BOOK REVIEW
TRANSCEND: THE NEW SCIENCE OF
SELF-ACTUALIZATION
AUTHOR: SCOTT BARRY KAUFMAN
PUBLISHED: TARCHERPERIGEE (APRIL 7, 2020)
Reviewed by Martin Huecker, MD
Maslow is destined, in my view, to be rediscovered
many times before the richness of his
thought is fully assimilated. - Irvin D. Yalom 1
INTRODUCTION
I almost never reread books. This may offend
fellow readers, and I may be missing
out, but there are just too many books to
read in one lifetime. But on reaching the last
page of Transcend by Scott Barry Kaufman, I immediately flipped
back to the beginning and dove in. Transcend succeeds because of
balance. Kaufman balances art with science, jargon with lay language,
scholarship with self-help, and famous quotes with insights
of his own that should become famous quotes. He even balances
literal opposites, cogently handling paradoxical statements. The
balance of biography (of psychologist Abraham Maslow) with his
explanation of scientific principles drives the intuitive flow of the
book, navigating ascending levels of human needs in the context
of Maslow’s own personal journey.
Maslow could be considered the first positive psychologist, no
disrespect to the esteemed and well-named Dr. Martin Seligman.
As a humanistic psychologist, Maslow studied self-actualization,
rather than anchoring on psychological pathology or psychotherapy.
Before you contemplate how comfortable you feel with
Maslow’s “hierarchy,” you must realize that he never drew a pyramid
(a management consultant in the 60s took this liberty). Likewise,
he did not assert that people could only progress to growth
needs if the security needs were met – people in poverty can and
do desire exploration and purpose.
After dispensing with the pyramid, Kaufman provides an even
better schema: Sailboat. The boat’s hull represents security needs
(Safety, Connection, and Self-esteem); the sail contains growth
needs (Exploration, Love, and Purpose). The sailboat metaphor
brings cohesion to the entire book as we travel on the voyage to
self-actualization.
SECURITY NEEDS
On page 8 (Safety chapter), Kaufman is already unraveling the
meaning of “meaning.” Meaning includes purpose (a motivation
to realize future-oriented and valued life goals), mattering (the
extent to which people feel that their existence and actions in the
world are significant, important and valuable), and sense of coherence
(how much the immediate environment makes sense, provides
predictability and comprehensibility in life). There’s enough
in these few pages for an intellectually stimulating book club discussion.
Physical hunger, attachment styles, fear and helplessness;
the fact that the world is a chaotic, challenging place – all enter in.
We may gain some security by developing a sense of Connection,
with two sub-needs: 1) need to belong, be liked/accepted and
2) need for intimacy, mutuality, relatedness. Check out the references
to neural coupling, resonance and vagal tone. Goal: look for
“‘micro-moments of connection’ … ‘tiny engines’ … that can set
off upward spirals in your life, helping you to grow and become a
better version of yourself.”
The next security need, Self-esteem, must outgrow the negative
image of the 80s and 90s self-esteem movement. Not inherently
problematic, self-esteem becomes so when its pursuit is the
end goal. Divided into self-worth and mastery, self-esteem allows
one to foster relational social value and a sense of agency. On page
60, you encounter the first of many checklists: “I am…” statements
from validated survey tools, to assess yourself on personality char-
20 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE