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THE CULTURE OF EXCESSHow America Lost Self-Control
and Why We Need to Redefine Success
BY J. R. SLOSAR
MEET J. R. SLOSARAn Interview with the author of
THE CULTURE OF EXCESS
I am pleased to have been able to interview Dr. J. R. Slosar, who has a successful private practice as a licensed psychologist as well as so many other areas he works in (read his bio from yesterday's post here) that I was surprised he had the time for this interview but he did and I thank him for it. THE CULTURE OF EXCESS-How America Lost Self-Control and Why We Need to Redefine Success is his recently published book that I read and reviewed yesterday on my blog here. Dr. Slosar has a wonderful website at www.cultureofexcess.com that you can go to for a lot of good information about him, the book, and his work and includes articles and press releases as well as radio interviews that are really interesting to listen to. Here are a couple of links to articles by and about Dr. Slosar:
http://www.dailypilot.com/
http://www.prweb.com/releases/
1. What is the next or current book/project you are working on?
Have outline for work on Identity--Who am I? in the complex international and digital world.
2. What have you just finished reading?
Still reading Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida.
3. What books would you say have made the biggest impression on you, especially starting out?
Well, for my book The Culture of Narcissism by Christopher Lasch. Lasch is the best and most intense social critic ever. I cited about 40 books in my book, The Culture of Excess. But many books in my profession always influenced me-- and existential writings of Sartre and others. Allen Wheelis ranks high. I can have you post my bibliography if you like. While some authors are outstanding, I try to integrate their works. That's the hard part. Anyone can click away and get information. But working it and integrating it--- that's where the gold is.
4. What gets you started on a new book? A character or story idea or….?
People and their behavior. Patients I have had in therapy and experiences of my own and friends/colleagues/people.
5. What is something about you that you would want people to know about you that we probably don’t know?
I was born in Gary Indiana. My father worked in the steel mill and insisted I would go to college. I worked in the mill in the summer to make money and buy my first car--a used Chevy Nova to take back to school. After working in the mill, I ran back to college and made almost all As. I was the youngest of four and my mother stayed home until I went to school. On only my father's income, we owned a small home and I went to a Catholic school. This is not possible today. Along the way, both of my sisters died young at ages 35 and 42. Enough said.
6. What is your best advice to anyone, including young people, who want to be writers?
Keep getting feedback and join writer's groups. Keep reading and integrating.
7. What is something you would like to share with us about writing your favorite genre in general?
It is a part of me. What I have written is me. It is my view and perspective of the world--backed up as best I can. It is ideas I have carried in my head for a decade.
8. In relation to THE CULTURE OF EXCESS, what is THE one most important thing you think we can do to refocus ourselves to be more self-controlled in the future?
To teach children that self control is more important than self esteem. To set limits and boundaries instead of unlimited expectations. Generation We is possible.
Thank you to Dr. Slosar for the interview written on December 14, 2009
BONUS ENTRIES!
THANKS TO TRACEE AND PUMP UP
YOUR BOOK PROMOTION FOR HER HELP
AND FOR ALLOWING ME TO GIVE AWAY
ONE COPY OF THIS IMPORTANT BOOK!
THE RULES:
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY
HOW TO ENTER:
+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ANY OF THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS IN THE "Q & A" ON DR. SLOSAR'S WEBSITE .
GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JANUARY 30
GOOD LUCK!
3 comments:
People and their behavior influence what the author writes in his books.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
Dr. Slosar believes today's high levels of cultural narcissism has been fueled by the wild growth of technology and expansion of screen media (i.e. — social networking, ipods, texting, etc.) coupled with a news media that focuses too often on entertainment, and extreme market forces that make consumers crave what they can't afford to attain. I so agree with this thinking.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
How interesting..it almost makes sense as we should have thought of this on our own. I think Dr.Slosar's book must be a really interesting and valuable read.
anjamie4 AT gmail dot com
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