POLLY YOUNG-EISENDRATH, Ph.D., is the author of 14 books, including The Self-Esteem Trap, The Resilient Spirit, and Women and Desire, and is a Jungian analyst, psychologist, and clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont. A frequent speaker and facilitator at conferences and a teacher of mindfulness, she lives in central Vermont.
“The Present Heart asks the question "present for what?" and the
answer is "all of it." Caring for two ex-husbands with dementia,
one of whom has cashed in her lifesavings, Polly Young-Eisendrath
tests her training as a Jungian analyst and Buddhist meditator
against the hard rocks of reality. Bypassing self-pity altogether,
she finds an immense and surprising capacity for loving without
delusion and seeing without blame. Unflinching yet hopeful, her
story is an inspiring study in courage.” —Kay Larson, author of
Where the Heart Beats: John Cage, Zen Buddhism, and the Inner Life
of Artists
“Polly Young Eisendrath's brilliant new book skillfully blends
Buddhist sensibility with depth psychology to illumine the human
heart's deepest longing for love. Besides shining the bright light
of these two wisdom traditions on love in all of its mystery, she
also makes her own personal path toward love and its loss
transparent. Her well-honed craft, self-awareness through love and
loss, and profound understanding of human nature make this book
useful to all of us engaged in seeking meaning and relationship.”
—Grace Schireson, Ph.D., Zen Abbess, Central Valley Zen, author of
Zen Women: Beyond Tea Ladies, Iron Maidens, and Macho Masters
“Polly Young-Eisendrath illuminates love as a path--not a goal--of
self and mutual discovery that goes to the very heart of our
nature.” —Barry Magid, author of Ending the Pursuit of
Happiness
“This is a book for anyone who has encountered catastrophic change
in a relationship. It is a story of love broken open--the
unvarnished account of how a well-known psychoanalyst uses her
Buddhist path and community of friends to make room in love for
every other emotion--and to thrive again. THE PRESENT HEART left me
thinking of May Sarton's observation: "I am lavish with riches made
from loss.” —Deborah Anna Luepnitz, Ph.D., author of Schopenhauer's
Porcupines
“Polly Young-Eisendrath's wise, exquisite, heart-opening book will
renew your faith in the power of love as a transformative gift and
a path of personal awakening. Informed by decades of analytical
practice and spiritual inquiry, this intimate story of one woman's
journey through love and loss--and what lies between--deserves a
place on your bookshelf next to Elegy for Iris, A Three Dog Life,
and About Alice. Read this book!” —Mark Matousek, author of Sex
Death Enlightenment and When You're Falling, Dive
“In this provocative and daring memoir, Polly Young-Eisendrath has
mined her inner landscape more than most people will ever even
dream. Her digging yields surprising gems that will be precious to
anyone interested in transforming hardship into wisdom--and even
joy.” —Jaimal Yogis, author of Saltwater Buddha and The Fear
Project
“I have rarely seen love articulated so clearly and honestly. What
Polly shares with readers will be of inestimable value to everyone
in a loving relationship. Such an untrammeled and open-hearted
account of love's journey is a gift to us all.” —Toinette Lippe,
author of Nothing Left Over: A Plain and Simple Life and Caught in
the Act: Reflections on Being, Knowing, and Doing
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