Irvin Yalom is one of the most well-known contemporary psychiatrists, with a wide readership and great impact. Through his books, which manage to be accessible to the average reader and constructive for the psychotherapist, he has created a guide to life that helps us exist in a world that causes us anxieties. A recent survey among American psychotherapists identified him as one of the three most important living therapists, while the worldwide success of his books indicates how significant he is internationally.

While not representing any of the therapeutic "schools" or approaches, Yalom conveys a message that touches the core of psychotherapy. Focusing on fundamental existential anxieties, his work deals with issues such as the search for meaning in life and encountering death, concerns that previously went beyond the scope of psychiatry.

Writing in a literary style that critics compare to Freud's, Yalom describes what truly takes place in this approach between two individuals in psychotherapy. He does not hesitate to expose his personal thoughts and feelings about what happens in the session - he himself is a vulnerable human being. He allows his thoughts about his patients to be clearly revealed, openly presenting his doubts, reservations, but also his inspired interventions. Throughout his work, he explores the limitless and complex possibilities for healing offered by genuine human connection and awareness of the dilemmas of human existence.