A Life Well Lived

Dialogues with a “Kabouter”

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

$284

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Routledge
13 December 2023

Counselling & advice services; Psychological theory & schools of thought; Economics; Personnel & human resources management; Psychotherapy

Manfred Kets de Vries wears many “hats”—psychoanalyst, executive coach, consultant, management educator, researcher, writer—but he has noticed that whichever hat he is wearing, every question he is asked boils down to one thing: “How can I live a well-lived life?”

Over many years of practice in all these disciplines, Professor Kets de Vries has realized the unsurpassed value of stories in tackling human dilemmas and providing answers to this question. The book is, therefore, one of the most important books he has written for coaches, students, leaders, managers, educators—or anyone seeking a more reflective text to guide them through the multitude of questions that we face in work and in life. He draws on a long literary tradition of the unexpected encounter with a wise “other,” fantastic or magical—think The Little Prince, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Once and Future King, the Harry Potter novels—to animate an exploration of the deepest questions and concerns of human beings. He constructs an extended Socratic dialogue between his two “selves”; the first a naïve traveler, lost in the Siberian wilderness, and the second a reflective avatar who comes to his aid. The avatar takes the form of a “kabouter,” a familiar figure in Dutch folklore whose counterpart can be found in different cultures around the world and throughout centuries of storytelling.

Through stories, riddles, and puzzles, the kabouter challenges the traveler to question and reflect upon his life and values, guiding him—and readers—toward the insights that will help them achieve a life well lived.

By: Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 530g
ISBN: 9781032582504
ISBN 10: 1032582502
Pages: 184
Publication Date: 13 December 2023
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

DAY ONE 1. Walking in circles 2. The open mind 3. The sound of one hand 4. Deep listening 5. Look beneath the surface 6. Beyond appearances 7. The Golden Rule DAY TWO 8. Making promises 9. Integrity 10. Hypocrisy 11. Greed 12. Selfishness 13. Giving versus taking 14. Hubris 15. Liars 16. What’s all the gossip about gossip? DAY THREE 17. The streetlight effect 18. Self-fulfilling prophecies DAY FOUR 19. Ritualization 20. Anger 21. Compromise 22. Deal with your neuroses 23. Dreaming 24. Daydreaming 25. Transference 26. Paradoxical intervention 27. Courage DAY FIVE 28. Encouragement 29. Good judgment 30. Sexual desire 31. Staying grounded 32. Self-care 33. Self-compassion 34. Carpe diem 35. Education 36. Hope 37. The expiry date

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries is the Distinguished Clinical Professor of Leadership Development and Organizational Change at INSEAD and the Founder of INSEAD’s Global Leadership Center. The Financial Times, Wirtschaftswoche, Le Capital, El Pais, and the Economist have rated him among the world’s leading management thinkers. He is the author of more than 50 books and hundreds of articles, and the recipient of numerous awards, including four honorary doctorates.