Most Popular Books by Maxine Anderson

When I can remain truly present with my dementing patient, even facing the hard truths about her decline, she feels more deeply accompanied and thus more available to experience the realities and possibilities available at this time of her life. Maxine Anderson presents her account of three and a half years accompanying her patient's journey into dementia. Sally, a psychoanalytic patient from several decades ago, returns to therapy as she begins to experience the early signs of Alzheimer's, a disease she watched her mother descend into. Sessions start with Sally alone but soon involve Sally's husband David and, later, her carer Connie. Psychoanalyst, patient, husband, and carer all learn together as they navigate the turbulent emotional waters caused by Sally's condition. The sessions brought out much to experience and to learn: about loss and the need to mourn, but also about the impulse to turn away out of fear and helplessness. The deepest lessons had to do with the value of patience and attentiveness in the face of fear and confusion. It is difficult to face the recession of capacities in our loved ones and our own helplessness. Yet, turning away to avoid the pain of loss may make the aging individual also turn away from facing the situation, enhancing the isolation and loneliness triggered by their waning capacities. In navigating this hardest passage, Maxine came to realize that by remaining truly attentive to Sally's experience, in the midst of loss and frustration, she could reach past the confusion and fear to help Sally feel emotionally accompanied, and thus more available to her own experience and realities. Surprisingly, when Sally felt accompanied, she could better face the hard truths about her decline. In addition, she and David were able to genuinely welcome change, amidst the necessary mourning, and managed to discover a new continent of experience and relationships. The encounter changed the lives of all involved and opened them up to new aspects of their own humanity. This moving tale presents a unique perspective on living with dementia and is of interest not only to all professionals working with dementia, but also to those accompanying their loved ones on their own hardest passage.

From Tribal Division to Welcoming Inclusion: Psychoanalytic Perspectives provides a fascinating contribution to our understanding of the increasingly polarized and divisive nature of global politics. By describing the significant role of early mental mechanisms in interactions between the individual and society, the book offers a unique understanding of how our early mental life explains the social, cultural and political positions we assume later. Splitting and projection are early defences meant to shield the growing mind from unbearable aspects of reality, but they hinder our capacity for open-minded thought, and in contributing to the dangerous atmosphere of "us versus them", introduce tribal myths of an innocent group and external persecutors. The book illustrates these distortions of reality using a range of vignettes, notably the myth of white supremacy and the savage legacy of the Civil War in the United States. Gaining support from the work of Wilfred Bion, the book emphasises the need for integration of mind and the restoration of our capacity to face painful realities, including one’s own violence and hatred. This psychoanalytic study provides a balm for turbulent times. It will be of great interest to researchers and interested readers in the broad field of psychoanalysis, as well as those in the fields of political science, cultural studies and anthropology.

Young readers become scientists in the field when this activity book sends them off to answer the question “Why do we have winter?” with experiments and projects that mix real science with real fun. Combining hands-on learning with trivia, jokes, riddles, and terrific illustrations, chapters start with the “tools” of science—the scientific method and how to keep a science journal—and then investigate the winter constellations, long nights and long shadows, animal tracking in snow, and food-gathering behavior in birds.

Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself introduces readers to the life, world, and incredible mind of Leonardo da Vinci through hands-on building projects that explore his invention ideas. Most of Leonardo's inventions were never made in his lifetime—they remained sketches in his famous notebooks. Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself shows you how to bring these ideas to life using common household supplies. Detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates for creating each project combine with historical facts and anecdotes, biographies and trivia about the real-life models for each project. Together they give kids a first-hand look into the amazing mind of one the world’s greatest inventors.

From periscopes to homemade paper, uniforms to telegraphs, Great Civil War Projects You Can Build Yourself explores the Civil War era through hands-on building projects and activities using common household and craft store items. Detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates for creating 25 Civil War projects, combined with historical background, facts and anecdotes, and biographies and trivia, give kids a hands-on way to experience the fascinating history of one of the most important eras in American history.

Explains what spring is and why it occurs. Includes projects, activities, and experiments.

Provides information about Leonardo da Vinci and simple instructions for creating some of da Vinci's inventions.