Routledge Claude Steiner, Emotional Activist: The Life and Work of Claude Michel Steiner

This book describes the work and life of Claude Michel Steiner, a close colleague and friend of Eric Berne, the founder of transactional analysis. Steiner was an early and influential transactional analyst, an exponent of radical psychiatry, and the founder of emotional literacy. Steiner also contributed a number of theories and concepts to the psychological literature. The book comprises edited excerpts from his unpublished autobiography, "Confessions of a Psychomechanic", alongside commentaries and critical essays from colleagues on his major contributions to the fields of psychology, transactional analysis, radical therapy, and emotional literacy. Topics covered include script theory and the theory of strokes, recognition hunger, radical therapy, and the concept of power, and emotional literacy and love. In assessing Steiner’s various contributions, the book also identifies central themes in his work and life and considers the autobiographical nature of theory. This unique collection demonstrates not only the range of Steiner’s insights but also his importance to the wider field and will be essential reading for practitioners and trainees alike. Review "From the first pages of this book, I felt moved by the honest self-biography of Claude Steiner, put together in a beautifully co-creative edition by Keith Tudor, who himself contributes a number of chapters and also integrates chapters written by other colleagues. Some of the contributors review and critique different aspects of Claude’s contributions to transactional analysis, while others share their own experiences of Claude´s passionate interest for radical psychiatry, which inspired his life and work. I found this book very interesting, being eager to continue reading till the end. Through this book readers will also learn about and understand the influence that Claude had, not least in the evolution of transactional analysis in Latin America – he himself was fluent in Spanish and able to speak like a native, and, indeed, most of his books and many of his articles have been translated into Spanish. It is very interesting to understand how the life story of famous authors in psychology influenced their theories, either consciously or unconsciously. For Claude, beyond his own family history, the influence of Eric Berne as his mentor was decisive in his life, as well as the sociopolitical context of the San Francisco Bay area in the 1960s. This is an extraordinary book; one that provides the background to understanding the life and work of a great man, as well as the transgenerational script of transactional analysis itself, through at least three generations." --Gloria Noriega, Winner of the Eric Berne Memorial Award 2008, Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst, Mexico City, Mexico "My gratitude to Keith for bringing together this excellent volume. Claude had a rare ability to talk to many different audiences while never compromising his essential political values. Relating the different pieces of his legacy to the varied voices collected here gives us a portrait of Claude infused with his commitment to cooperation and his talent for relationship." --Beth Roy, San Francisco, USA "I am excited that Keith Tudor has invested such a huge amount of time and energy to put this great book together to make the challenging ideas of the emotional activist Claude Steiner about power, love, and emotional literacy known to a broader audience. The theory and practice of emotional literacy have had a great positive influence on my professional life as a psychotherapist working with couples and groups as well as on my personal relationships. Keith Tudor’s book will provide a stimulus for engagement with and intensive discussion concerning these important concepts and Claude Steiner’s life and work." --Anne Kohlhaas-Reith, Medical Doctor, Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst, Waldkirch, Germany "Structurally, this work is fascinating