New York: Viking, 1972. hardcover. very good/good. 531 pages, 8vo, red cloth (bottom corners bumped), dust wrapper (worn and chipped). New York: The Viking Press, (1972). Sixth printing. A very good copy in a good dust wrapper.<br/><br/> Inscribed on the flyleaf: "for our library The Aspen Institute, Karl Menninger 6.26.74<br/><br/>

Reviews

On Jun 4 2007, Learningaramaic said:

This wise book-- by one of the greatest psychodynamicly-oriented psychiatrists of the 20th century-- explores human psychosocial function as a "total system" years before Bertalanffy and the General Systems people made its approach into a rigorous discipline in mental health.

Simply put, what Dr. Menninger calls the "vital balance" is equivalent to the human potential for homeostasis in the psychic and social areas. There is nothing mystical or superstitious about this notion, albeit is is holistic and not reductionist.

What is not well-appreciated is that-- given enough inputs/outputs-- the "steady state" of the vital balance Menninger discusses can be described mathematically. BUT FEAR NOT ON THIS NOTICE! NOT A SINGLE MATH FORMULA APPEARS IN MENNINGER'S BOOK HERE, DESPITE THIS COMPLETE COMPLEMENTARITY IN HARD-SYSTEMS TERMINOLOGY.

THE VITAL BALANCE was pressed in 1963; while it was reprinted several times, I understand it can be obtained only in used-bookstores. Pity! This work was well-ahead-of-its-time upon pressing, and I consider it to be CUTTING-EDGE PSYCHIATRY unto this day. This work was the most-consistent and most-rigorous contribution by "Dr. Karl," as he is known at the Menninger Clinic-- is well-crafted theory fit for the family-systems practitioners, the quantifiers, and all in mental health who seek a comprehensive framework within which one can cast the PROCESS OF GETTING WELL PSYCHOLOGICALLY.

--Vernon Lynn Stephens, M.S.S.W.

D.S.M. IV # 350

F31.2

10:49 p.m. -- Monday, June 4, 2007

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Bookseller: Argosy Book Store (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 164321
Title: The Vital Balance
Author: MENNINGER, Karl
Format/Binding: Hardcover
Book Condition: Used - Very Good
Jacket Condition: good
Quantity Available: 1
Publisher: Viking
Place of Publication: New York
Date Published: 1972

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