In the face of profound despair, it can be easy to wonder what the point even is. The Holocaust, of course, is one of the worst events the world has ever seen. Viktor Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist living in Austria when Hitler came to power, and like most European Jews, he ended up in a concentration camp. He survived Auschwitz, though, and wrote about how he did so in Man's Search for Meaning. The book is divided roughly in half: in the first, he tells his own story, and in the second, he expounds upon the therapeutic technique he used to make it through, which he calls logotherapy. Essentially, logotherapy consists of finding meaning in one's life, no matter how meaningless it might seem.

Like most Holocaust memoirs, this is difficult to read. Frankl's pre-existing training in psychology is obvious, as he breaks down the ways in which people were psychologically broken upon entering the camps. The procedures used by the Nazis to strip their prisoners of their humanity, their sense of personal dignity and purpose, were brutal and effective. And then, of course, there were the actual physical dangers of the camps: starvation and overwork, which took away strength and energy. For those that did manage to survive, their liberation was not the end of their story. They had to go on to live in the world, and Frankl also talks about the difficulties of re-adjusting to life on the outside.

While not "enjoyable" per se, the portion of the book concerned with Frankl's own experiences is the most compelling and powerful. The actual detailing of logotherpy in the back half of the book feels almost superfluous, because it's both described and demonstrated in how he used it to survive. The more it's described, honestly, the less impact it has...it boils down essentially to the power of positive thinking, to refusing to succumb to the darkness. While it clearly was tremendously important to Frankl, and has surely been helpful to others in their own struggles, it's not all that interesting or novel to read about. If you're looking for a Holocaust memoir with unique psychological insight, this is something you'll really get a lot out of. Just...skip the ending bit. ( )

When you pick a classic book, with as grave theme as this, you are naturally burdened by huge expectations to like it. When book touches as sensitive subject as Holocaust, you are even more compelled to like, and even feel a bit guilty, when you don't. But then, reviews are honest reflections so I write below, with the full understanding that fault may as well be with me to not comprehend the essence of this book.

I am not sure why this is considered a classic on existentialism or motivation? There were only 2 core messages from the book that I could glean: no one has right to do wrong even if wrong had been done to them, and of course the primary message, that none can take away the freedom of attitude to suffering even if everything has been taken from a man, and suffering with honour gives life a meaning, for one should not wonder what he expects from life but what life expects of him.

My two stars to this book are only because of the engaging and horrifying description of unfathomable realities of concentration camps. Else this book should be rated 0 stars.

Given the circumstances the author went through though, the lesson is hardly meaningful, actionable, noble, or unique. In other words, the author is saying that try to be honourable as much as you can, which, while being the right advice, is very much expected under the circumstances, and is the foundation of many religious or moral philosophies. Not losing hope and not taking life because there is some thing or some purpose waiting is of course a desirable strategy, but given what the author himself said in the third stage of prisoners after release, is not really true since many survivors realised that nothing was waiting for them. Turning suffering into sacrifice towards some greater cause may bring a purpose to life but is also a recipe of victimhood mentality.

It's quick read for what's it worth. First section is fast and moving. Second section is skippable or read cursorily. ( )

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 ( )