Friedman's Fables (with Booklet) [With Booklet]

This book of parables takes the reader into the world of family systems theory in such a way that family systems becomes not just a theory but a part of one's life. With the supplemental discussion guide, it is an excellent resource for introducing the concepts and ideas of family systems to groups who have not studied or read on the subject before. All in all, an excellent book.

Ed Friedman provided his readers and students with more than information about the human condition. He has given them a way to think, not just what to think. This book of fables, as the study booklet that accompanies it makes clear, is about life questions. A great deal of what one can know about life and self depends upon (a) where one stands when asking questions, and (b) the clarity and orientation of one's questions. The greatness of Ed Friedman is the clarity with which he has engaged the world. His "Generation to Generation" is a powerfully clear treatise on self and systems that has had a profound effect on thousands. I am given to understand that his daughter is arranging for editing and publishing "A Failure of Nerve" (available since 1999 only as a bound manuscript, loosely edited). Ed Friedman learned systems theory from Msurray Bowen (1913-1990), and his variant of Bowen Theory remains one of the clearest and most compelling expositions of the power of Bowen's work. "Friedman's Fables" is a testament to what can be done with Bowen when one thinks about the human condition with freedom and creativity, informed by the discipline of the most mature theory of human functioning today.

Friedman's Fables are a resonant statement by a very quiet man. Ed Friedman was that quiet man. He constructed a modern use for the ancient form of allegory, first used in King Solomon's written works, to drive home difficult-to-accept truths and ethical principles, in a group setting. His "fables" are the outcome of his many years of psychoanalytic work in very large congregational groups, and in my view, are a work of genius. Each fable deals with a different aspect of the group unconscious, and facilitates a ready demonstration of the inevitable group acting out that results from the return of the repressed.

More parables than fables, Friedman's genius as a storyteller in the rabbinic tradition shines through. This collection of short fables are ingenious studies of human nature from a Family Systems point of view. Though the book has many uses for teaching and therapy, its best use is pure enjoyment!

I took a leap with the idea that the fable of "The Bridge" would be a helpful teaching tool for my group of recovering alcoholics and addicts. They listened attentively to the story of the man handing a stranger the end of the rope and then jumping. Many of them could relate to the feelings of being stuck and with the moral and ethical dilemma of having to make a critical decision. I plan to use other fables from the collection after such a lively discussion. Never underestimate the abilities of people in recovery to benefit from meaningful dialogue.