"Madness can afford the individual certain resources and abilities that are not available to others. The fantasy life, free flight of ideas, distortions of reality, and heightened senses ...offer a unique perspective on the world." -From the Introduction Why do some extraordinary individuals overcome mental anguish and produce brilliant creative artistry that is often enhanced by their madness? New York Times best-selling author and noted psychologist Jeffrey Kottler explores this fascinating question in Divine Madness. His book is filled with the compelling stories of emotional turmoil that many great artists have undergone as they struggle for success and survival. Jeffrey Kottler writes about the dramatic and tragic lives of cultural icons Sylvia Plath, Judy Garland, Mark Rothko, Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, Charles Mingus, Vaslav Nijinsky, Marilyn Monroe, Lenny Bruce, and Brian Wilson. In this riveting book, Kottler highlights the personal story of each of these extraordinary individuals and analyzes how they struggled to overcome their emotional hardships. Divine Madness clearly differentiates between those who surrendered to their illness, often taking their own lives, and those who managed to endure and even recover. Kottler details how their profound psychological issues affected their lives and work, their great productivity and success, and how they strove to achieve some kind of personal stability. The fascinating and brilliantly told stories in Divine Madness help us to find meaning in the incredible lives of these artists. They also serve as an inspiration for those who are grappling to rise above their own challenges and limitations and express themselves more productively and creatively.

作者简介

杰弗里·A·科特勒是在心理学和教育学领域最多产的作家之一，已经出版了65本跨学科的书籍。他为心理咨询师和治疗师撰写了一打教材，这些教材在全世界的大学中使用；他也为从业的治疗师和教育工作人员撰写了12本图书。他出版的一些被高度评价的著作有：《如何成为治疗师》、《有缺点的治疗师》、《富有同情心的治疗》、《让改变持续》、《餐桌旁的母亲》。

他还以通俗的语言撰写了许多极为成功的描述复杂现象的书：《跨越责备》、《改变你生命的旅行》、《私人时刻》、《秘密的自我》、《眼泪的语言》和《最后的受害者：进入连环杀手心灵的一次真实生命之旅》。

科特勒还是一位有着30年教龄的教育者。他在各种不同环境里——幼稚园、中学、精神健康中心、危机中心、大学、社区学院和私人机构——担任过老师、心理咨询师和治疗师。1980年和2000年，他以富尔布莱特学者和高级讲师身份分别在秘鲁和冰岛工作；他还在新西兰、澳大利亚、新加坡和尼泊尔等地做过访问教授。目前，他在加利福尼亚州立大学富勒顿分校担任心理咨询专业的教授和系主任。

译者简介

邱文平，2006年毕业于复旦大学历史系，历史学博士，上海社会科学院宗教所宗教学研究室主任。

邵妍，女，1982年生于湖北咸宁，本科及研究生均就读于华中师范大学外国语学院英语语言文学系，研究方向为英美文学，对翻译有浓厚兴趣。发表研究西尔维娅·普拉思的论文数篇，参与编写数部口译教材。现任教于中国人民解放军海军工程大学理学院外国语言文学系。

颜莉，女，1980年生，湖北鄂州人，现任湖北大学教师。2009年6月毕业于华中师范大学外国语学院，专业为外国语言学及应用语言学，硕士研究生学历，主要研究方向为英语翻译及英语教学。