Man's Search For Meaning
Books | Biography & Autobiography / Cultural, Ethnic & Regional / General
4.3
(14.0K)
Viktor E. Frankl
This author'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 he 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, he 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. His 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.
Psychology
Buy Now
AD
Buy now:
More Details:
Author
Viktor E. Frankl
Pages
221
Publisher
Simon and Schuster
Published Date
1985
ISBN
0671023373 9780671023379
Ratings
Google: 4.5
Community ReviewsSee all
"One of the most profound nonfiction books I’ve read in recent memory. Written by the world-renowned psychiatrist and neurologist Viktor Frankl, the first half of the book describes his personal experience in the Auschwitz concentration camp and how he continued to find meaning in his life despite the most horrific circumstances. The second half of the book describes the basics of Logotherapy, an approach to psychotherapy that focuses on finding the meaning of one’s life. This second section was fascinating and powerful. I found myself highlighting almost every sentence.😅 If you ever question the meaning of your life or struggle with existential fears and anxieties, I highly recommend this book. I think everyone could find something from this book to implement in their lives. "
"I tore through this impressively helpful self-help memoir, a combination that Frankl pulled off masterfully. The terrors of German concentration camps in WW2 were gut-wrenching. It was almost incomprehensible that people were able to survive under these conditions. However, there are a couple of reasons this book stands out besides the harrowing recap of Auschwitz. First, I think it feels authentic and truthful, the story isn't glorifying. It doesn't praise certain groups of people while berating others. It demonstrates to the contrary in fact, that as Frankl puts it in all facets of life there will be good people and not-so-good people, and that your situation doesn't dictate what you make of yourself. I like this philosophy a lot when it comes to moral character. No matter what, you always get to choose how you react to what life throws at you, and that's one of the beauties of life. I also loved his talk about doing the opposite of something you are anxious about to alleviate some of the stress. I think it's a simple method to solve mountains made from anthills. That's the way a lot of the ideas that he stated came across to me, easy to understand, backed up by empirical evidence, and not bogus lies to "solve every problem in your life." I've stayed clear of self-help books for the most part because I think that a lot of the market is based on tricking people into believing they have the key to your happiness. But I found that Frankl just wants to help humanity in finding their way in life, and logotherapy is the way he does this.
This was an utterly fantastic book and I'm so glad I picked it off of Libby on a whim."
"Muy interesante lectura y punto de vista del autor 3/5"
K
Kasandra
"Every human should read this. "
W K
Wendy Kersch
"The best off books. Sometimes when we see the dark side of people, we can get disillusioned. In this book, the author goes through the most horrendous situations and still hangs on to that belief in human kindness. It’s a book about hope and finding our meaning in life."
D d
Dhara doshi
Similar Books
4.1
4.3
4.5
4.3
4.1
4
4.1
4.8
4.1
4.7
4.2
4.2
4.2
4
4
3.9
4.8