Book Review: Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes Bridges, William. Da Capo Press; 2nd edition (January 21, 1980) 176 pages

Overview—Give a brief overview of the book, including its theme, perspective and approach.
In “Transitions”, William Bridges seeks to be a helpful guide to those undergoing transition in their lives. He seeks to guide the reader through three major phases of transition; “Endings” - which may seem as a crisis or time of defeat, but are often open doors to new opportunities, “The Neutral Zone” - an often frustrating time of being set aside, yet functions to prepare us for future usefulness, and “A New Beginning” - which we emerge into as a launch into a new phase of life.

Critique—Offer a brief critique of the book, including elements of strength and weakness.
Bridges is a warm writer and his stories of people in transition help to fill out his concepts. I tended to like the points he was making, but I kept asking myself, “Where is the research and documentation?” Bridges references Levenson and Sheedy (competent researchers in their own right), but most of his original points seem to be anecdotal. He also tends toward a mystical, neo-pagan perspective. When recounting the Greek myth of Psyche he comments, “What are the ants and reeds and the eagle? Why does something appear to help Psyche each time she has given up hope? The "helpful creature" is a common element in folklore and dreams, and it corresponds to some instinctive and subrational level of insight and energy.” Sounds more like Joseph Campbell’s, “The Power of Myth” to me. Likewise, the model of the riddle of the Sphinx, while helpful in a common sense way, seemed to me to veer into the same territory.

Application—Offer some specific application to your own ministry— demonstrating the value and relevance of the material in this book.
I’ve got to be real honest here. I found some of Bridges material comforting, particularly as he stressed that people often come into their most productive time during the later half of their lives. I would like to believe this is true! I would like to think every frustrating or frightening period in my life is a “neutral zone” in which I am cocooning in anticipation of a more beautiful emergence. However, maybe the feeling that we are wasting our time is simply because we actually are wasting our time. Bridges seems to pull his perspectives out of the air, which makes them ill suited for making sense out of ones transitions.

Best Quote—Be sure to include the page number where the quote can be found.
Kindle Loc. 2155-58 | “As Arnold Toynbee pointed out, it is into some rabbit hole or cave or forest wilderness that creative individuals have always withdrawn on the eve of their rebirth. ‘The pattern of withdrawal and return,’ he called it, and he traced it out in the lives of St. Paul, St. Benedict, Gregory the Great, the Buddha, Muhammad, Machiavelli, and Dante.”