Book Review: “The Road Less Travelled” by Dr. Scott Peck"

“The Road Less Travelled” by Dr. Scott Peck, a psychotherapist sheds light on the psychology of love, traditional values and spiritual growth. The author explains the emotional pain and suffering that people go through irrespective of their age, experience, wisdom and upbringing. Using numerous examples of his patients, the author gives the reader an insight to why people suffer psychologically in the first place; what’s really going wrong?

Meanwhile he discusses the four important key points that are necessary for one to achieve harmony in life – delaying gratification, taking the responsibility, dedication to reality and withholding truth. These four are narrated in a strange but appealing fashion. Someone who can delay gratification has the key to psychological maturity, whereas impulsiveness is a mental habit. Most large problems are the result of not facing up to earlier, smaller problems, of failing to be ‘dedicated to the truth’. Another great mistake most people make is believing that problems will go away of their own accord. This is utter lack of responsibility will damages them in other ways. Discipline is not only about ‘growing up’ in terms of accepting reality, but in the appreciation of the tremendous range of choices that exist.

Then, he defines how one’s psychology is molded giving utmost importance to parenting. Later on, the book attempts to define the true meaning of love, quite contrasting with its conventional notion, and how it leads one to make serious effort to overcome the problems lying within his mind. Having explained all these things eloquently, it moves to the discussion of religion and thence God’s grace.

In a nutshell the author has made a good attempt to bridge the gap between the scientific and spiritual world views with reasoning and pure intellect. This self-help book is full of new life changing insights.

 “Once you admit that life is difficult, the fact is no longer of 

great consequence. Once you accept responsibility, you can 

make better choices.” – The Road Less Travelled