Jean Cottraux is a hospital psychiatrist and lecturer at Lyon-I University, a founding member of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy in Philadelphia and scientific director of the Francophone Training and Research Institute in Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy. He has published numerous books, all of which have been very successful, including La Repétition des scenarios de vie (Repeated Scenes From Life), La Force avec soi (The Force That's With You) and Les Enemis interiors (Enemies Within).

A little narcissism is necessary for life, a lot of narcissism can help some people to release their creativity. To what degree and in whichw forms does narcissism become a disorder? What are the risks of narcissistic escalation?
Continuing scientific studies show that there is still much to be discovered about this personality trait. There is a particular urgency to identify the functioning of narcissistic personalities in an era that values narcissism but also suffers from its extreme forms, which Dr Cottraux explains by presenting for the first time new analytical tools and new therapeutic pathways. Knowing their characteristics can not only help more effectively recognize them in others, but also help understand the disturbing phenomena of today: self-obsession in the use of the Internet, the drift of some young people towards the extremism, the emergence of certain types of leadership.