"Dr. Jeannette Gagan has provided a notable service with her new book, Grow Up Your Ego. First, she clarifies the misconception, unfortunately, common among spiritual seekers, that the ego, the core of our very selves, is somehow our enemy. She then clarifies the true role of the ego, and, in clear and graceful writing, presents sophisticated psychological ideas in very understandable prose. She elaborates on the work of earlier psychologists to present a schema for the potential development of the self, from infantile defenses to mature ego functioning , using well-chosen examples both of people who have gotten “stuck” at particular levels of development, and of people who have a found a way to use the adversity of life to continue to grow. However, her task is not simply to present descriptive material of ego development. Dr. Gagan’s goal is to provide a schema of growth towards the true maturity of which we are all capable, and then to provide practical exercises to help us identify our own areas in need of attention, and how to address those areas directly. She covers a lot of ground, from child development to ego defenses, to the role of emotions, to shadow, projection and paradox. And she includes the latest scientific findings to validate the psychological truths she is espousing.
"Most important is Dr. Gagan’s view that the culmination of ego development, which is none other than the full flowering of the human being, is the growth of our spiritual essence, and she presents this in very down-to-earth and accessible writing. Thus, her vision is ultimately optimistic: that with intention we can all continue to develop in ego functioning, the ability to live fully, that we are not bound by the pains and insults of the past, and that no matter what our age, we can continue to grow and to mature towards our fullest potential as people."
Clifford Passen, MD, ND
Board Certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
"Jeannette Gagan’s GROW UP YOUR EGO is a rare event: an accessible, practical guide to self-definition and transcendence. It takes the reader from a basic understanding of the self to a consideration of the highest levels of spiritual maturity, making harmonious use of psychology, science, and spiritual traditions. This is not just a book to read, but a book to grow by."
Greg Glazner, MFA
Author of SINGULARITY and FROM THE IRON CHAIR, Winner of Walt Whitman Award
"GROW UP YOUR EGO is a splendid guide to psychological and spiritual maturity. The new-age idea that we must demolish our ego in order to progress emotionally has caused enormous misunderstanding and unnecessary suffering. Dr. Jeannette Gagan sets the record straight in this clear and inspiring book."
Larry Dossey, MD
Author of HEALING WORDS, THE POWER OF PREMONITIONS and THE ONE MIND
"A practical, useful guide to the development of emotional intelligence."
Michael J. Gelb,
author of HOW TO THINK LIKE LEONARDO DA VINCI and BRAIN POWER
