# Born to Win By Muriel James and Dorothy Jongeward **URL:** **By** Jarrett Wollstein **Published:** January 1, 1974 --- “Born to Win is something rare in the annals of psychological literature.” Born to Win is something rare in the annals of psychological literature. It is at once the most complete introduction to Transactional Analysis (TA) now in print and an imaginative "do-it-yourself" manual for self-analysis, discovery and growth. The basic concepts of TA are illustrated with beautiful and compelling photographs which complement the text and experiments drawn from Fritz Perls' _Gestalt Therapy_ are used to exemplify and apply the basic psychological insights. _Born to Win_ deals with a host of basic psychological concepts, including: (1) ego states, such as "the natural child," "the prejudicial parent," and "the rational adult"; (2) "games people play" to avoid intimacy such as "Rapo," "Yes, But" and "See What You Made Me Do"; (3) human sexuality—roles, fantasies and sexual behavior; and (4) life scripts—how we unwittingly live by and act out theatre-like scripts adopted from our own families, culture or popular literature. As important as these psychological concepts are, they are secondary to the main purpose of the book which is, in the words of the authors, "to increase a person's awareness of the real power he has to direct his own life, to make decisions, to develop his own ethical system, to enhance the lives of others, and to understand that he was born to win." By "winning" the authors do not mean "triumphing in competition with others" but rather "becoming an authenic, responsive, and fulfilled human being." To this end psychological exercises are provided in each chapter for identifying and analyzing all aspects of one's personality and interactions with others. By helping us to become conscious of our hidden motivations and values, the authors also help us to change those aspects of ourselves which are undesirable and destructive. In one exercise, for example, we confront our fears by listing the various things and people that we are afraid of, imagining the worst that could happen to us, and thinking about how to cope with the worst. Read strictly for intellectual content, _Born to Win_ provides a tremendous degree of insight into "what it is exactly that psychotherapists do." Used as the tool of self-discovery and growth for which it was intended, _Born to Win_ cannot fail to greatly increase one's self-knowledge and sensitivity to others, from which the capacity to be fulfilled and efficacious in one's life is derived. _Reviewed by Jarret B. Wollstein / Psychology (297 pages, indexed) / BFL Price $4.95_