​​​Hans and Sybil Eysenck

Anecdotes

Anecdote 1/1

I only saw him once. I was a medical student at Kings College Hospital, which was across the road, Denmark Hill, from the Maudsley. In the mid- 1950s I went to hear Margaret Mead give a talk at the Maudsley, and Eysenck chaired the meeting. It was exciting to see and hear these personalities.

I first came across his writings when they were published in the popular form as "Pelicans". I read each one voraciously as it was published. I did not understand all of it, and certainly did not retain it, but I was excited that psychology could be described with the precision of science, and by someone with a superb writing style in English.

His is one of the great minds that have influenced me. (Others are, Michael Balint, Lawrence Weed, Eric Berne, Eric Cassell, and Ian McWhinney ... a mixed crew I must admit!).I am now rereading some of the paperback books, which I have had for over 30 years, the pages brown & fragile with age. I am still in awe of his ability to write so beautifully about these subjects.