Bradshaw on the Family: A Revolutionary Way of Self Discovery
by John Bradshaw

Why I picked up this book: I had this in my library and had never read it. I was interested to read what he had to say in this book.

Based on the public television series of the same name, Bradshaw On: The Family is John Bradshaw's seminal work on the dynamics of families that has sold more than a million copies since its original publication in 1988. Within its pages, you will discover the cause of emotionally impaired families. You will learn how unhealthy rules of behavior are passed down from parents to children, and the destructive effect this process has on our society.

Using the latest family research and recovery material in this new edition, Bradshaw also explores the individual in both a family and societal setting. He shows you ways to escape the tyranny of family-reinforced behavior traps--from addiction and co-dependency to loss of will and denial--and demonstrates how to make conscious choices that will transform your life and the lives of your loved ones. He helps you heal yourself and then, using what you have learned helps you heal your family.
Finally, Bradshaw extends this idea to our society: by returning yourself and your family to emotional health, you can heal the world in which you live. He helps you reenvision societal conflicts from the perspective of a global family, and shares with you the power of deep democracy: how the choices you make every day can affect--and improve--your world.

He shows you ways to escape the tyranny of family-reinforced behavior traps--from addiction and co-dependency to loss of will and denial--and demonstrates how to make conscious choices that will transform your life and the lives of your loved ones.

Thoughts: I appreciate he has a Christian worldview. He has history of working with people in the family setting and uses research to guide his work which I really like. He sees the introjects received from family and a Myriad of issues in the United States. He talks about AOD issues, eating disorders, self esteem, domestic violence, abuse, compulsivity, workaholics,

Why finished this read: I am a clinical Psychologist with an emphasis is Family Systems so this book was right up my alley and I wanted to read more so this was easy to finish. I was taught a family functions as a system but it is not a system but he called the family a system. I see this book as full of important concepts and he put out many over the years. I’m thankful I read it. ( )

This answered tons of questions about why we're so jacked up. It was incredibly encouraging to know that we have lots of company in our brokenness. ( )