Julius Hertzfeld, psicoterapeuta de sesenta y cinco años, descubre que tiene una enfermedad terminal. Le resta un año de vida... ¿Qué hacer? ¿Cómo utilizar esos últimos doce meses que le quedan?

Decide rastrear a un antiguo paciente, Philip, su único fracaso como terapeuta, para ofrecerle una segunda oportunidad, y lo incorpora al grupo de terapia que dirige desde hace años. A su vez Philip los introduce en el pensamiento de Arthur Schopenhauer, a quien considera su auténtico terapeuta personal. ¿El gran filósofo del pesimismo convertido en guía espiritual?

Irvin D. Yalom, autor de la aclamada novela El día que Nietzsche lloró, nos ofrece una maravillosa aventura emocional e intelectual de deslumbrante intensidad.

From the internationally bestselling author of Love's Executioner and When Nietzsche Wept, comes a novel of group therapy with a cast of memorably wounded characters struggling to heal pain and change lives

Suddenly confronted with his own mortality after a routine checkup, eminent psychotherapist Julius Hertzfeld is forced to reexamine his life and work -- and seeks out Philip Slate, a sex addict whom he failed to help some twenty years earlier. Yet Philip claims to be cured -- miraculously transformed by the pessimistic teachings of German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer -- and is, himself, a philosophical counselor in training.

Philip's dour, misanthropic stance compels Julius to invite Philip to join his intensive therapy group in exchange for tutoring on Schopenhauer. But with mere months left, life may be far too short to help Philip or to compete with him for the hearts and minds of the group members. And then again, it might be just long enough.