Self-help · ThoughtfulPsychologist Viktor Frankl describes his experience in Nazi concentration camps and sets out his theory of logotherapy
Man's Search for Meaning
A psychologist's account of the camps and the search for meaning
Viktor Frankl's book has two parts. Part One analyzes his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps. Part Two presents his ideas on meaning and his theory of logotherapy, which identifies a purpose in each person's life through one of three paths: completing tasks, caring for another person, or facing suffering with dignity. According to Frankl, survivors among his fellow prisoners connected with a purpose they could feel positive about, and the way a prisoner imagined the future affected his longevity.
More about this book
Who
Viktor Frankl, a psychologist, and the fellow prisoners he describes.
World
Nazi concentration camps in Part One, and the theory of logotherapy in Part Two.
What makes it different
Frankl published the German original in Vienna in 1946 as Ein Psychologe erlebt das Konzentrationslager, and Beacon Press issued the English edition in 1959. Wikipedia reports over 10 million copies sold by the time of his death in 1997, and translation into 24 languages.
Feel
Sober and searching.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Further reading
- Man's Search for MeaningWikipedia