Now in its 60th year -- the landmark bestseller by the great Viennese psychiatrist remembered for his tremendous impact on humanity
Internationally renowned psychiatrist Viktor E. Frankl endured years of unspeakable horror in Nazi death camps. During, and partly because of, his suffering, Dr. Frankl developed a revolutionary approach to psychotherapy known as logotherapy. At the core of his theory is the belief that man's primary motivational force is his search for meaning.
Cited in Dr. Frankl's New York Times obituary in 1997 as "an enduring work of survival literature," Man's Search for Meaning is more than the story of Viktor E. Frankl's triumph: It is a remarkable blend of science and humanism and "a compelling introduction to the most significant psychological movement of our day" (Gordon W. Allport).
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is among the most influential works of psychiatric literature since Freud. The book begins with a lengthy, austere, and deeply moving personal essay about Frankl's imprisonment in Auschwitz and other concentration camps for five years, and his struggle during this time to find reasons to live. The second part of the book, called "Logotherapy in a Nutshell," describes the psychotherapeutic method that Frankl pioneered as a result of his experiences in the concentration camps. Freud believed that sexual instincts and urges were the driving force of humanity's life; Frankl, by contrast, believes that man's deepest desire is to search for meaning and purpose. Frankl's logotherapy, therefore, is much more compatible with Western religions than Freudian psychotherapy. This is a fascinating, sophisticated, and very human book. At times, Frankl's personal and professional discourses merge into a style of tremendous power. "Our generation is realistic, for we have come to know man as he really is," Frankl writes. "After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord's Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips."
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Logos:
Very interesting account of one man's experience in a concentration camp. Sans the detailed horror and gore of other WWII stories, Frankl gives a compassionate telling of his experiences and examines man's choice in how he reacts to life's many diffulties. He also introduces the reader to logotherapy, which he developed as a result of his WWII years. Logotherapy states that the root of depression and discontent is the person's lack of meaning in life.
Before one goes through this book it's worth picking up a copy of the April 2000 issue of the Journal of Contemporary History, Volume 35, Number 2, and reading carefully the essay by Timothy Pytell, "The Missing Pieces of the Puzzle: A Reflection on the Odd Career of Viktor Frankl." Pytell established that Frankl spent 3 or 4 days at Auschwitz and 2 years at Theresienstadt, but he falsified the story to give readers the impression that he had spent at least half a year at Auschwitz. Phrases like "the same... more info
Changed my life:
I first read this book when I was thirteen years old. I understood the main idea of this book to be--your attitude is the most important concept for living life. Through the years I have read this book several times and I have always gained renewed hope from reading it. Whether in therapy, recovery or daily life, I have found that my attitude does determine the kind of life I live. This book reminds me of the truth.
Man's Search For Meaning review:
Read this book as soon as possible no matter who you are. The first half is Viktor Frankl's experience in concentration camps during WWII. In the second half he explains logotherapy, logo from the Greek word for "meaning." He wrote something like 10 volumes during his life explaining logotherapy, so this is a short synopsis, but I am able to apply the logotherapy to my life to make it more meaningful. The book is wonderfully written. You will appreciate this amazing man after reading this book.
