It is common in both Buddhism and Freudian psychoanalysis to treat desire as the root of all suffering and problems, but psychiatrist Mark Epstein believes this to be a grave misunderstanding.á In his defense of desire, he makes clear that it is the key to deepening intimacy with ourselves, one another, and our world.á An enlightening tapestry of psychotherapeutic practice, contemporary case studies, Buddhist insight, and narratives as diverse as the Ramayana and Sufi parables, Open to Desire brings a refreshing new perspective to humanity's most paradoxical emotion.

Reflecting the Buddha's Four Noble Truths, the four sections in Dr. Epstein's book form a liberating approach to interpersonal connections and the daily longings that confound us. Proposing that spiritual attainment does not have to be detached from intimacy or eroticism, Open to Desire begins with an exploration of the dissatisfaction that causes us to both cling to, and fear, desire. Offering a new path for traversing this indulgence or suppression, but by learning a new way to be with desire.

Full of practical advice, this is a lasting guide for finding peace both in ourselves and in our most highlycharged interactions.


Open to Desire, Mark Epstein, Gotham Books, Paperback, 2005 226 Pages, $14.00