Dr. Murray Bowen offered a description of human behavior living within the largest system conceivable and governed by the same natural forces. The nature of his theory holds the beauty and truth of Nature. It may be this truth and beauty that drew Ed Friedman as it continues to draw others.

Bowen Theory is about our place in this larger system and the hope of our contributing beauty to the future - our lives and others. Ed Friedman was committed to living Bowen Theory in his life, practice and writing.

Ed Friedman saw things that no one saw. Ed Friedman saw things we all saw and knew, but hadn�t imagined fully. As a master chef, he often mixed together ingredients that were available to everyone, putting together interesting dishes no on else had before him.

Ed Friedman found a freedom for himself within Bowen Theory and within his own multigenerational process. Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix is an expression of this freedom and his capacity to see possibility enfolded with his love of life, the arts, history, science, nature, philosophy and theology.

We plan to regularly offer selected writings, on this website, from A Failure of Nerve by Edwin H. Friedman, D.D.