Why are many of the most successful people plagued by feelings of emptiness and alienation? This wise and profound book has provided thousands of readers with an answer -- and has helped them to apply it to their own lives. Far too many of us had to learn as children to hide our own feelings, needs, and memories skillfully in order to meet our parents' expectations and win their "love." Alice Miller writes, "When I used the word 'gifted' in the title,...

Also has brief case studies of Pablo Picasso, Kathe Kollwitz, Buster Keaton, and Chaim Soutine.

A child tries to convince his mother that all the things under his bed are treasures, not a mess to clean up.