It is unlikely that a person would wake up one morning and say, “Grief, what a concept, I think I’ll make it my life’s work.” That is not how it happened for either of us. We are John W. James and Russell Friedman, and together we represent the Grief Recovery Institute. Here is a little outline of our lives, the institute, and the evolution of The Grief Recovery Handbook. John was thrust painfully into this arena by the death of a child in 1977. After discovering a successful process for completing his grief, he continued his career in the solar energy design business. Acquaintances who had heard of his loss.
