Bask - Shop now
$15.66 with 46 percent savings
Digital List Price: $29.00

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.
eBook features:
  • Highlight, take notes, and search in the book
  • In this edition, page numbers are just like the physical edition
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Edwin H. Friedman
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Friedman's Fables Kindle Edition

by Edwin H. Friedman (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 out of 5 stars 255 ratings
Edwin H. Friedman has woven 24 illustrative tales that offer fresh perspectives on familiar human foibles and reflect the author's humor, pathos, and understanding. Friedman takes on resistance and other "demons" to show that neither insight, nor encouragement, nor intimidation can in themselves motivate an unmotivated person to change. These tales playfully demonstrate that new ideas, new questions, and imagination, more than accepted wisdom, provide each of us with the keys to overcoming stubborn emotional barriers and facilitating real change both in ourselves and others. Thought-provoking discussion questions for each fable are included.

See also the downloadable audiobook, Friedman's Fables: Favorites Read by the Author, featuring 15 of the tales narrated in Dr. Friedman's inimitable style. 
Previous slide of product details
  1. ISBN-13
    978-1462511501
  2. Publisher
    The Guilford Press
  3. Publication date
    February 25, 2013
  4. Language
    English
  5. File size
    4.5 MB
Next slide of product details
  Report an issue with this product or seller

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book had an unexpected effect. I found myself more creative in the therapy sessions that followed, almost as if I had been granted some internal form of permission to co-create a story alongside the stuck stories of so many of my clients.... The stories...had, in effect, stimulated my own story-telling ability." ― AFTA Newsletter Published On: 1990-09-30

``Add the quixotic touch of a rabbi to the adroit questions of a family therapist. Enough already? No. Add an Aesop-like creativity....These fables are fun and teasing, some probing, some coy, and some poignant. Wow, it's a goose! It's a read!'' --Carl Whitaker, M.D.

``Teaching by parable is an old and honorable tradition. Ed Friedman, beloved rabbi and noted family therapist, is a great modern master of the art. FRIEDMAN'S FABLES is a delight, of course. These stories are funny, but they are also profound, provocative, even shocking, as they present crucial truths of systemic thinking, vital lessons of family therapy and family life, and a slyly modern, hard-nosed re-evaluation of the wisdom of the ages. Friedman is using these stories to punctuate his lessons, lessons to therapists and to anyone else who expects to deal with people, lessons about human relationships, human suffering, and human integrity. One emerges with a great sense of the wisdom and humanity of Ed Friedman himself.'' --Frank Pittman, M.D.

``Ed Friedman, with humor, wisdom, and a devious mind, has created a series of fables that highlight the classic dilemmas and struggles of relationships. His characters haunt the reader long after the stories are over and inflict insight better than any formal interpretation ever could. These parables make great lessons and great reading for those caught in the web of trying to change another person or themselves.'' --Carol Anderson, Ph.D.

``I used a fable for my sermon, and you could have heard a pin drop by the end....I find the book thoroughly delightful and powerful.'' --The Rev. Henry C. Galganowicz, Rector, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Weston, Connecticut

About the Author

Edwin H. Friedman (1932-1996), a family therapist and ordained rabbi, was born in New York City and worked for more than 35 years in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Well known in the fields of mental health and pastoral education, Edwin H. Friedman brought his unique blend of systems thinking, motivational style, and common sense to his highly regarded work as a consultant and leadership trainer to diverse professional and government organizations.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00BL7GUOQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Guilford Press (February 25, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 25, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.5 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 258 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 255 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Edwin H. Friedman

Edwin H. Friedman

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

The late Edwin Friedman was an ordained rabbi and practicing family therapist. His ground-breaking work, Generation to Generation, exposed the emotional connections between home and work in religious, educational, therapeutic, and business systems, and has become a modern classic. A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix, is an acclaimed work on leadership. Friedman died in 1996.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
255 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find this book insightful, particularly as a resource for understanding human behavior and as a profound tool for therapists. Moreover, the fables are powerful and serve as great stories to teach lessons, with one customer noting their symbolic approach to systems theory in story form. Additionally, the book is easy to read and worth its price, with customers appreciating its humor. They also value its spiritual content, with one customer highlighting its suitability for serious Christians.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

41 customers mention "Insight"41 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful, with several noting it serves as a profound tool for therapists. One customer specifically mentions how it illustrates important concepts with helpful stories.

"...The study guide is a great addition if you are going to use this book for group study, a lesson, or just to have for your own edification." Read more

"...recommend this book to counselors, but a believe it has even broader applications." Read more

"...to the class, dramatically and with a lot of spirit. With the first story, "The Bridge," class members took a bit to relax into the process...." Read more

"...His "Generation to Generation" is a powerfully clear treatise on self and systems that has had a profound effect on thousands...." Read more

33 customers mention "Fables"30 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the fables in this book, describing them as powerful, thought-provoking, and great for teaching lessons, with one customer noting their symbolic approach to systems theory in story form.

"...The stories contain great lessons that everyone needs to hear and many of us need to hear over and over again...." Read more

"...The fables are more instructive than the psychology book!..." Read more

"This book is in a class of it’s own. It’s imaginative and thought provoking...." Read more

"...Edwin Friedman was a highly effective, creative, and visual writer...." Read more

6 customers mention "Humor"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book, with one mentioning its wit and wisdom.

"...It's at once humorous, entertaining and deeply enlightening. I finished it in 3 sittings and plan to reread again...." Read more

"This is a humorous and poignant and insightful reflection on life's challenges...." Read more

"...the book is written with humor and insight .......you will enjoy it." Read more

"...Anyone who enjoys story, metaphor, and/or parables will enjoy the wit and wisdom within the pages of Friedman's Fables...." Read more

5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read, with one customer noting that it doesn't use specialized language.

"...the book can be used across many generations is because the writing it simplistic but does not talk down to the reader...." Read more

"...Edwin Friedman was a highly effective, creative, and visual writer...." Read more

"No speciallized language required to read this book...." Read more

"Classic tales for transformation of the individual and the family system written with wit, humor, and insight...." Read more

5 customers mention "Value for money"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book worth its price.

"...Helpful. The first fable, The Bridge, is worth the price of the book!" Read more

"...No worries at all. Book in excellent condition and at a very fine price." Read more

"New book for a used price. Great quality and service." Read more

"Well worth it!..." Read more

3 customers mention "Christianity"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the spiritual content of the book, with one customer noting it is excellent for serious Christians.

"...With his background as both a psychologist and ordained spiritual leader, his is well-equipped to see the processes behind and within our sometimes..." Read more

"...An excellent pair for the serious Christian by a therapist and rabbi." Read more

"...Also excellent for psychologists, therapists, pastors, etc. , , , anyone who does counseling!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • A. D. Oltmann
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth it!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    This is a book that stands the test of time. It really speaks to multiple generations and can be used to teach multiple generations. I had a colleague say he used it for teaching youth and I recently used it in an adult study. One of the reasons the book can be used across many generations is because the writing it simplistic but does not talk down to the reader. The stories contain great lessons that everyone needs to hear and many of us need to hear over and over again.

    There is one thing that anyone contemplating purchasing this book should be aware of, that I was not: it comes with a study guide! The study guide has the morals listed as well as group questions. The study guide is a great addition if you are going to use this book for group study, a lesson, or just to have for your own edification.
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Linda K. Anderson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Paradigm-shifting read!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I read Friedman’s book on systems psychology and was intrigued to read book of fables by him. The fables are more instructive than the psychology book! Each story left me thinking about how the kind of conflict or struggle plays out in my world and what I can do differently. Don’t miss the epilogue!
    6 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Libby Legg
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Different and Refreshing Read
    Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This book is in a class of it’s own. It’s imaginative and thought provoking. Each fable has a way of finding an applicable place in the mind and life of the reader. I would certainly recommend this book to counselors, but a believe it has even broader applications.
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Notgnostic
    5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific small group study for Adult Sunday school class
    Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I was intentional in choosing this book for our Sunday school class. How do you deal with expectations of others? What do you think of trying to 'change' people? How to handle a bully or 'holier than thou' person? How do you handle it if someone trys to make you feel guilty about a choice or decision? I read each of the 'fables' (parables, actually!) to the class, dramatically and with a lot of spirit. With the first story, "The Bridge," class members took a bit to relax into the process. I explained that these fun stories may be about us and our own struggles, and encouraged them to let their minds wander and see themselves and others through the fable, or parable. WOW... this ended up being the most productive study I've ever led (outside of Disciple Bible Study.) I would read each of the discussion questions at the end of each fable/parable, and we rarely had time to discuss them all before the time ran out. I had intended to read only "The Bridge" to the group, as a sort of interim activity before moving on to another Bible study. Instead, the group wanted to continue to do these until we'd done them all. I HIGHLY recommend this book for small group work, especially in a group that has a degree of 'safety' in in and where the persons are not afraid to think and grow.
    16 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Doug in NNY
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Work
    Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2005
    Verified Purchase
    Ed Friedman provided his readers and students with more than information about the human condition. He has given them a way to think, not just what to think. This book of fables, as the study booklet that accompanies it makes clear, is about life questions. A great deal of what one can know about life and self depends upon (a) where one stands when asking questions, and (b) the clarity and orientation of one's questions. The greatness of Ed Friedman is the clarity with which he has engaged the world. His "Generation to Generation" is a powerfully clear treatise on self and systems that has had a profound effect on thousands. I am given to understand that his daughter is arranging for editing and publishing "A Failure of Nerve" (available since 1999 only as a bound manuscript, loosely edited). Ed Friedman learned systems theory from Msurray Bowen (1913-1990), and his variant of Bowen Theory remains one of the clearest and most compelling expositions of the power of Bowen's work. "Friedman's Fables" is a testament to what can be done with Bowen when one thinks about the human condition with freedom and creativity, informed by the discipline of the most mature theory of human functioning today.
    19 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Andrew Brooks
    5.0 out of 5 stars Just Fables.
    Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    None of these stories are actually true- they're just fables!
    Helpful
     Report
  • George E Doebler
    5.0 out of 5 stars More than stories
    Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Ed. Friedman told the "story" of how difficult it was to get his publisher to publish these "fables" because, as I remember him saying, "they did not end right". The publisher wanted to send an editor to Washington to help rewrite most of the stories. Ed asked the Editor (at Springer Press) to send the book back and he would find another publisher. The editor rethought his decision and asked if Ed would write a preface to the Fables, which he did. To read FRIEDMAN'S FABLES without this little edition (guidebook) leaves the reader without the tantalizing thoughts of the meaning of the stories. I have used the Fables in teaching, counseling, and for my own meditation on the twist of life.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • PhoenixZen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pick-me-up psycho-spiritual energy bar with timeless truths
    Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Sometimes complex truths are delivered best through deceptively simple stories. Edwin Friedman was a highly effective, creative, and visual writer. I'm glad I stumbled across this gem while looking for less conventional ideas on human dynamics and family relationships. It's at once humorous, entertaining and deeply enlightening. I finished it in 3 sittings and plan to reread again. Highly recommended for the busy adults looking for thought-provoking mind nutrition in easily digested bite-size chunks.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Jayne Mcconkey
    5.0 out of 5 stars sharing the fables
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 14, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I have not read all the book yet, but already I have found the fables relevant to my work, my thinking about clients and life. I have shared the fables a couple times this week already!
    Nicely laid out book, with images and bite sized fables.
    Report
  • Puccinidiva
    5.0 out of 5 stars Short stories that provide mind blowing clarity.
    Reviewed in Canada on August 19, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Friedman is do clever. I have bought this book for a few people.
    Report
  • Mavis Kerr
    5.0 out of 5 stars great to do in a group
    Reviewed in Canada on October 6, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    fFve of us meet weekly . We are reading a chapter a week and use that fable as a lens through which to share our lives, thoughts and perceptions. The question booklet is a good stimulus for discussion especially when we don't agree with the questions it raises. ;-)
    Report
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This book is BRILLIANT. so clever and entertaining. I want to buy it for all my friends and family
    Report
  • Cz
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great discussion starter
    Reviewed in Canada on September 16, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Fun to discuss
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report