Books like The psychology of adjustment by Laurance Frederic Shaffer

An accessible collection that surveys major personality theories, from Freud’s psychoanalysis to Rogers’ humanistic self theory, including social, organismic, stimulus‑response, and existential perspectives.

Running counter to society's current prevailing message that things should always run smoothly--or, at least, appear to--and that failure or mistakes of any sort are to be avoided at all costs, The Gift of Adversity shows that such setbacks are inevitable. Indeed, engaging with our own failures and defeats is one of the only ways we are able to live authentic and meaningful lives. The book illuminates how each different type of setback carries its own challenges and has the potential to yield its own form of wisdom. Using stories from his own life--including his childhood in apartheid-era South Africa, his years after suffering a violent attack from a stranger, and his career as a psychiatrist--as well as case studies and discussions with well-known figures such as Viktor Frankl and David Lynch, Rosenthal reveals that true innovation, emotional resilience, wisdom, and dignity can only come from confronting and understanding the adversity we have experienced.

Robert Kegan examines how the complex demands of modern life challenge adult mental capacities, offering a theory of evolving cognition that connects personal and cultural expectations to psychological development.

The phenomenon of positive personal change following devastating events has been recognized since ancient times but given little attention by contemporary psychologists and psychiatrists, who have tended to focus on the negative consequences of stress. In recent years, evidence from diverse fields has converged to suggest the reality and pervasive importance of the processes the editors sum up as posttraumatic growth. This volume offers the first comprehensive overview of these processes. Overcoming the challenges of life's worst experiences can catalyze new opportunities for individual and social development. Learning about persons who discover or create the perception of positive change in their lives may shed light on the problems of those who continue to suffer.

Identifies toxic behaviors that make men unsuitable romantic partners and explains a plan to avoid painful entanglements.

A scholarly overview of recent advances in personality psychology, highlighting new assessment methods and interdisciplinary connections to cognitive science, evolutionary biology, and sociology.