Rock 'n' Roll Wisdom: What Psychologically Astute Lyrics Teach about Life and Love

(Hardback)

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In a novel look at rock 'n' roll lyrics, psychologist Barry Farber highlights those that rise above the rest because they are not only clever, but also wise in their psychological themes and conclusions. These great lyrics embody enduring truths about topics as diverse as love, identity, money, sex, religion, aging, social justice, and the search for meaning. Join Farber in a fun and informative journey across rock 'n' roll history to see how we can learn about significant areas of life through the medium of psychologically wise rock 'n' roll lyrics. The Beatles meet Sigmund Freud. Bob Marley trades ideas with Carl Rogers, and Joni Mitchell shares thoughts with psychological great Erik Erikson. Those aren't actual face-to-face meetings, but a reflection of the fascinating interplay developed for this book by Barry Farber. In a novel look at rock 'n' roll lyrics, Columbia University professor Farber shows us those lyrics that rise above the rest because they are not only clever but also wise in their psychological themes and conclusions. These great lyrics embody enduring truths about topics as diverse as love, identity, money, sex, religion, aging, social justice, and the search for meaning. Join psychologist Farber in a fun and informative journey across rock 'n' roll history to see how we can learn about significant areas of life through the medium of psychologically wise rock 'n' roll lyrics.

Reviews

Barry Farber.has written a book that many readers will respond to.His presentation is jargon free and draws on psychdynamic thinking but also on basic psychological research from areas such as personality, developmental psychology, and social psychology. It is fun to read, reads easily, and stimulates a good deal of reflection as well as nostalgia. * PsycCRITIQUES *
[C]onsiders rock and roll lyrics and their influences from an unusual vantage point: that of a psychologist who consders the interplays between lyrics and society. Rock lyrics here are used to understand the human psyche, with chapters drawing intriguing connections between Freud and rock star perspectives. College-level collections strong in either music or psychology will find this an intriguing, scholarly interplay between music and psychology. * The Bookwatch *

Author Bio

Barry A. Farber is Professor of Psychology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. He has twice served as Chair of the Counseling and Clinical Psychology Department at Teachers College. He has been the Program Coordinator and Director of Training in the Teachers College Clinical Psychology Program since 1990. He serves on the Editorial Boards for the journals Psychotherapy, Journal of Clinical Psychology/In-Session and Psychotherapy Research. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Yale University in 1978. Farber maintains a private practice in Westchester County, N.Y.