Julius Hertzfeld is a distinguished psychotherapist with an impressive career. But when suddenly confronted with his own mortality, he is forced to reexamine his life and work. Has he really made an enduring difference to the lives of his patients? And what about those he's failed what has happened to them?

His attempt to make sense of the past places him on a collision course with former patient Philip Slate a handsome but arrogant and misanthropic sex addict whom he had treated, unsuccessfully, 23 years before. In a profound challenge to Julius's professional status, Philip claims to have cured himself by reading the works of dour philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. Furthermore, he has become a philosophical counsellor, and asks Julius to act as his professional supervisor in order to obtain a license to practise.

Reluctantly, Julius agrees, and they strike a Faustian bargain one which threatens to undermine his career and the well-being of his patients, but also brings with it the potential for extraordinary personal change through a unique combination of psychotherapy and philosophy.

In The Schopenhauer Cure, Irvin Yalom elegantly weaves the true story of Schopenhauer's life and influence throughout the narrative, knitting together fact and fiction to form a compelling and poignant tale.