This appraisal draws on a lifetime's experience to provide practical advice - and cautions - on how to approach dreamwork. It looks at the very different value placed on dreams by various cultures, it assesses the latest scientific research on sleep and dreaming and it explores a collection of case material in demonstrating how dreams not only mirror our inner worlds but also (whether we are aware of this or not) influence the outer course of our lives. By understanding our dreams, the author argues, we become better able to understand ourselves and to realize more direction and meaning in our lives. Roderick Peters worked for many years as a doctor in Africa and Asia before specializing as an analytical psychologist.