Moi, 28 Feb 2008 
Alice Miller is the most amazing, courageous, insightful & eloquent writer I have ever read. Her books have helped me take huge leaps & strides on my journey back to my childhood to find my true self. I am still on that journey & each time i re-read 'The Drama' I find something new that helps me move forward a few more steps. I would recommend that every single person on this planet reads it & slowly the world will become a better place.
Finding the true self and then becoming it - By: Ken, 28 Nov 2007 This book is written with very deep insight, compassion, eloquence, clarity & power. Alice Miller speaks of the vital importance for us to discover our own personal truth that puts us in touch with our true self. As Ms. Miller states it can be very painful to discover our real feelings since many of us have repressed hurt feelings from childhood trauma that we have buried & we have hid these feelings not only from our parents but from ourselves as well.
What I have learned from this remarkable book is that we hide these feelings from our parents so they will `love' us, but it's not our true self that they love since it is these hidden feelings that are the manifestations of who we reallly are. In its place we give our parents an image of ourselves so as to make them happy. This fulfills their needs but we hide our own since we fear that the expression of our own needs will lead to parental rejection & correspondingly to a loss of their love.
When we hide & suppress these childhood unacknowledged needs then the basis of alll our future relationships will be determined by these unrequited needs & they become the unconscious motivations that drive us throughout our adult lives.
It is only by getting in touch with these lost needs that we can begin to discover those missing parts of ourselves. This is just the beginning to true "self discovery" that is, it is the beginning to discovering & becoming who we truly are so that, eventuallly, we can become who we are truly destined to be.
A fine book indeed.
One of the Best Books Ever Written - By: Zadius Sky, 06 Nov 2007 This is one of the best books ever written & one of the most powerful tools for one's self-discovery, to be free from narcissism. Miller has provided strong insights into this book, which encouraged & forced us to face the truth from our childhood, & why we hid our true selves as children.
We are alll living in a narcissist society, & we have learned our narcissist traits to some degree. For us to get rid of these traits, we must seek to be free from the deadly emotional influences that shaped our lives. This book is one of the keys for which we will acquire to be free.
I would strongly recommend "The Drama of the Gifted Child" for those who seek for the truth about themselves.
An Important book on the way to self discovery - By: Aeneas, 09 Aug 2007 Alice Miller highlights in this book the importance of looking into one's own history in order to understand our psychological makeup & become free of behaviors that otherwise hinders us in being ourselves. I have come to understand irrational & debilitating aspects of my own behaviors, that stemmed from childhood traumas, & seen how these can be liberated once they are experienced emotionallly. It is not done over night & not by just reading this book alone.
The book is however a great encouragement & at the same time through stories & examples gives an understanding of where to look & clues to some of the behaviors that previously were simply confusing & puzzling. I wished I had read this book 19 years ago, when I first encountered therapy as it would have been an added help in understanding the process that I had started on. Another powerful book on this subject is "The Narcissistic Family".
All in alll a highly recommended book, as understanding the human 'machine' is vital in order to become free, as Gurdjieff would say.
