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Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Man's Search for Meaning


A few days ago, I lent my copy of Man's Search for Meaning to Sarah. It is a book that I read a few years ago and then bought a copy of so that I could reread it and make notations in the margins. It is the Nazi death camp experiences of Viktor Frankl. A Jewish Austrian psychiatrist, Frankl spent time in four death camps during World War II. Along the way his parents and his pregnant wife were killed. In Man's Search for Meaning, Frankl 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. These ideas became the basis of logotherapy, for which he has become famous for. I would recommend this book to anyone. The first part of the book are the actual experiences of Viktor as he labors in the death camps and tries to stop several suicides. The second part of the book is a more technical explanation of the therapy and how it can be applied. I have yet to be able to make it through the second part of the book. Anyway, I thought I would recommend this book to those you are looking for a serious, non-fiction read that has a touch of spirituality.

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