--Utne Reader. For decades, Western psychology has promised fulfillment through building and strengthening the ego. More By and About This Author. Read 254 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Happiness comes from letting go. Synopsis . Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart A Buddhist Perspective on Wholeness (Book) : Epstein, Mark : "Lessons from meditation and psychotherapy ... an intimate guide to self-acceptance and discovery that offers a Buddhist perspective on wholeness within the framework of a Western understanding of self." Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart will appeal to physicians, therapists, and patients who, like Socrates, opt for the latter." Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart shows us that happiness doesn't come from any kind of acquisitiveness, be it material or psychological. Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart A Buddhist Perspective on Wholeness (Book) : Epstein, Mark : An intimate guide to self-acceptance and discovery that offers a Buddhist perspective on wholeness within the framework of a Western understanding of self. Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart A Buddhist Perspective on Wholeness (Book) : Epstein, Mark : Combining lessons from meditation and psychotherapy, the bestselling author of Thoughts Without a Thinker defies the rigid Western prescription for happiness and presents an intimate guide to discovering the spiritual in the midst of everyday life. Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart: A Buddhist Perspective on Wholeness Mark Epstein, Author Broadway Books $23 (224p) ISBN 978-0-7679-0234-2. Getting rid of emotions (desire) seemed to be just some sort of self-inflicted emotional lobotomy. Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart book. --New England Journal of Medicine "A thought-provoking look at how to break free from psychological materialism." Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart shows us that happiness doesn't come from any kind of acquisitiveness, be it material or psychological. But the typical Western summary of its path as ‘giving up desire’ put me off: to give up desire struck me as to give up being human. Happiness comes from letting go. Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart Having spent years suffering high levels of emotional pain, Buddhism was naturally a possible solution.