Analytic Function and the Function of the Analyst

'In this magisterial work Paulo Sandler continues to distinguish himself as a foremost scholar on the works of Bion. Already well known for his encyclopedic zeal, this present book continues Sandler's tireless search of Bion's contributions by this noteworthy clinical application of Bion's ideas. A major feature of Sandler's approach to studying Bion has been to contextualise the background of Bion's assumptions. In so doing, he extensively investigates the cultural and historical antecedents, especially including the philosophical and scientific points of view. From them Sandler selects Romanticism and its dialectical relationship with the Enlightenment. Among the many characteristics of Romanticism is imagination, at best creative, but also idealisation and hyperbole. 'Sandler also discusses Bion's way of being "scientific", one notable aspect of which is his distinctive use of theories, which he distinguishes from models. 'Sandler has written another brilliant textbook on Bion's thinking that constitutes a highly useful and practical handbook on the subject.' From the foreword by James Grotstein.