The Classic Bestseller that has Changed the Lives of Millions

"Extraordinary. Harris has helped millions find the freedom to change, liberate their adult effectiveness, and achieve joyful intimacy with others." —Los Angeles Times

Transactional analysis delineates three ego-states (Parent, Adult and Child) as the basis for the content and quality of interpersonal communication. "Happy childhood" notwithstanding, says Harris, most of us are living out the not OK feelings of a defenseless child wholly dependent on others (parents) for stroking and caring. At some stage early in our lives we adopt a "position" about ourselves and others that determines how we feel about everything we do. And for a huge portion of the population, that position is "I’m Not OK-You’re OK." This negative "life position," shared by successful and unsuccessful people alike, contaminates our rational adult capabilities, leaving us vulnerable to inappropriate, emotional reactions of our child and uncritically learned behavior programmed into our parent. By exploring the structure of our personalities and understanding old decisions, Harris believes we can find the freedom to change our lives.

This groundbreaking self-help book explains the method that has helped millions achieve real personal change:

Parent, Adult, and Child: Discover the three ego-states that coexist within you and learn to identify which one is controlling your actions and reactions at any given moment.
The Four Life Positions: Understand the unconscious "I’m Not OK—You’re OK" decision you made in childhood and how it continues to shape your relationships and self-esteem.
Clearer Communication: Learn to analyze your transactions—the basic units of social intercourse—to stop destructive patterns and foster genuine, effective communication with others.
A Path to Self-Awareness: By decontaminating your rational Adult from archaic Parent data and childhood feelings, you can take charge of your life and respond to the world with freedom and authenticity.

Thomas Anthony Harris