In reading his work, even the controversial is so well grounded in logic that it can be appreciated, even if not accepted. Perhaps those who found Dryden's lectures difficult might be encouraged to study them rather than listen to them. I have left the best until last. The lecture 'Rationality, Outrageous Ideas and Sensitivity' - is a truly astounding piece of work - Suffice to say that the initial expression of many of his ideas would appear so controversial as to have him frog-marched out of any politically correct subculture, particularly counselling. Yet no-one walked out of his lecture and no-one screamed out in protest. The reason, I believe, is that the ideas he presents in this lecture, and throughout the book, are thoroughly sound. If anything, they appear controversial only because they throw into sharp focus some of the more questionable presumptions we carry in the profession as a whole. Dave Mearns, British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, Vol.27, No.3, 1999. Despite being twelve separate lectures the book retains a cohesive feel due in part - to the feeling that controversy is never far away. However, it is not simply a rant on the current state of these disciplines but rather a persuasive book that would challenge practitioners and other interested readers to examine whether or not they are indeed 'sitting comfortably' with their own notions of what counselling and psychotherapy should look like today and in the future. Elizabeth Shea, Journal of Critical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy, Vol.3, No.4, 2003
