Man's Search for Meaning
 

Man's Search for Meaning

by Viktor E. Frankl

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... (read more)

Top tags: psychologyphilosophyholocaustmemoirspirituality (all tags)

 

Member Reviews

  • robohit
    2 of 2 members found this review helpful.
    • Rated 5 stars

    I first heard of this book years ago through a strong recommendation by Stephen Covey in the 7 Habits, but didn’t think about it until earlier this year when I was at Half Price. I was at the bookstore to buy another Covey book, “The 8th Habit”, and then I spotted Dr. Frankl’s book.

    Nothing against most self-help/productivity books (I know I’ve read more than my share) but after a while they can seem kind of stupid. There’s a point where some random dude telling you how you should live your life becomes a highly ineffective approach to growth.

    Which is why Man’s Search for Meaning appealed to me. Not only does the author back up his thoughts on suffering and meaning through extensive research, Dr. Frankl applied his ideas to help survive his three-years in the Holocaust, and so has a huge personal connection to the ideas he’s presenting.

    What he’s talking about is pretty straightforward: by creating meaning in life, you have the capacity to move beyond any hardship in life. But Dr. Frankl provides a way to really help internalize this idea, which is why I highly, highly recommend this book.

    robohit wrote this review Friday, October 5 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Prasad
    1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
    • Rated 0 stars

    One of the amazing books I have read. A short one though, but triggers your thought process. Frankl being an expert in the field of pscyhology, could explain his experiences in different way, explaining underlying meaning and reason for behaviour in the nazi camp.
    Really a good book, but cannot get your meaning of life, because as he said, life is like a movie, and what we see are only trailers, so combining trailers gives us a rough idea but not the complete picture.Its only possible after our death !!

    Prasad wrote this review Wednesday, October 10 2007. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink )
  • Geoffrey B
    • Rated 0 stars

    Even in a Nazi concentration camp a person has choice. And a significant answer to those struggles in life is to find meaning. Or so says Viktor Frankl in his wonderful book Man's Search For Meaning. Telling the real life tail of his experiences in concentration camps, loosing everything important to him and watching men and women fall apart around him Mr Frankl adds another great chapter to the progression of how we understand the human experience, right up there with contributors like Freud.

    Geoffrey B wrote this review yesterday. ( reply | permalink )
  • james h
    • Rated 5 stars

    Could be the most important book I ever read

    james h wrote this review 4 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • redfishbluefish
    • Rated 5 stars

    A life sentinel - the sort of book I refer to when I want to recalibrate my 'True North' spiritual compass

    redfishbluefish wrote this review 9 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Blake Ruehrwein
    • Rated 3 stars

    Torture, starvation, mockery, genocide. Concentration Camps. The author does not merely take a safe-distance evaluation of what may cause a man to continue living, wanting to live in such a place as a WWII concentration camp. Viktor Frankl lived through it. He has the first hand account, and his status at the time of writing the book, as a psychologist, allows us to approach this issue from a shallow pool of understanding of an age old question: "What is the meaning of Life."

    Graphic stories, might make your stomach churn, but worth the stimulating, historical read.

    Blake Ruehrwein wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Mahtab
    • Rated 5 stars

    Wowww, would describe how I felt while reading it. As the author said among pages he wants to teach you mastering the art of living.....
    Loved where it says: "He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how"
    There are so many of these nice lessons, well said expressions that would enlighten your life....
    So please read...
    My special thanks to my dearest greatest best friend, my unclaimed sis, "Farnaz" for introducing it....Merci mille fois!!!!

    Mahtab wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Farnaz A
    • Rated 5 stars

    This is an amazing book that deeply changed my view of life. It is a MUST to read.

    Farnaz A wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • tvjoshi
    • Rated 5 stars

    First part is very intriguing, you don't want to put the book down. Second part (logotherapy theory etc) was a bit heavy for me but interesting nevertheless. One (someone like me) needs to read it slowly, digesting each paragraph, before moving ahead.
    I want to state here just 2 thoughts that stayed with me.
    1. Man lives life to seek meaning and fulfill that meaning either by achievement, love or suffering.
    2. Intentional paradox

    tvjoshi wrote this review 4 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Anna E
    • Rated 5 stars

    This book was a treasure to get some years ago because it´s been sold out for many years and just recently it was re published This is a great little book about the real story of the dicovery and development of a logo therapy in the psychiatry field.
    This book is divided into two halfs. The first one is the writers memoirs from Auswitch and the second half is about the same men then as a free men and the founder of logo thearpy that he draws from his experience from Auswitch
    Dr Frankl (the writer) is a writer and a psychiatrist that invented the logotherapy.
    This book is a dramatic story that has both literary and philosophy values.
    The end of this book has a great quote by Dr Frankl it says
    "After Auschwitz we know what men are able to do.
    After Hiroshima we know what is at stake"

    Anna E wrote this review Monday, July 28 2008. ( reply | permalink )
Displaying 1-10 of 128 reviews
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