Erik H. Erikson is widely considered one of the most influential thinkers to have merged from the field of psychoanalysis. His work is concerned with the relevance of psychotherapy to the everyday modern world. His significance lies in the issues he addresses, the concepts he provides, and the many still unresolved questions he poses on the relationship of the individual to society. It was Erikson who originated the term identity crisis and this book shows how his theories developed in response to his own life experience. It offers a comprehensive view of Erikson as a person, as a writer and thinker, and as a psychotherapist.