The Road He Travelled: The Revealing Biography of M Scott Peck May 2007
by Arthur Jones (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 22 ratings
Book description
Editorial reviews
The first biography of M. Scott Peck which will throw new light on the man who wrote The Road Less Travelled
M. Scott Peck was hailed as 'a prophet to the Seventies' when The Road Less Travelled was published. His book spent in excess of 10 years on the New York Times bestseller list - longer than achieved by any other living author. Millions of readers understood his message that life is difficult and that it is by overcoming a constant stream of problems that personal and spiritual fulfilment is attainable, operating at the interface of psychology and theology.
M. Scott Peck died in 2005 from Parkinsons Disease, having recently divorced his wife, Lily, after 40 years of marriage. The Road He Travelled makes sense of the fascinating paradoxes associated with his life and work - modern guru, bad father and husband, excellent writer, self-centred prophet, genuine seeker, a decent person trying sometimes to be better, the wounded carer, the healing physician, the great encourager...
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This incisive biography reveals that M. Scott Peck's own life was difficult, very difficult. He was psychologically abused by his bullying father, a celebrity lawyer. He rebelled as a teenager and was briefly ordered into a psychiatric hospital. Having enjoyed sexual encounters with women and men, he defied his father by marrying Lily Ho, a Chinese girl he met at university. He later betrayed Lily, his wife of forty-three years, with extramarital affairs.
Peck served in the US Army but, appalled by the Pentagon's indifference to the atrocities of the Vietnam War, subsequently resigned his commission and set up in private practice. Being estranged from his three children because of his self-centred drive, Peck had a love-hate relationship with the fame his work brought him. Two years before his death from cancer in 2005, Lily left him and they divorced.
He married Kathy Yeates Peck in 2004.
M. Scott Peck was a wounded healer with a dark side.
With honesty and compassion, Arthur Jones maps the winding path through life of a man who gave so much hope to many, who was so helpful for others, yet who was nonetheless - reputation and money aside - frequently far less successful for himself, for his family and those closest to him.
The Road He Travelled is both the fascinating analysis of an unusual man who was full of contradictions, and also a cultural portrait of the self-help movement which had such an extraordinary impact on the Western world in the second half of the twentieth century.
이 예리한 전기는 M. Scott Peck 자신의 삶이 매우 어려웠다는 것을 보여줍니다. 그는 연예인급 변호사인 아버지로부터 따돌림을 당해 정신적으로 학대를 당했다. 그는 10대 때 반란을 일으켰고 잠시 정신병원에 입원하라는 명령을 받았습니다. 남녀노소를 불문하고 성적인 만남을 즐겼던 그는 대학에서 만난 중국인 소녀 릴리 호와 결혼해 아버지의 뜻을 거역했다. 그는 나중에 혼외정사로 43년 동안 함께한 아내 릴리를 배신했습니다. Peck은 미군에서 복무했지만 베트남 전쟁의 잔혹 행위에 대한 국방부의 무관심에 경악하여 그 후 사임하고 개인 사업을 시작했습니다. 자기중심적인 추진력으로 인해 세 자녀와 멀어진 Peck은 자신의 작품으로 얻은 명성과 애증의 관계를 가졌습니다. 2005년 그가 암으로 사망하기 2년 전, 릴리는 그를 떠나 이혼했습니다.
그는 2004년 Kathy Yeates Peck과 결혼했습니다.
<M. Scott Peck은 어두운 면을 지닌 상처받은 치료자였습니다.>
정직과 연민으로 Arthur Jones는 많은 사람들에게 많은 희망을 주고, 다른 사람들에게 많은 도움을 주었지만, 그럼에도 불구하고, 평판과 돈은 제쳐두고 말하자면, 종종 자기 자신과, 가족과 그와 가장 가까운 사람들을.위해서는 훨씬 덜 성공했던 한 남자의 구불구불한 삶의 길을 그려냅니다.
『그가 여행한 길』은 모순으로 가득 찬 특이한 남자에 대한 매혹적인 분석이자, 20세기 후반 서구 세계에 엄청난 영향을 미친 자조운동의 문화적 초상화이기도 하다.
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320 pages
Language
English
Publisher
RIDER - TRADE
Publication date
1 May 2007
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katherine edmiston
5.0 out of 5 stars Never Can TellReviewed in the United States on 21 September 2022
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I am surprised by some of the negative reviews of this book. Arthur Jones has written a difficult, balanced, insightful examination of a man who is immensely influential in our culture. This biography is well-written, thorough, painstakingly researched, and offers a very accurate portrait of a complicated man and writer. People of the Lie is one of the most important books of my entire life. Yet I never idolized or idealized M. Scott Peck. I was definitely curious about him, and Mr. Arthur Jones' impeccable work has satisfied and rewarded that curiosity with a fulfilling portrait of a very human being.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great quality, very happy with this orderReviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 June 2019
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Great quality, very happy with this order
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Gerardo Gúnera-Lazzaroni
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent work about life and its comings and goings
320 pages
Language
English
Publisher
RIDER - TRADE
Publication date
1 May 2007
Top reviews from other countries
Translate all reviews to English
katherine edmiston
5.0 out of 5 stars Never Can TellReviewed in the United States on 21 September 2022
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I am surprised by some of the negative reviews of this book. Arthur Jones has written a difficult, balanced, insightful examination of a man who is immensely influential in our culture. This biography is well-written, thorough, painstakingly researched, and offers a very accurate portrait of a complicated man and writer. People of the Lie is one of the most important books of my entire life. Yet I never idolized or idealized M. Scott Peck. I was definitely curious about him, and Mr. Arthur Jones' impeccable work has satisfied and rewarded that curiosity with a fulfilling portrait of a very human being.
2 people found this helpfulReport
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great quality, very happy with this orderReviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 June 2019
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Great quality, very happy with this order
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Gerardo Gúnera-Lazzaroni
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent work about life and its comings and goings
Reviewed in Spain on 9 September 2017
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This book, still written in the 70s, contains professional and personal advice about life, its ups and downs, and spirituality. As far as my life is concerned, this work helped me a lot in very difficult times. In my opinion, the central message is based on the fact that life itself is not easy and that we must be aware of that. In fact, this statement seems banal and even "evidently logical." However, and particularly in Western societies - based on hedonism, individualism and indifference - we are instilled (although in a subtle and somewhat veiled way) that everything should be easy, comfortable and to our own liking. This is harmful to human beings when sooner or later they face the difficulties of life. Therefore, I think this book is definitely recommended as a "home therapy" to overcome these dramatic (and sometimes tragic) moments in life.
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Mango
5.0 out of 5 stars Five StarsReviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 October 2016
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All excellent.
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Margaret Campbell
5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a revealing book.Reviewed in the United States on 12 May 2013
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Who would have thought that a man who wrote such outstanding pieces of work would be such a contradiction. But we all are human. I am so glad he became a writer and would recommend this book as excellent and very interesting reading because what we think we see or imagine some one to be is not what they really are. But such beautiful writing could but have only come from a deeply beautiful soul.
I am very sorry Scott has passed away.
17 people found this helpfulReport
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This book, still written in the 70s, contains professional and personal advice about life, its ups and downs, and spirituality. As far as my life is concerned, this work helped me a lot in very difficult times. In my opinion, the central message is based on the fact that life itself is not easy and that we must be aware of that. In fact, this statement seems banal and even "evidently logical." However, and particularly in Western societies - based on hedonism, individualism and indifference - we are instilled (although in a subtle and somewhat veiled way) that everything should be easy, comfortable and to our own liking. This is harmful to human beings when sooner or later they face the difficulties of life. Therefore, I think this book is definitely recommended as a "home therapy" to overcome these dramatic (and sometimes tragic) moments in life.
Report
Translate review to English
Mango
5.0 out of 5 stars Five StarsReviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 October 2016
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All excellent.
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Margaret Campbell
5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a revealing book.Reviewed in the United States on 12 May 2013
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Who would have thought that a man who wrote such outstanding pieces of work would be such a contradiction. But we all are human. I am so glad he became a writer and would recommend this book as excellent and very interesting reading because what we think we see or imagine some one to be is not what they really are. But such beautiful writing could but have only come from a deeply beautiful soul.
I am very sorry Scott has passed away.
17 people found this helpfulReport
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Margaret Campbell
5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a revealing book.
Reviewed in the United States on 12 May 2013
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Who would have thought that a man who wrote such outstanding pieces of work would be such a contradiction. But we all are human. I am so glad he became a writer and would recommend this book as excellent and very interesting reading because what we think we see or imagine some one to be is not what they really are. But such beautiful writing could but have only come from a deeply beautiful soul.
I am very sorry Scott has passed away.
17 people found this helpful
Jack Zaffos
5.0 out of 5 stars The Road He Traveled by Arthur Jones, a review
Reviewed in the United States on 3 November 2010
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A realistic reporting of the life of M. Scott Peck by Mr. Arthur Jones. Revealed are his strengths and contributions as well as his foibles and weakneses. It reveals not a saintly "self actualized" icon but a struggling human being for whom life was difficult much as it was for people like Jacob from the Bible. This is a good piece of work for those who are interested in the life of this writer and visionary. Jack Zaffos
24 people found this helpful
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William
5.0 out of 5 stars Honesty of M. Scott Peck.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 October 2014
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By now I am 'hooked' on Scott's writing.
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V. Marton
4.0 out of 5 stars for the better. Over the years I've read a few not ...
Reviewed in the United States on 3 March 2015
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It's not an overstatement to say M. Scott Peck's book "The Road Less Traveled" was the catalyst that helped me change my life. I was not alone. His book changed many lives, for the better.
Over the years I've read a few not so flattering things about him, but never a biography. The disappointment with this book was so little about his family life was told first hand by any family members. His son Christopher and nephew shed some light, but not much. Thanks to his second wife and office assistant, we learned more towards the end of his life. Like so many others, I've learned in life that the message and the messenger are completely separate and different. Worth the read if The Road... inspired you.
11 people found this helpful
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Grace
3.0 out of 5 stars It isn't very revealing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 March 2012
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I appreciate that the author must have put a lot of work into this book and with Peck's permission but it misses the mark for me as a biography. The book begins with an interesting introduction to Peck's early years, the background he came from and the relationship with his father. It does skim over the family dynamic though and concentrates more on the class of people Peck came from and the privilege he was born into. It is well documented that Peck dropped out of a prestigeous private school system - the author does not give anything away about Peck and his struggles at that time. It is more a documented sequence of events which is empty in getting to know Peck on a deeper level.
That style of writing, then follows throughout the book - there are very detailed accounts of his publishing history, his ideas about religion which seem to interest the author of the biography more than telling us about the REAL Scott Peck. There are so many things he skims over - the dynamics of his lifelong relationship with Lily his wife - we never get to know anything about it. Why he had such a difficult relationship with his children and especially why he became estranged from one daughter she was never even included in his will.
WHY? What happened?
One gets the feeling too, that the author struggles in his own relationship with Peck - he does not admire him - he is interested in him but there is a feeling throughout the book that he does not like him as a person. All that added together is unenlightening. Peck wrote a book that helped a lot of people on a very deep level - OK, he may have captureed a 'zeit-geist' but I wanted to know more about this complex individual in terms of his deep character and it was not there in this book.
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PDC
5.0 out of 5 stars Could not be happier with this book!
Reviewed in the United States on 8 March 2017
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Marvelous and revealing biography, written with insight and surprising candor, yet never mean spirited, and with sometimes surprising input from Peck himself. Totally absorbing. And the book itself was in perfect condition and promptly delivered.
6 people found this helpful
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Petronius
2.0 out of 5 stars A dull book about a misunderstood man
Reviewed in the United States on 19 March 2014
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Scott Peck, it turns out, was the son of an alcoholic mother and alcoholic domineering father. Unsurprisingly, he developed an alcohol problem himself that contributed to his early death in his 60's, along with cancer and Parkinson's. With two alcoholic parents, it is no surprise that his family of origin may be described as dysfunctional. With two parents who did not observe appropriate boundaries with their son, Peck also had sexual issues.
What many are describing as Peck's "dark or dislikeable characteristics" are actually the common garden variety character defects present among a great many in the population, especially among alcoholics such as himself.
It would appear that a strong motivation in his study of psychiatry was his attempt to "self-heal" or self-help his various issues, especially his alcoholism. He really should be given credit for trying, which his detractors now begrudge him.
His various addictions (alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, sex) caused him a huge amount of suffering throughout his life, and strongly contributed to the dissolution of his marriage to Lily Ho, his longtime wife ( about a 45 year marriage). It also appears to have contributed to his estrangement from a daughter, and periodic problems in his relations with his other two kids.
Nonetheless, Peck was hugely successful and in many ways unique in his quest for self-improvement, his spiritual journey, and his writing career, especially considering the times in which he lived. He was a most charismatic character, even in his own family. He wrote prolifically, and had a best-seller, The Road Less Traveled, on the NY Times best seller list for 7 years. Many millions claimed to benefit from his writing, and a great many also claimed to benefit from his personal speaking engagements and seminars.
I can see how another writer who knew something about addiction, alcoholism, and biography writing could have made this a fascinating book. Instead, what we have is a very dull assembly of factoids, incidents, and very dryly recounted matters.
The book lacks in several respects. It is more or less written as a chronology, with as many facts and incidents from his life packed into each period or phase of Peck's life. The bland, colorless writing style is like the textbook newspaper writing of fact recitation ( now of course, news writers have generally abandoned such objectivity).
Some chapters are tedious and seemingly endless - many dozens of pages of childhood incidents that could be better and more interestingly summarized.
The material in the book could be better fashioned into a lengthy New Yorker -style magazine article. It is not sufficient for a book. Without a great deal of editing by reduction, the text became redundant in what it was conveying.
This book as written does not really add much to an understanding of Peck's writing.
From the comments of others about this book, it appears that many are unable to separate the great writing and life work of Scott Peck from his own foibles and demons in his life. Peck never said he was a model, let alone perfect. Yet, many now denounce him, mainly for his fallible humanity.
53 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Back on the Road,again
Reviewed in the United States on 9 December 2012
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A fan of Scott Peck's writing I wanted to learn more about him. The biography shared his life in a way that made me realize his work (writing/speaking) was just that- his work. I had preconceived ideas of him drawn from his writings that he was somehow more enlightened than the average person. The biography helped me to realize Scott Peck was human like the rest of us...talented in some ways and flawed in other ways. I still enjoy reading his work, but I don't have him on a pedistal anymore. The biographer seemed to write from an objective point of view.
14 people found this helpful
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Reflective reader
2.0 out of 5 stars Some authors seem to delight in humbling our heroes
Reviewed in the United States on 13 August 2016
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Jones worked with Peck on this biography but made no promises to Peck. However, Peck undoubtedly expected at least a balanced account of his life. Unfortunately, Jones did not do that - instead he wrote an "expose" more or less.
Yes, Peck was a deeply flawed individual despite his spiritual writings. In his defense, however, Peck never claimed to be a saint or even close to it. He admitted many times to being a sinner.
Some authors seem to delight in humbling our heroes. Jones is one of these authors. There was little discussion of Peck's insights and contributions, rather, page after page dealt with Peck's various imperfections.
All in all, a mean-spirited, unfair depiction of a complicated man.
22 people found this helpful
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Vickie Marton
55 reviews
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October 26, 2022
I was one of those people who thought "The Road Less Traveled" was life changing (at least for me). As a result, I read most of M. Scott Peck's books and even attended a couple of his lectures. That was all in the 80's. Fast forward a few decades, and now I just finished "a revealing biography" about the late Peck.
The book was eye opening and an interesting read for "Peck groupies" like me. I'd heard he did not practice what he preached, but I had no idea to what extent, or how much of his life was filled with demons. The most important thing this book taught me was to separate the message from the messenger. The message changed my life, for sure. The messenger...not!
The book did not answer all my questions, and, in fact, most of the book left a lot of gaps for me, mainly because the family wanted no part of it (or Peck). Thanks to his second wife and his two loyal staff members, the end of the book filled in a lot of gaps for me.
Worth the read, only if you were a Peck 80's Self Help follower.
1 like
Jillian
143 reviews
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January 26, 2024
Thoroughly researched biography of a fascinating man. A little dry in places in chapters on early adulthood, but the complexity of the mature Scott Peck is very well portrayed. I read The Road Less Traveled in the early 80s and was mesmerized by it. This biography tempts me to read it again but it does nothing to interest me in any other of Peck’s books. 3 stars just because it’s a biography.
Lyn
699 reviews3 followers
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January 2, 2017
There are two reasons to read a biography - you are either totally fascinated by the featured person, or the book is stunningly well written so would draw you in whoever it was about.
Neither applied in this case I found. Although, like many people, I was once inspired by The Road less travelled, and other books by Scott Peck, I discovered, on reading this biography, that I was not at all interested in the man himself. And I found Arthur Jones' writing tedious and long-winded.
I ended up skim reading and was hugely relieved to get to the end.
Patricia
85 reviews
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June 23, 2010
Scott Peck... well, I don't know what to say. I'm not sure that Jones does, either, but at least he has tons of evidence and hours of interviews to report.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Vickie Marton
55 reviews
Follow
October 26, 2022
I was one of those people who thought "The Road Less Traveled" was life changing (at least for me). As a result, I read most of M. Scott Peck's books and even attended a couple of his lectures. That was all in the 80's. Fast forward a few decades, and now I just finished "a revealing biography" about the late Peck.
The book was eye opening and an interesting read for "Peck groupies" like me. I'd heard he did not practice what he preached, but I had no idea to what extent, or how much of his life was filled with demons. The most important thing this book taught me was to separate the message from the messenger. The message changed my life, for sure. The messenger...not!
The book did not answer all my questions, and, in fact, most of the book left a lot of gaps for me, mainly because the family wanted no part of it (or Peck). Thanks to his second wife and his two loyal staff members, the end of the book filled in a lot of gaps for me.
Worth the read, only if you were a Peck 80's Self Help follower.
1 like
Jillian
143 reviews
Follow
January 26, 2024
Thoroughly researched biography of a fascinating man. A little dry in places in chapters on early adulthood, but the complexity of the mature Scott Peck is very well portrayed. I read The Road Less Traveled in the early 80s and was mesmerized by it. This biography tempts me to read it again but it does nothing to interest me in any other of Peck’s books. 3 stars just because it’s a biography.
Lyn
699 reviews3 followers
Follow
January 2, 2017
There are two reasons to read a biography - you are either totally fascinated by the featured person, or the book is stunningly well written so would draw you in whoever it was about.
Neither applied in this case I found. Although, like many people, I was once inspired by The Road less travelled, and other books by Scott Peck, I discovered, on reading this biography, that I was not at all interested in the man himself. And I found Arthur Jones' writing tedious and long-winded.
I ended up skim reading and was hugely relieved to get to the end.
Patricia
85 reviews
Follow
June 23, 2010
Scott Peck... well, I don't know what to say. I'm not sure that Jones does, either, but at least he has tons of evidence and hours of interviews to report.
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