When Europeans arrived on this continent, they blew it with the Native Americans. They plowed over them, taking as much as they could of their land and valuables, and respecting almost nothing about the native cultures. They lost the wisdom of the indigenous peoples-wisdom about the land and connectedness to the great web of life…We have another chance with all these refugees. People come here penniless but not cultureless. They bring us gifts. We can synthesize the best of our traditions with the best of theirs. We can teach and learn from each other to produce a better America…

She became the object of others’ lives and lost her subjective true self. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology from the University of California Berkeley in 1969 and a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 1977. The book combines case studies with exposition of theory regarding the trial-ridden formative adolescent years.

She returned the one Mary Pipher received in 2006 as a protest against the APA's acknowledgment that some of its members participate in controversial interrogation techniques at Guantánamo Bay and at US "black sites". Mary Elizabeth Pipher also known as Mary Bray Pipher (born October 21 1947) PhD is an American clinical psychologist and author. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology from the University of California Berkeley in 1969 and a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 1977.