Through six stories starring everyday people, Alice Miller provides an optimistic perspective on each of our personal development and the future of society.

If there is genuine and honest communication between people and if the truth about certain taboo subjects is spread, the author says, things can change for the better, both for the individual and for the social whole.

The heroes of this book narrate their lives to one another, sharing their successes and failures, as well as how they managed to free themselves from the "dark" aspects of their childhood and the behavioral patterns inherited from their parental models.

In an attempt to demonstrate the seriousness of the consequences of parenting models based on oppression, strict discipline, and physical punishment, Miller dedicates a chapter to the genesis of hate, where she explores the deeper causes of the darkest pages of human history and examines the personal stories of gurus and leaders who have occasionally found thousands of blind followers.