"Dan McAdam's wonderful new book is a major event....McAdams has the gift of being able to express complicated and subtle notions with remarkable clarity". -- Robert Hogan, in 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, Ph.D., Coauthor of Seasons of Life
"A strong and engrossing argument for the relationship between storytelling and personal development". -- Kirkus Reviews
"Who am I?" "How do I fit in the world around me?" From early childhood on, we are all faced with key questions of human identity. 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, strange as it may seem, we are the stories we tell. Based on more than 10 years of research and hundreds of first-hand interviews, the book accessibly links scientific investigation to the struggles and joys of real people. Sensitively told anecdotes and mini-life stories draw readers into exploring the intimate connection between ourpersonal myths and our perceptions, relationships, and life choices. Providing an integrative view of human beings as evolving story-tellers whose tales deepen and broaden with age, The Stories We Live By describes an ongoing process that allows us, within limits, to develop and revise our stories and open up new possibilities for our lives.
