On Balance

In his brilliant new book, On Balance, psychoanalyst Adam Phillips explores literature and art in order to make us think about our own appetites and fears. He shows us that powerful strangers are not the only ones who can make us feel uncomfortable. How do we know when enough is enough? Are there times when too much is just right? Why is Cinderella’s biggest problem not the prince, but other women? What can Richard III’s furious sense of helplessness tell us of our own desires? In On Balance, Phillips shows off his expansive gifts as a thinker, connecting ideas in ways that sparkle and enlighten.