A couple of years ago I started to read The Inkblots: Hermann Rorschach, His Iconic Test, and the Power of Seeing by Damion Searls, which tells how the test was developed in a Swiss asylum in the early nineteen hundreds. It fascinating stuff, but the book explains it in exhaustive detail and it's kind of dry reading. I only make it about halfway through and although I keep telling myself I'm going to finish that day hasn't come quite yet.

I found this book to be incredibly fascinating. As a psychology / social sciences major in college this is exactly the type of non-fiction book I enjoy delving in to. Rorschach was always one of my favorite men behind the study of human behavior and his work in creating the iconic inkblot tests is beyond fascinating.

This book is both a biography of Hermann Rorschach and a study of the science and art behind the inkblots test theory. While I've never been fully convinced of the validity behind the inkblots tests I did find that section of the book to be interesting and well worth a read.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. Unfortunately, I did not finish it. I will therefore not be posting reviews of it. I could not get into the story.

As a clinical psychologist who used to administer Rorschachs in a psych hospital, I really enjoyed the breadth and scope of Searls' book. I leared a lot about the test's early history and it's pre- and post-Exner existence. People in the arts and cultural study may also be interested. The Inkblots is well researched and written, but it may not grab readers who don't have a connection to the subject matter.

This book was an interesting read about Swiss psychoanalyst Hermann Rorschach and his famous inkblot tests. The first half of the book examines Rorschach's life while the second half focuses more on his test and how it was used during different points in history. I learned a lot from reading this book.

Fascinating look at the man, the inkblots, and their legacy. A comprehensive history that will appeals to a wide array of audiences.

The test itself is relatively famous, but I did not know much about the man behind it.
So I am glad that this book filled in the gaps in my knowledge - more than that, the book goes past the life of Rorschach to look at the critics and supporters of his test.
I always was perplexed why was the test able to bring out strong emotions in me and thankfully, the book touched on it. I appreciate the author's personal experience with the test: it prevents the book from being too dry.
I was never bored, though the book was content heavy.

Interesting topic & well-written narrative. Very well researched.

The Inkblots: Hermann Rorschach, His Iconic Test, and the Power of Seeing is a biography of Rorschach, the Swiss psychiatrist who developed the inkblot test to diagnose one's mental health. While interesting and containing lots of information I didn't know, I found it too detailed. I didn't really need to know the complicated intricacies of interpreting the inkblots. Rorschach lived in Russia for a while where he met his wife. He quite liked Russia and conveyed to me a sympathy for Russia. At the same time I am reading a Tolstoy novel which along with my visit to Russia made me yearn to return.

I liked this - I liked reading about how compassionate Rorschach was. I was not convinced that his project has any validity.

Let's Be Practical Here

This book is both fascinating and tedious, but if you approach it in the right frame of mind it is intensely rewarding. The subtitle captures the three most interesting aspects of the book - Hermann Rorschach was an engaging, earnest and appealing doctor/researcher whose life story is compelling. His test, immediately familiar and yet mostly misunderstood, is both a cliche and a fascinating diagnostic tool. The "power of seeing" is a marvelous and modern concept in psychiatry, though its meaning was first teased out by Rorschach and his contemporaries.

Where does that leave us regarding this book? Well, Rorschach dies less than halfway through, so the interesting discussion of him and his life and times fades at that point as well. From there on the discussion centers on the fate of his inkblots, and that is both interesting and encumbered by detailed discussion of academic conflicts and questions that may not be of great interest to a general reader. As to "the power of seeing", this may be the sneaky little treat hidden throughout the book. The explanation of what the test does and how and why it does it is complex and, like the test itself, open to interpretation. Our author repeatedly returns to this concept, as he should, and that may be the greatest reward of the book. (For example, there is an insightful and very surprising discussion of the technical concept "empathy", a word that has existed, amazingly, for less than a hundred years. The book is loaded with these sorts of treats.)

So, here's what I did. I read Hermann Rorschach's biography fairly closely, learning not only about him but about Europe at the time he lived. I read about the early development of his test, and his struggles with fine-tuning and understanding it, with even greater interest. I then skimmed and dipped my way through the balance of the book, settling on the bits, pieces, digressions and stories that struck me as most worthy of attention and thought. The book is written in a very accessible and almost conversational style by an author who is clearly making every effort to inform a general reader, and so the book lends itself to this approach.

On many levels, as biography, as science history, as an explanation and history of a test you know but don't really know at all, this book is successful. This struck me as an unusual but ultimately very rewarding choice.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

A great thank you to Crown Publishing, Damion Searls, and netgalley for sharing a copy of this book for an unbiased review.

It's imperative to note that the Rorschach test is the one psychological test one cannot fail because there are no right or wrong answers, just interpretations. It simply shows the testing entity how one's mind works, how one may perceive what is seen. Its inspiration was a children's game he played growing up in Zurich. Easily seen as a parlor trick, the author reminds us that any guesses outside of therapy do not necessarily lead to unhealthy lifestyles.

The farther along I get, the more compassionate I realize Rorschach was. What a trailblazer! Deriving his training from the talents of Jung, Freud, and Bleurer, Rorschach set out to develop the optimal diagnostic test, a test that leads to lasting therapeutic results. He strove to evaluate his results and publish his results while overseeing the mental health of as many as 320 patients at his hospital. A hard worker, he was also a family man, first supporting his younger brother, sisters and stepmother, then his wife and two children. He was also an accomplished draftsman and woodworker who made most of his children's toys and his apartment's furniture.
His death, oh his death! The author played that perfectly. Although I knew it happened (obviously; he was born in the late 1800s) I was in no way prepared, and the shock of losing such a modest, loving man and gifted scientist and doctor felt as fresh as it may have if I had known him.

Like a starving artist, the eponymous test reached its popularity after his death. It was introduced in Japan, Russia, England. Australia, and, probably to its greatest fame, the United States. I say great fame, but I could also say controversy. But what about mental health and psychoanalysis isn't controversial? Basically it boiled down to quality vs. quantity and how to test the test. There was nothing else out there like it.

The ink blots were used around the world to evaluate not only the neurotic or schizophrenic but also: riflemen; African missionaries; job applicants; children; teachers; delinquents. Really anyone was because results could always be used as a baseline.
Test-crazy America was on the cusp of evolving from the cult of personality to one of character. Citizens sought direction through this test and its results. This was the dawning age of advertising, and the perfect environment for the Rorschach with its subjective reactions and projections. When I took my psychology and special education courses in college it was ingrained in me to be certain my results were measurable. This was the test's advantage; it had quantifiable data. And-it could be used by the newest scientists on the block-the anthropologists, opening up to multiple cultures.
As the century progressed, the Rorschach inspired pop culture. From movies and parlor games to magazine spreads and cartoons, the ink blots were a ubiquitous symbol of creativity.

The book ends with a focus on the revisions made to the original test through the decades as well as its uses and effect on social mores. The only issue I had was each chapter for about 5 read as if it was the last. So I was unnerved to turn the page only to find another chapter.

Overall Searls did an amazing job of introducing Hermann Rorschach to the world. It was a personal reselling of his life, and I felt like the author truly cared about his subject. I could also tell he took his time researching the various editions of the test, the many groups evaluated, and the results generated. Great job!

Interesting look into how this test came about

Intriguing

I picked up a copy of "THE INKBLOTS: Hermann Rorschach, His Iconic Test, and the Power of Seeing" by Damion Searls because of my background in psychology. Whilst we studied the Rorschach tests briefly at university, we didn't come to terms with them in any meaningful way. The appeal in the images used has, for me, always been their artistic nature. This book outlines both the life of Hermann Rorschach and his iconic test at a deeper level than I anticipated. An understanding and passion for psychology would, to me, be an essential to reading this one. I found it, in parts, too detailed and rather long-winded but overall am grateful to have read it. I appreciate the balanced and intelligent approach taken by the author.

Most interesting to me was the artistic talent of Rorschach and the way in which that spilled over into his psychological work. The history of the last century, as seen from the perspective of the Rorschach test, reframes major happenings such as World War 1 and 2, life in Russia, the Great Depression and the medical enlightenment of the 1950s and 1960s. It also tracks the development of anthropology, sociology, psychology and psychiatry.

Favourite lines:
"The retina actually picking up light or not is only 8 percent of what happens, so to speak. Perception is a mainly psychological, not physical process."

"In perception, there are three processes: sensation, memory, and association."

"Finally, empathy is a healing element in its own right: compassion can heal..."

Many years ago I was a psych major so the title caught my interest. I don't usually read non-fiction which may be why I found the writing.

<p>Sometimes, part way through reading a book, I find myself thinking <i>Who would read this book?</i> as if the obvious answer isn't staring me smack in the face. <i>Who would read this book?</i> Me. I would. For instance, I requested <A href="https://www.librarything.com/work/18582703/book/135665492">The Inkblots</a> from <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/">Netgalley</a> and then laid in bed reading it and I don't know why I never took that teeny logical jump to realize that. Maybe I needed to read a book about Rorschach and Rorschach tests and start thinking all psychologically to make that leap, because that's what <A href="https://www.librarything.com/work/18582703/book/135665492">The Inkblots</a> is all about. </p>

<p><A href="https://www.librarything.com/work/18582703/book/135665492">The Inkblots</a> can be divided into three (unofficial -- it isn't like there's a Section I and Section II and Section III delineated within the text) sections: All about Rorschach, All About People Mucking About With Rorschach Tests after Rorschach Died, Random Segue Into Randomness For The Last Thirty Or Forty Pages Or So. Attacking Section Three first: why? For instance, the vague prison story where no details can be revealed so what's the point? Or Searls' <i>Hey I got a Rorschach test done on myself but since it wasn't for any real purpose except for saying I did it, the process didn't have meaning the way a Rorschach test would if I did it for actual psychoanalytical purposes</i>? So, Section Three needs serious editing. <A href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/10/18/_kill_your_darlings_writing_advice_what_writer_really_said_to_murder_your.html">Kill your darlings</a> Searls. The shift in tone as we go into Section Three (basically in the middle of a sentence) is a bad jolt to the reader and most of Section Three's content is a shrugs shoulders emoji.</p>

<p>Now let's go back to Sections One and Two. They were, well, I mean, I don't really have to <i>attack</i> them the way I did Section Three. They were there, in the book, at the beginning and middle, like a high school report. You know, not everyone needs a biography, even people who come up with important psychological tests (to apply something from the book, total cult of personality thing for Searls to assume that we needed a hundred and fifty-odd pages about Rorschach The Man, that his personality/life merit investigation alongside his test.) Section Two could be thought of as the Rorschach Test's biography. Again, it isn't as if the test has that great a personality that it merits another one hundred and fifty-odd pages. I didn't mind reading about the little changes here and there and the professional squabbling between different psychologists and psychiatrists about what/how/when/why the test should be administered, but I also didn't mind watching <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1086772/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Blended</a> on an airplane when there was absolutely nothing else to do for a few hours. Section Two ends up being superficial because its the biography of a test and tests don't have fascinating inner lives. </p>

<p>I mean, I want to take a Rorschach Test now and I'm totally the sort of person who would read this book and I did, so I guess the book is a success? Is it? Did I see a butterfly in all those inkblots? I don't know.</p>

<p><A href="https://www.librarything.com/work/18582703/book/135665492">The Inkblots</a> by Damion Searls went on sale February 21, 2017.</p>

<p><small>I received a copy free from <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/">Netgalley</a> in exchange for an honest review.</small></p>

Let me tell you, this was such a wonderful and informative read. It is, in essence, a story about Rorschach, his family, upbringing, and the infamous inkblot tests.

I have been starting to read more and more non-fiction lately, so when I saw a book pertaining to my major, I knew I just had to read it. And I'm so glad I did- because not only was it a fascinating read but I actually had a discussion with one of my professors regarding information from this book.


I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest opinion. My thanks to Damion Searls and Crown Publishing for the opportunity.

Thanks Crown Publishing and netgalley for this ARC.

Outstanding biography! just the right mix of facts and fancy make this a absorbing book.

This is quite a whale of a book, very well researched and substantiated. Mostly about how Rorschach came up with his inkblot test and some of the other mega-minds of psychiatry he worked with. I am not sure this would be everybody's thing, but certainly for students of the history of psychology.

I'll admit it. The most contact I have had with the Rorschach test was thanks to The Watchmen. I vaguely understood that it was a psychoanalytical test from the same time period as Freud and Jung, and always kind of figured it was like their theories; right on the edge of reaching too far. I don't know that my views have changed much after reading this book, but it was fascinating none-the-less.

<i>The Inkblots</i> consists of two parts: a biography of Hermann Rorschach and a historical exploration of the test itself, most specifically in America. The biographical section relies heavily on Rorschach's letters where he expresses his ever-evolving feelings towards this thing he creates. This wasn't just a personality test for him, it was a diagnostic tool for mental illnesses. His thought processes that created the images themselves, as well as the hours of testing and retesting prove how convinced he was of the tests veracity. His death was sudden, and occurred well before his book was first published so he wasn't able to see how the test changed when put into the hands of others.

He created a tool that is so subjective that there have been fights for decades over how you are actually supposed to even score the results. What is the difference between someone saying an image looks like a bird or a spider? Or someone who goes into detail versus someone who is brief? One of the most interesting case studies was of the Nuremberg detainees, and how normal their test results were. The most compelling evidence given to support the test being effective are the "blind test" results, as well as a few anecdotal stories showing the Rorschach as the only test that was about to crack a particular case.

Overall, I don't know that I have a much better understanding of why the test is used so widely, or even why it works at all. However, I do have a firm sense of how it can be used incorrectly simply because it is so subjective and the intense level of bureaucracy that is involved in psychological testing. I'm glad I read this book, but I'm not sure I'm coming out the other side understanding the test itself much more than I did before.

<i>Copy courtesy of Crown Publishing, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>