Jordan Peterson’s “Maps of Meaning” brought ancient ideas — about balance, responsibility, narrative, and the struggle between order and chaos — into the modern conversation. These themes have long existed in Jewish, Chinese, and other wisdom traditions, and my interest has been in those timeless principles, not in contemporary political debates.

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This guide introduces readers to the psychological material at the heart of Peterson’s early work: meaning-making, character development, and how symbolic stories shape the inner life. Presented through the lens of a clinician who works with narrative, memory, and cross-cultural models of personal growth, the book helps readers understand these universal ideas in clear, accessible language.

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Part Two explores Alfred Adler’s method for decoding a person’s “map of meaning” through earliest memories — demonstrating how ancient frameworks of self-development appear in lived, everyday experience.

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Annette Poizner, MSW, Ed.D., is a Toronto-based counselor, writer, and educator whose work explores how people derive meaning, balance, and identity through the wisdom of multiple traditions — including Jewish thought, Chinese philosophy, narrative psychology, and symbolic interpretation.

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She has published widely on archetypes, personal storytelling, early memories, and the role of character development in emotional resilience. Her work in clinical practice and teaching has been profiled in national media and presented at professional conferences.

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Annette is the author of The Kabbalah of You and Weaving the Way: Jewish and Chinese Teachings to Repair a Fractured World, a project that highlights resonances between ancient cultures and their shared emphasis on learning, family, and moral development.

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In earlier years she also wrote several guides that introduced readers to aspects of Jordan Peterson’s early psychological material. These books approached Peterson’s ideas as one modern vocabulary for discussing timeless themes of meaning and responsibility — themes she continues to explore through the much older lenses of Jewish and Chinese wisdom.

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She maintains a private counseling practice and continues to write, teach, and develop educational resources that bridge cultures and deepen self-understanding.

 

Available on Amazon in e-book, paperback or large print formats!

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