Man's Search for MeaningPsychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the experiences of those he treated in his practice, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. Frankl's theory—known as logotherapy, from the Greek word logos ("meaning")—holds that our primary drive in life is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful. At the time of Frankl's death in 1997, Man's Search for Meaning had sold more than 10 million copies in twenty-four languages. A 1991 reader survey by the Library of Congress and the Book-of-the-Month Club that asked readers to name a "book that made a difference in your life" found Man's Search for Meaning among the ten most influential books in America. Born in Vienna in 1905 Viktor E. Frankl earned an M.D. and a Ph.D. from the University of Vienna. He published more than thirty books on theoretical and clinical psychology and served as a visiting professor and lecturer at Harvard, Stanford, and elsewhere. In 1977 a fellow survivor, Joseph Fabry, founded the Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy. Frankl died in 1997. Harold S. Kushner is rabbi emeritus at Temple Israel in Natick, Massachusetts, and the author of several best-selling books, including When Bad Things Happen to Good People. William J. Winslade is a philosopher, lawyer, and psychoanalyst at the University of Texas Medical School in Galveston. |
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Review: Man's Search for Meaning
User Review - Kevin Key - GoodreadsIt is amazing how people are around at the right time. Frankel's analysis of his and others prisoners is historical. The first part of the book deals with his first-hand experience . The second part he gives an insight into human reactions to our circumstances. Read full review
Review: Man's Search for Meaning
User Review - Tomáš Plevko - GoodreadsThe book is based on personal story and observations of a psychiatrist, mr. Viktor Frankl from concentration camps. This was for me maybe the first time, I read about an insight to the everyday life ... Read full review
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able achievement actually answer arrived asked attempt Auschwitz became become called Capo cause chamber commander concentration camp course daily danger death doctor dream everything example existence existential experience face fact fate fear feeling felt finally Frankl freedom future give given guards hand happened hope human individual inner intention keep kind knew later liberation live logotherapy look lost man’s matter meaning mental mind moment neurosis never once one’s opportunity passed past patient person piece pleasure possible potential present prisoners psychological psychotherapy question reason remained responsible result returned Search sense sent sick situation sometimes soon spite stand suddenly suffering taken task tell things thought told transport tried turn understand waited wanted
Bibliographic information
| Title | Man's Search for Meaning |
| Author | Viktor Emil Frankl |
| Translated by | Ilse Lasch, Harold S. Kushner, William J. Winslade |
| Contributors | Harold S. Kushner, William J. Winslade |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Beacon Press, 2006 |
| ISBN | 0807014273, 9780807014271 |
| Length | 165 pages |
| Subjects | › › Biography & Autobiography / Historical Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs Psychology / Psychopathology / Compulsive Behavior |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |