THE ROAD TO TOLERANCE: The Philosophy of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

Now over 90 years old, the ebullient cognitive therapy pioneer Ellis has written more than 75 books, most of which advocate his brand of psychotherapy, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. Writing in the no-nonsense style that characterizes his public speaking, Ellis opens his latest with an overview of how his therapeutic principles evolved. Dismissing Freudian therapy as ineffectual and opposing Jung's mysticism, Ellis believes in helping clients banish self-defeating thoughts, or "negative nonsense," in order to take control of their lives. Ellis, who claims to have discovered his main idea—that people largely upset themselves with these negative thoughts—in classical and Asian philosophy, recommends his teachings as a general guide to life. Assuming religious belief to be the most prevalent popular philosophy, he discusses—with the cautiousness of a self-declared atheist—some of the benefits of religious belief but warns against fundamentalism. He also pours doubt on religion's capacity for improving thought processes. And he takes on—not for the first time— Ayn Rand's Objectivism, using some entertainingly gossipy anecdotes culled from personal encounters with her. Throughout, Ellis demonstrates how it might be possible to salvage religion's humanistic and caring aspects for the purposes of therapy. Ellis's fans will enjoy his characteristically forthright engagement with definitions of spirituality and his honest, lively reappraisal of his own thought. (Sept.)