Book excerpt: Groups are arguably an essential and unavoidable part of our human lives—whether we are part of families, work teams, therapy groups, organizational systems, social clubs, or larger communities. In Groups in Transactional Analysis, Object Relations, and Family Systems: Studying Ourselves in Collective Life, N. Michel Landaiche, III addresses the intense feelings and unexamined beliefs that exist in relation to groups, and explores how to enhance learning, development and growth within them. Landaiche’s multidisciplinary perspective is grounded in the traditions of Eric Berne’s transactional analysis, Wilfred Bion’s group-as-a-whole model, and Murray Bowen’s family systems theory. The book presents a practice of studying ourselves in collective life that utilizes a naturalistic method of observation, analysis of experiential data, and hypothesis formation, all of which are subject to further revision as we gather more data from our lived experiences. Drawing from his extensive professional experience of group work in a range of contexts, Landaiche deftly explores topics including group culture, social pain, learning and language, and presents key principles which enhance and facilitate learning in groups. With a style that is both deeply personal and theoretically grounded in a diverse range of studies, Groups in Transactional Analysis, Object Relations, and Family Systems presents a contemporary assessment of how we operate collectively, and how modern life has changed our outlook. It will be essential reading for transactional analysts in practice and in training, as well as other professionals working with groups. It will also be of value to academics and students of psychology, psychotherapy, and group dynamics, and anyone seeking to understand their role within a group. See the below link to an interview about the book with Tess Elliott: https://vimeo.com/510266467