Choice, The
Eger, EdithWorld renowned psychologist Edith Eger is uniquely placed to expound on the choice we make when it comes to suffering: live as a victim, or as a survivor. Sent to Auschwitz with her family as a 16 year-old, she survived, putting it down to 'working together and helping others', a lesson she then applied to the career and new life she embraced in the US. In this remarkable memoir, the story of the author's exceptional life is interspersed with accounts of patients she has helped move from trauma to triumph in her clinical practice.
Written with integrity and compassion, this book contains inspiring approaches to achieving healing and freedom by confronting the suffering that life inevitably throws at us.
Pages
378
378
Year
2017
2017
Reviews
11-03-2024
Enjoyable book; well-written, made us all think deeply.
15-01-2024
Best book ever!
15-06-2023
Very sad read but hard to put down. What a powerful woman!
22-05-2023
A truly powerful, engrossing, memorable, and at times horrific, account of this 91 year old's life as a survivor of Auschwitz.
13-04-2023
We all enjoyed it without exception. It held our interest, was very well done and very detailed. She did not play the victim, never asked for sympathy but wrote straightforwardly and honestly. We felt we got to know her and her everyday life and could relate to similar cases. There was a very good assessment of the situation, much wisdom and thoughtfulness. It was a fantastic book, and we would say "Buy it!"
03-03-2023
Enjoyed the book and would recommend.
02-08-2022
We all found this book to be an amazing story of Edith's resiliance. There are not many books where you get the story of someone's life post trauma. We all admired her as a woman ahead of her time, when it came to her attending univerity and becoming a psychotherapist later in life.
23-02-2022
Everyone in the group loved this book, some thought should be read in all schools to teach about resilience. Interesting story and told very well.
07-11-2021
"Enjoy" is perhaps not the right word for a book which has so much that is sad and grim but all agreed this book was well worth reading and expressed much admiration for the author. Opinions were somewhat divided on whether the descriptions of the therapy she developed and of particular cases fitted well with the rest of the book but all were interested in the whole issue of remembering the past, difficut though that may be. There was plenty of discussion of many issues.
17-09-2021
All members thoroughly enjoyed this book. Totally inspiring, and would recommend to other book groups to read.
25-06-2021
The majority of the group rated this as one of our best books.
25-06-2021
Highly prized by all of our members. Easy read with great depth. Inspirational read to many. More than half of the members read the book twice.
08-04-2021
Our group enjoyed this vivid telling of Edith Eger's life story and imprisonment at Auschwitz. She was much admired for her resilience and tenacity during her horrific experiences. Some in the group felt that the 3rd part of the book, stories from her clinical practice, seemed an unnecessary addition. Here you are! In the sacred present. I cant heal youor anyonebut I can celebrate your choice to dismantle the prison in your mind, brick by brick. You cant change what happened, you cant change what you did or what was done to you. But you can choose how you live now".
08-03-2021
Simply written, which was appreciated by most of the group. Some content was difficult to embrace. Everyone was pleased with the experience of reading 'The Choice'.
23-02-2021
All very much enjoyed this amazing book.
11-02-2021
This book struck a chord with everyone in our group. It generated a lot of conversation and several members have recommended it to others, or looked into other books by Edith Eger. Like other comments here, this was a book everyone agreed was interesting, inspiring and very well written.
27-01-2021
Fascinating read on life and conditions in Auschwitz and the trauma ongoing. Interesting look at Eger's psychotherapy theories.
16-12-2020
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Such a different perspective and understanding of human fortitude over the decades of internal struggles dealing with the Holocaust.
17-09-2020
The group's overall opinion of this was that it was a very good book. We all agreed we'd like our own copy - so high praise for this author's work.
31-08-2020
So much more than another Auschwitz story or a self help book. Fantastic! Many of us want to re-read it.
31-08-2020
Everyone loved this book.
31-08-2020
An excellent discussion. Members were impressed by the writing style and the content chosen by Edith Eger. What an achievement for a 90 year old!
03-06-2020
All agreed that 'The Choice' is a most inspirational book of universal reach and resonance. Based on the cruelest experience wrought on her by the depravity of the Third Reich, she documents her long survival and rehabilitation with honesty and eventual insights. Moving, overwhelmingly enlightening, and encouraging.
26-02-2020
The first book we've been unanimous on! All loved it. Life affirming and inspirational.
27-11-2019
We found this book very insightful and compelling. We appreciated the parallels between her clients' lives and her own.