Mruk describes the challenges of studying self-esteem in a clear and academic way. Heavily supported by years of research work. A must read for any serious self-esteem researcher.

Why another book on self-esteem? As Mruk points out to begin his own, there are already 7,337 articles and books on this topic. What Mruk also makes clear early on is just how little we really do understand of the complexity of this topic. Most have settled for overly simplistic, popularlized truisms, and most scientific studies reveal ambiguous or insignificant consequences. This lack is especially troubling for the many self-esteem enhancement programs that are recently being established. Mruk's solution is to supplement these traditionally scientific studies with findings from qualitative, specifically phenomenological, research. His aim is not simply a side-by-side addition of qualitative work, but to effect on true consensus of both perspectives. The approach allows Mruk a very close access to the lived dimensions of self-esteem, and an astute basis for his concrete suggestions for enhancing self-esteem.

This review was written by Chris Aanstoos, Editor of The Humanstic Psychologist, and published in Volume 23, Number 1, p. 121.