A grain of salt
It is amazing to me that the psychological community is still putting Bruno Bettelheim out there as some kind of authority. This is the same man who made up a theory of autism -- that it was caused by "refrigerator moms" -- that caused intense pain for a generation of mothers trying to help their autistic children. (His theory was based on his opinion, not scientific research.) This is also the same supposed doctor who started a sham school for autistic kids that was later shut down by the University of Chicago. Bettelheim went on to write more interesting theories -- including one that blamed the Jews for not standing up for themselves and thereby suffering the Holocaust.Bettelheim never received a degree in psychology, as he purported when he emigrated from Europe during WW2. He managed to get himself on TV, though (our first Dr. Phil) and he could write convincingly.Please, before you read this book, consider the source!