Narcissism

"This latest of Richard Wood’s books on narcissism promises to be his masterpiece. For a small book, it is one of the most comprehensive and engaging reviews of narcissism that I have read. Wood has covered most of the authoritative contributors to the study of narcissism, and I would think that this book would be the go-to book for psychiatric residents, psychoanalytic candidates, and even the journalistic world. Congratulations on a fine piece of work."

David Ray Freebury, MB Ch FICPC DLFAPA, training and supervising analyst, Canadian and Toronto psychoanalytic societies

"Richard Wood leads us into the complex, sometimes confusing, world of narcissism. Summarizing seminal contributions, he weighs in on seemingly contradictory elements, providing useful reflections. He relates these matters to his experience with narcissistic patients and parents, with thought-provoking things to say about the relationships that narcissists and those who suffered narcissistic parenting attempt to establish. These ideas will stimulate readers not only with respect to patients but also regarding clinical theory and the wider sociopolitical world (e.g., relationships between grandiose narcissistic leaders and their supporters)."

Brent Willock, author, Comparative-Integrative Psychoanalysis

"Dr. Wood’s latest book is an exceptional integration of clinical research, theory and practice on the subject and treatment of narcissism in its various forms. What emerges is a ground-breaking model through which this condition can best be understood and more completely recognized.

Dr. Wood acknowledges the work of his co-navigators and renders a great service by articulating their insights … untangling the cross-threads of past and present clinical experience. The dynamics of narcissism have never been so compellingly described."

Tim Gilmor, Ph.D., specializing in personality/clinical psychology

"Dr. Richard Wood provides us with another well-written and engaging book exploring narcissism. Wood first offers an impressive and well-digested literature review of contemporary perspectives of thin-skinned, or vulnerable narcissism, and thick-skinned, or grandiose narcissism. After providing a number of useful clinical examples he expounds his own perspective. Wood understands narcissism as a defense meant to protect the psyche from unbearable and catastrophic outcomes. Wood does not see thin-skinned narcissism as falling within the spectrum of narcissistic disorders. He views thin-skinned narcissistic patients as suffering from cumulative developmental post-traumatic stress. These vulnerable people were invaded and tormented by malignant narcissistic early relational experiences with vampire-like narcissistic parents who have damaged their souls. Wood views these traumatized patients as quite amenable to psychodynamic treatment. The book will therefore support psychotherapists and psychoanalysts who are willing to discover the deeply traumatized person underneath the label of 'narcissist'. Dr. Wood also throws light on the pathological relationship between malignant narcissistic leaders and their exploited followers. The book is a significant contribution to our field and a gift to all of us."

Era A. Loewenstein, Ph.D. Training and Supervising Analyst, San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis. Editor of the Psychoanalytic Inquiry Issue: Perspectives on Populist and Fascistic States of Mind (Taylor and Francis, 2023)