Right to Be Human C

Brandeis psychologist Maslow (1908-1970), a founder of humanistic psychology, was an uneasy hero of the 1960s counterculture. As spiritualistic fads swept the country, he scolded Esalen Institute instructors for their smugness and warned his followers that too much inwardness is not psychologically healthy. This apostle of self-actualization and creative ""peak experiences'' was an intensely private man who rarely discussed his own mystical highs. Hoffman, biographer of Wilhelm Reich, has interviewed Maslow's friends, family and students, and while he never fully pierces his subject's calm, scholarly demeanor, his thoughtful biography has its rewards. We meet Maslow the youthful sexologist of the 1930s (his findings were championed decades later by feminists); the socialist-leaning rebel who married his cousin and lived on a commune; the professor who actively disliked conformist students. The first full-scale biography of Maslow, this profile will be of interest to the many people touched by his humanistic vision of personal growth. Photos not seen by PW. (May)