Book Review Digest 1950

"It is alleged that this 'new science of the mind' is based on a system which regards the brain as a perfect calculating machine, and offers a means of curing-in 100 per cent of the cases-all psychoses, neuroses, and psychosomatic illnesses. It is further stated that dianetic therapy enables individuals to rid themselves of locks that impair maximum functioning of the intellect. . . L. Ron Hubbard is a mathematician, theoretical philosopher, and writer. The volume includes circuit graphs by Donald H. Rogers of Western Electric, an outline of philosophic method by Will Durant, an outline of scientific method by John W. Camp bell, nuclear physicist, and an introduction by Dr. J. A. Winter." Chicago Sun

"Ordinarily, a new book which offers a generalized cure for all the ills of mankind guaranteed within twenty hours-would not be reviewed in these columns. This new book on Dianetics,' by L. Ron Hubbard, however is in a class by itself. In the first place, the author seems honestly to believe what he has written. His own powerful conviction, in turn, seems to have convinced many other -apparently in- telligent people who would be inclined to toss aside a book of this type. . The real and, to me, inexcusable danger in dianetics lies to its conception of the amoral, detached, 100 per cent efficient mechanical man -superbly freefloating- unemotional , and unrelated to anything.

His is the authoritarian dream, a populatlon of zombies, free to be manipulated by the great brains of the founder, the leader of the inner manipulative clique. Fortunately for us this is an unattainable dream, on the rocks of which every great authoritarian leader has sooner or later met his fate." M. R. Sapirstein The Nation 171:131 AS 6 '50 1200w

"Hubbard's concept of psychosomatic disease is definitely wrong. Psychosomatic ailments are not simply caused by emotional disturbances, they are diseases in which the emotional and the organic factor are closely involved and interdependent. The flicker of coronary trouble may be s serious occlusion, the psychosomatic ulcer may be a disguised cancer, and the cough a tumor of the lungs. While the patient is spending his hours in Dianetic reverie precious time for saving his life may be lost it may prove fatal to have put too much trust in the promises of this dangerous book." Martin Gumpert New Repub 123:90 Air 14 '50 1200w

"Perhaps the most unfortunate element Dianetics is the way it is written. The mixture- -of some oversimplified truths, half truths and plain absurdities, the propagandistic technique of impressing the reader with the greatness, infallability and newness of the author's system, the promise of unheard of results attained by the simple means of following Dianetics is a technique which has had most unfortunate results in the fields of patent medicines, and politics; applied to psychology and psychiatry It will not be less harmful. Erich Fromm N Y Herald Tribune Bk R p7 8 3 '60 1600w

"The Importance of 'Dianetics,' in this reviewer's judgment, is that it so clearly illustrates the most common fallacy of our time in regard to psychological ills. This is the fallacy of trying to construct a simple science of human behavior based upon mathematics and using for Its models the physial sciences and the machine. In this book Hubbard often inveighs against shock therapy and psychosurgery--and one can sympathize with his intent at these points. But he does not see that the excessive use of shock therapy and surgical mutilation of the brain are based on the same assumptions as his own theory- namely the oversimplification of complex human ailments and the endeavor to heal these ailments by mechanical methods."

Rollo May

NY Times p9 Jl 1 '50 1260w

Go Back