I remember laying on a hotel bed somewhere outside of Santa Fe and reading this book. That was ten years ago and it blew my mind then. A lot has happened since then, both in the world and in my life, but this book has remained as powerful as it ever was. Funny that I've read this book twice now without ever having checked out anything else by Frankl. Maybe that's next ( )

A powerful and inspiring work on how to find meaning in the life that’s in front of you, how to endure and find meaning even in the worst of suffering. And an introduction to the author’s theory of logotherapy. ( )

I picked up this book because it appears on almost every list of "Top Books Every Man Ought To Read Before They Die". This is my first time through it. I'm in my late 40s and not in the midst of an existential crisis - the issue of which this book hopes to resolve. However, I certainly was in that situation almost a decade ago. And, as I read the book, I found myself nodding along and agreeing with much of the conclusions Frankl came to in his studies and therapy sessions.

The edition of the book that I purchased was published in 2006. It includes not only the original test (his reflections on life in the concentration camps) but also a section where he discusses logotherapy (helping people overcome neurosis by finding meaning in their lives), another work of his called "the Case For Tragic Optimism", and an Afterward that highlights much of his life and practice.

The first half of the book - his recount of life in the concentration camps - is something anyone who enjoys history should read. It's also something students ought to read in school as a way to see just how evil the Nazi regime was (and maybe it will stop the flippant labeling of people we don't agree with as "Nazi"). Frankl talks about the conditions the prisoners lived in. But, his focus is more on the mental state of the prisoners - the various phases one often went through, how some would turn on their fellow prisoners as a means of survival, and how some would bond together to bring one another hope and comfort.

The second part of the book discusses the theory of logotherapy that Frankl developed. In this section, Frankl highlights how often he found the root cause of peoples' various phychosis was a sense of meaninglessness. And, once the therapist could help the patient discover the meaning for their life (he posits that it is unique for everyone) they begin to heal and find fulfillment. Rather than focusing on one's past (as Freud and his contemporaries taught), Frankl championed focusing on one's future as the way to wholeness.

One point that really struck home for me was Frankl (was back in 1959) talking about the existential crisis he found many people in despite living in a time of great prosperity. Most people (not all of course) didn't have to fight for food or shelter or basic needs. They were far better off than those who came before. And, yet, they struggled in life to find meaning and purpose. I have thought about this much myself - especially with those who are in the Gen Z group. There has never been a better time to be alive! But, depression is up, self-harm is up, suicide is up. Why is that?

Frankl, I think, has a good idea why. And how we can help ( )

Review scheduled for Holocaust Memorial Day 2024 at anzlitlovers.com, see https://anzlitlovers.com/2024/01/27/mans-search-for-meaning-1959-by-viktor-e-fra... ( )

An excellent read on his experience in the concentration camps for three years, and how that experience confirmed his ideas for logotherapy (finding meaning in life). There are many better reviews of this book, but I wholeheartedly give a thumbs up to all my friends and family. My wife told me to read this, and after 24 years I finally got around to it. ( )