The Stories We Live by: Personal Myths and the Making of the Self

by Dan P. McAdams and Dan P. MacAdams

Book Overview

"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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1572301880
• ISBN13: 9781572301887
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Guilford Publications
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Identity Through Narrative Maps

The book is a great read and informative of how one's identity is shaped through one's own narrative story.

Time for Dan McAdams

A dear friend and life long student of Psych, who is about to become a doctor of Psych gave me this book several years ago. She'd written so many notes in it, which to me translates into value and reverance for what one reads. I always meant to read it, life just kept getting in the way. Finally it was time for me to meet the mind of Dan McAdams, at least as it was when he wrote this book, I think perhaps, slightly before it's time, maybe. It helped me to foster insights that have been like donning good reading glasses in a life with some patches of fog. It's always so refreshing to relearn something we already knew at a deep unconcious level and be able to resonate with that on a higher level. This is what this book does for me. I highly suggest it to those who are interested in writing (anything) or learning more about them selves and how we all effect each other as well. No man is an island we are simutaneosly land and water to each other. Thank you Dr. McAdams and Dr. Sunshine my friend for giving me this ray of light.

A Seminal Work

If you want to understand narrative psychology in a developmental framework here is where to start. It is not overly technical, which is actually a bit of a drawback for those of us who would like more background and theory. But, it is an excellent intruduction to the field, very readable, and many people cite McAdams in their subsequent reserach (which I certainly will be doing).