I listened to the audiobook, which made the Socratic Dialogue feel like a podcast, and would recommend the format.

As for the contents of the book, it appears to be a good generalist entry to Adler; a psychologist I hadn't heard of before. With an overview that noted his philosophy was the underpinning of other self-help gurus, I went in skeptical. But there are elements I found compelling. As an example, he discriminates between the teleological (fated from the past) and etiological when discussing a person's barriers towards achieving happiness. This feels less fatalistic and provides more agency in the here-and-now than many psychologies, which seem more rooted in determinism.

I'm also not sure the book offers much in the way of practical solutions. As an example, he notes that in a parent/child relationship, it is ultimately the responsibility of the child to want to study and perform well in school; the parent is simply there to encourage, but cannot take on that responsibility themselves. But practically, what is to be done if the child doesn't want to study? There's a tenant of "We've tried nothing and we're all out of ideas" that feels hard to square with the realities of any relationship.

All in all I enjoyed the book and would be interested in a deeper look into whether contemporary psychologists incorporate any of Adler's ideas. It certainly feels like a foundation I'd prefer to stand on than Freudian psychoanalysis, but I'm not well versed enough in either to make judgement calls.