Dr. Winnicott is something of a legend in his field, so I've wanted for some time to read him. Unfortunately, his books rarely turn up used, and they've tended to go in and out of print, so they have been pricey when available. That said, I just checked Amazon and found that most of his work is in print again, and available in trade paperback.

Now for the skewed nature of my three-star review. This is a book, I think, for professional practitioners. Winnicott was, I was surprised to see, basically a Freudian. Because I know some of the language and the concepts that language represents in Freud's work, I was able to understand some of this book. Still, this book is probably too abstruse and technical for a common reader like myself.

Este libro -el último texto de Winnicott- nació del artículo ya clásico que el autor dedicara a estudiar los `objetos transicionales`. Su tesis se apoya en una concepción del juego, esa capacidad de crear un espacio intermedio entre lo que está afuera y lo que está adentro que no se vale de juegos regulados, adquiridos como fantasías o rituales, sino que se sitúa en el origen de la experiencia cultural. Se enuncia así una nueva teoría de los lugares psíquicos -una nueva tópica- profundamente original y distinguible frente a las aportaciones de Freud y Melanie Klein. La teoría psicoanalítica aparece entonces como un objeto transicional que no podemos pasar por alto: se inventa, se busca y se encuentra. Se renueva de esta manera no sólo nuestra inteligencia del discurso sino también nuestra percepción de lo real, de nosotros mismos y del otro.

This is an inspiring collection of psychoanalytic writing that includes helpful elucidation through case material and an attempt by Winnicott to clarify and refine his ideas about transitional phenomenon. I also appreciated the constant reminder for analysts to allow for the analysand's creativity to emerge in the work and to not stifle this growth by the need to be useful or clever by making interpretations.

Winnicott's papers from the 60s and early 70s on transitional objects and phenomena, creativity, life, art, culture, and so on. I was hoping for Winnicott to go into greater depth on these things, but he stays at a somewhat superficial level--this isn't meant as a criticism, since his audience in these papers is still primarily other psychoanalysts, therapists and clinicians, despite dealing with topics that are more often addressed in philosophy. Still recommended, though if you're looking for an intensive, deep meditation and exploration of the themes mentioned above, you won't find it here. ( )

One of the great Winnicott gems. Many a great essay here.