Man's Search for Meaning Mass market paperbound - 1997
by Viktor Emil Frankl; Preface by Gordon W. Allport
About this book
Man's Search for Meaning is a book by Viktor Frankl that describes his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II and his development of logotherapy, a psychotherapeutic approach that emphasizes finding meaning in life. The book is divided into two parts; the first part chronicles Frankl's experiences as a prisoner, while the second part focuses on his theory of logotherapy. Frankl wrote the book in a reported nine days. Originally titled Ein Psycholog erlebt das Konzentrationslager (A Psychologist Experiences the Concentration Camp), it was released in German in 1946. The English translation was published in 1959 by Beacon Press under the title From Death-Camp to Existentialism: A Psychiatrist’s Path to a New Therapy. The title was changed to Man’s Search for Meaning in 1962. In a 1991 survey by the Library of Congress, readers voted Man’s Search for Meaning one of the 10 most influential books in their lives. At the time of Frankl’s death in 1997 the book had sold more than 10 million copies. It has been translated into over 24 languages.
Reader reviews for Man's Search for Meaning
Review summary
Readers widely praise the book’s first half—a stark, reportorial account of life in Nazi camps—for its restrained tone that paradoxically heightens the horror and psychological insight. That section’s scenes and aphorisms on dignity, responsibility, and the freedom to choose one’s attitude are frequently cited as unforgettable. The second half, outlining Frankl’s logotherapy, divides opinion: many find it lucid, empowering, and practically useful in confronting illness, depression, and everyday purpose; others see it as dry, repetitive, jargon?laden, or dated, with objections to its Freud critiques and theological undertones. Despite disagreements over the theory’s presentation, the core thesis—that meaning is found through work, love, and the stance we take toward unavoidable suffering—resonates strongly. Overall, readers regard it as a short, intense, and often life?altering classic of “tragic optimism,” though a minority deem it overhyped or too clinical.
Readers say this book is:
powerfulharrowinginsightfullife-changingdispassionateupliftingphilosophicaljargon-heavydatedquick readWrite a review for this book
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From the publisher
First line
First edition identification
The first English language edition of Man's Search for Meaning was published in1959 by Beacon Press in Boston, under the title From Death-Camp to Existentialism: A Psychiatrist’s Path to a New Therapy. The first editions under the title Man's Search for Meaning were published in 1962.
Details
- Title Man's Search for Meaning
- Author Viktor Emil Frankl; Preface by Gordon W. Allport
- Binding Mass Market Paperbound
- Edition [ Edition: Repri
- Pages 224
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Washington Square Press, New York, New York, U.S.A.
- Publication date December 1, 1997
- ISBN 9780671023379 / 0671023373
- Weight 0.24 lbs (0.11 kg)
- Dimensions 6.79 x 4.23 x 0.61 in (17.25 x 10.74 x 1.55 cm)
- Reading level 1090
- Category Psychology
- Library of Congress subjects Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945), Logotherapy
- Dewey Decimal Code B
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