Adulthood Comes of Age

Reviews the book, Adult Development: A New Dimension in Psychodynamic Theory and Practice by Calvin A. Colarusso and Robert A. Nemiroff (1981). This book undertakes the timely task of focussing on the significance of an adult development perspective for the theory and practice of clinical work. The authors approach the dilemmas of adulthood from a modern developmental perspective without abandoning the genetic theories of psychoanalysis. This is the crucial feature of their contribution because the traditional psychoanalytic emphasis on childhood tends often to obscure the profound and powerful progressive (developmental) forces that come into play during adulthood. In sum, this is an excellent and useful book. It persuasively makes the crucial point again and again that a developmental perspective throughout the whole life cycle is necessary for the full appreciation and understanding of how we function in adulthood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)