Narcissistic phenomena have long been of considerable scientific and social interest. Some authors regard narcissism as a fad, while others see it as an increasingly frequent type of comorbidity or as a fundamental phenomenon representing a social megatrend. This volume traces narcissism from its normal forms of expression to severe narcissistic disorders. The book focuses on the remarkable changes that the concept of narcissism has undergone and continues to undergo. On the one hand, these changes involve the alterations that have been seen in the clinical diagnosis and classification of the condition, from the first theoretical descriptions of it up to the current empirical research findings. On the other hand, they also involve narcissistic phenomena in society, as well as changes in interventions and therapies. It is striking that narcissism is predominantly regarded as a phenomenon frequently affecting men between the ages of 20 and 50. By contrast, the present volume expands the perspective to include little-discussed aspects such as individual development over a person=s lifetime, as well as gender and transcultural aspects, and examines both positive and negative sides of narcissism. This fundamental and practice-oriented work thus depicts the broad range of narcissistic phenomena and disorders in a more nuanced and also more comprehensive manner.

Prof. Marc Walter, MD, physician for psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy, is Chief Physician and Deputy Director of the Department for Adults at the University Psychiatric Hospital in Basel. Dr. Oliver Bilke-Hentsch, MBA, LLM is Chief Physician of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Service, Lucerne Psychiatry.