Man's Search for Meaning

by Viktor E. Frankl

book data

7,573 ratings, 4.37 average rating, 1,329 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		53%
4		32%
3		11%
2		1%
1		0%

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published

June 14th 2006 (first published 1946) by Beacon Press

binding

Mass Market Paperback, 165 pages

isbn

080701429X (isbn13: 9780807014295)

description

Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual...more

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01/02/09

Ben rated it:

bookshelves: good-nonfiction, philosophy, psychology, read-in-2009, war

Read in April, 2009

Reading about the holocaust awakens me to the varying sides and degrees of human nature.

"Life in a concentration camp tore open the human soul and exposed its depths. Is it surprising that in those depths we again found only human qualities which in there very nature were a mixture of good and evil? The rift dividing good from evil, which goes through all human beings, reaches into the lowest depths and becomes apparent even on the bottom of the abyss which is laid open by the...more

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3 comments

01/22/08

Emily rated it:

Read in January, 2008

recommended to Emily by: Robert T. Barrett

After the Book of Mormon, this would be my second recommendation to anyone looking for purpose in life.

Here's a poignant excerpt from one of my favorite parts of the book when Frankl has been in Auschwitz and other camps for several years and doesn't know the war is only weeks away from ending. He had decided to escape his camp near Dachau with a friend and was visiting some of his patients for the last time.

"I came to my only countryman, who was almost dying, and...more After the Book of Mormon, this would be my second recommendation to anyone looking for purpose in life.

Here's a poignant excerpt from one of my favorite parts of the book when Frankl has been in Auschwitz and other camps for several years and doesn't know the war is only weeks away from ending. He had decided to escape his camp near Dachau with a friend and was visiting some of his patients for the last time.

"I came to my only countryman, who was almost dying, and whose life it had been my ambition to save in spite of myself, but my comrade seemed to guess that something was wrong (perhaps I showed a little nervousness). In a tired voice he asked me, 'You too, are getting out?' I denied it, but I found it difficult to avoid his sad look. After my round I returned to him. Again a hopeless look greeted me and somehow I felt it to be an accusation. The unpleasant feeling that had gripped me as soon as I had told my friend I would escape with him became more intense.

Suddenly I decided to take fate into my own hands for once. I ran out of the hut and told my friend that I could not go with him. As soon as I had told him with finality that I had made up my mind to stay with my patients, the unhappy feeling left me. I did not know what the following days would bring, but I had gained an inward peace that I had never experienced before. I returned to the hut, sat down on the boards at my countryman's feet and tried to comfort him..."

I found such strength and wisdom in this books--strength and advice for me as a mother of three young children. While potty training, bending over to clean up a handful of toys for the the thousandth time that day, scraping Play Dough off of a filthy kitchen floor on hands and knees, and preparing the fifth snack of the day for three hungry mouths (directly after doing the dishes from the previous fourth snack) I find the text of this book to give profound meaning to small and simple acts of selflessness, patience, and service. What a profound reminder that "The immediate influence of behavior is always more effective than that of words." I desperately needed to read this book, if only to remember to be calm and kind to my little ones so that they will pass on the favor to their own next generation.

Bravo to Viktor Frankl for bringing human frailty and greatness into perspective.

"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms--to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." -Frankl
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03/02/09

Luann rated it:

(review of isbn 0671023373)

bookshelves: 2009, adult, biography, holocaust, nonfiction, religion, shelf-a-thon1, war

Read in March, 2009

Powerful. A must-read for those interested in reading about the holocaust. I felt guilty reading while eating my lunch.

This is also a wonderful book for putting your own life experiences and suffering into perspective. I especially liked his theories about responsibility - that we are all responsible for our own choices and for finding meaning in our life.

I wouldn't have been nearly as interested in the second half, "Logotherapy in a Nutshell" and "The C...more

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

9 comments

06/09/08

booklady rated it:

bookshelves: 2007, history, philosophy, psychology, religion, spiritual

Read in December, 2007

Throughout history humanity has always been in search of purpose and meaning to our existence on this earth. One of the oldest jokes in the world is the young person asking the ancient one, “What is the meaning of life?” and receiving some sort of reply like, “If you find out, you let me know, okay?!”

Viktor Frankl’s classic work was originally written in 1945 and published in 1959. I own a 1984 paperback edition of the book which had already been through seventy-three editi...more

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03/26/08

Yulia rated it:

(review of isbn 0671244221)

Read in March, 2009

This is a life-changing book that I'll be rereading regularly and giving copies to those I hope can benefit from it. The book is divided into two parts, the first describing the typical experience of prisoners in concentration camps and the second introducing the practice of logotherapy.

His experiences in concentration camps showed him three main stages of reaction experienced by the prisoners. First, they went through a period of shock at their situation, followed quickly by a se...more

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7 comments

09/20/07

Elyssa rated it:

(review of isbn 067166736X)

bookshelves: existentialism

recommends it for: EVERYONE!!!!

I have read this book many, many times. These are the words I live by. If I was told that I could only own one book for the rest of my life, this would be it.

Viktor Frankl's harrowing testimony of surviving in a concentration camp seems incomprehensible. Even more unbelievable is the attitude he adopts during his struggle as he remains apart from his family, starving, cold, and forced to perform hard labor with no relief in sight. Through it all, he decides that even though his body...more

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08/26/08

Laurel rated it:

bookshelves: all-time-favorites, classics, memoir, nonfiction, psychology

I read this book for the first time during my senior year in high school. The year prior, I had gone on a school vacation to Germany for spring break and we spent a day visiting Dachau, a former WII concentration camp. As one might expect, this visit had a profound affect on me. One reads about the atrocities that occurred under the Nazi regime, but to actually see the gas chambers in person is a deeply haunting and disturbing experience. Perhaps for this reason, Frankl's book affected me even m...more I read this book for the first time during my senior year in high school. The year prior, I had gone on a school vacation to Germany for spring break and we spent a day visiting Dachau, a former WII concentration camp. As one might expect, this visit had a profound affect on me. One reads about the atrocities that occurred under the Nazi regime, but to actually see the gas chambers in person is a deeply haunting and disturbing experience. Perhaps for this reason, Frankl's book affected me even more deeply than it otherwise might have.

The book is divided into two parts. The first section recounts in vivid detail Frankl's horrifying experiences as a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp. Frankl, a former psychiatrist, also describes his observations of other prisoners, and what he felt to be the main way in which people tried to cope with the insurmountable obstacles they faced. He found that those who could find meaning or purpose in their suffering were the ones who seemed best able to survive. As I recall, Frankl found his purpose in the hope of someday being able to see his wife again... a hope that was strong enough to get him through the daily horrors he faced.

The second half of this book is devoted to the therapy he developed based on the search for meaning, which he calls logotherapy. The basic premise is that those who can find meaning in their suffering are better able to cope with what would otherwise be a struggle too hard to bear. As one who majored in psychology, I found this section as fascinating as the first.

I have read this book at least 3x now, and it is one of the few books I can say truly changed my life. I am ever grateful that I have the wisdom of this book to fall back upon when needed.

Several years ago, at a very young age (in my 20’s), I became ill with a disease that left me bedridden and barely able to speak above a whisper. Now 36, I am still bedridden and fighting the same battle. It is Frankl's reminder to find meaning and purpose in suffering (which I found in the love of my fiancé and my hope of recovery) that has helped me to get through each difficult day. As Frankl tells us, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances."

I highly recommend this book!!(less)

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08/14/08

Cortney rated it:

(review of isbn 0807014265)

Read in August, 2008

There must be something wrong with me. This is a book that everyone is supposed to love. But I didn't. I didn't even like it. I only gave it three stars because I would have felt like a first class jerk giving it only two stars.

Here's the thing- I love WWII stories- The Hiding Place, Anne Frank, etc. But Man's Search for Meaning had no emotion in it. It was so clinical and frankly quite boring.

The first section- Experiences in a Concentration Camp- was ok, but as I said,...more

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

3 comments

07/02/07

Frank rated it:

(review of isbn 067166736X)

Read in July, 1983

recommends it for: people who want to live a fulfilling life

After I read this book, which I finished many, many years ago, I had become self-critical of any future endeavours which would take up a lot of my time. I would ask myself "is this or will this be meaningful to me?", and if the answer was "no", I wouldn't do it. It was this book that influenced me to consciously live as meaningful a life as possible, to place a great value on the journey and not just the destination, while knowing that "meaningful" doesn't always me...more

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04/14/08

Shannon rated it:

I love questions, just for that feeling I get when I find an answer. This is one of those books that answered questions long present in my mind. Even if it doesn't answer things straight out, but leads me on a train of thought where I come to a conclusion.
I was reading about the meaning of life, which is to me to fulfill a life mission God assigned to me, and make choices now that lead me there. Missions are self-sacrificing, giving yourself to the benefit and service of others. In o...more

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10/19/07

Rick rated it:

(review of isbn 0671781383)

bookshelves: autobiography

Read in April, 2007

recommends it for: everyone

It seems odd to give only three stars to such a powerful and moving account of life in a concentration camp. In fact, if the book consisted of only the first part (of his account of life in Nazi concentration camps) I would likely give it 5 stars. Unfortunately, his Intro to Logotherapy was less enjoyable. While it adds a necessary spiritual dimension to theoretical discussions of clinical work, I found it lacking as a stand-alone theory. Overall, though, I highly recommend reading it, espec...more

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02/08/09

Ed rated it:

(review of isbn 0807014273)

bookshelves: memoir, reviewed

Read in February, 2009

recommends it for: Anyone interested in an inspiring story with a valuable lesson

I have read this book more than a few times. Reading it this time was like reading it for the first time.

I am now 71 and I believe the last time I read it I was in my early fifties. My outlook has changed considerably in the intervening years so I gained different insights from Frankl's story this time through.

It is an incredible story not only because he survived 3+ years in the Nazi Death Camps but because he was able to learn something from the experience.

The...more

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08/24/08

Cindy rated it:

bookshelves: 999, biography, non-fiction, religion

Read in April, 2009

recommends it for: Everyone

Viktor Frankl was a psychiatrist and neurologist who was also a survivor of a concentration camp. This book describes his experiences and the philosophy/analysis he developed, partly based on his experiences, called logotherapy. It's like two short books in one.

I loved the first half. He doesn't write much about his arrest or his family, but he does describe the emotional and mental state of those who had been arrested. He came to see that those who survived - at least survived the s...more

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07/21/08

Bobby rated it:

bookshelves: reviewed

Read in July, 2008

I had read parts of this book before years ago, but finally got around to the whole thing, from beginning to the end. And now I'm sorry I waited so long! Written in 1946 by Viktor Frankl, an Austrian Psychiatrist and Neurologist, the book consists of two parts. The first part is Dr Frankl's experiences in Nazi concentration camps and his discussion of the psyche of the prisoners. The second part briefly details the basic foundation of the therapy that Dr Frankl invented (called logotherapy) base...more I had read parts of this book before years ago, but finally got around to the whole thing, from beginning to the end. And now I'm sorry I waited so long! Written in 1946 by Viktor Frankl, an Austrian Psychiatrist and Neurologist, the book consists of two parts. The first part is Dr Frankl's experiences in Nazi concentration camps and his discussion of the psyche of the prisoners. The second part briefly details the basic foundation of the therapy that Dr Frankl invented (called logotherapy) based on his insights and experiences in the camps. The principal idea behind logotherapy I think is very nicely summed by a quote by Nietzsche that Dr. Frankl himself often repeats in the book: "He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how." That is, it's all about giving meaning to one's life that makes one's life worth living, no matter how difficult the circumstances may be.

Not surprisingly, this is reminiscent of Sartre, Kierkegaard, and many other existentialist philosophers, and I would say logotherapy is a type of existentialist psychotherapy (though I could be wrong). However, this book is so much more optimistic in it's tone as the emphasis is on giving a relative meaning to one's life, as oppose to the lack of an absolute meaning (which Sartre and Camus seemed to emphasize). Not to mention, this book is MUCH simpler to understand than Being and Nothingness! :)

As someone who works with older, sick patients with terminal illnesses who have limited time left, I have often used existentialist therapy techniques to discuss themes of life and death with patients, and help them process unresolved issues. This book definitely gave me ideas on how I can do this in a more effective manner. But I also think many readers (including myself) will be able to take something from this book and apply to their own personal lives.

All in all, a very useful book for those who are seeking more in life than the latest iphone, limited-edition Manolo Blahniks, the hottest boy/girl on the block, or whatever.(less)

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07/19/08

Emily rated it:

Read in August, 2008

I am going to cheat. I have two pages left. I doubt I'll change my mind after those two pages.

I feel bad not really loving a book by a holocaust survivor. The poor guy went through a lot and now he has to withstand my book review. Oh, except that he is dead. Do they have goodreads in heaven?

I was just bored by the book. As a child my mom never let us be bored. Well, technically we just could not say that we were bored. If we were bored we had to find something t...more I am going to cheat. I have two pages left. I doubt I'll change my mind after those two pages.

I feel bad not really loving a book by a holocaust survivor. The poor guy went through a lot and now he has to withstand my book review. Oh, except that he is dead. Do they have goodreads in heaven?

I was just bored by the book. As a child my mom never let us be bored. Well, technically we just could not say that we were bored. If we were bored we had to find something to do. It is a good policy, but was poorly enacted. You might think that I went and built forts and had adventures. No. I would have gotten kidnapped, so I was not allowed to do that. I did sometimes build a fort with couch cushions, but my sister was mean and wouldn't play with me. Oh, I did have an adventure one time. I was riding my bike. Ok, the bike was actually my sister's. And it had training wheels. And it a pink, dorky bike. But, hey, I was desperate. So this one day I was riding and I hit the gate. The training wheels lodged in the chain link and suspended the bike's back tire about an inch off the ground. That was the drive wheel, so with it off the ground I could peddle like mad and the bike wouldn't go anywhere. Plus the gate was holding me up. So I pretended to ride my bike a million miles an hour. That was my summer excitement.

Ok, so the book was divided into two parts. Part 1: Interesting. Part 2: Not Interesting.

Part 1: He described the concentration camp from such and objective perspective that it made me wonder if he was actually ever there. Ok, so, if I had such a traumatic experience perhaps I would have had to pull myself out of it in order to cope. So, I don't really fault him for that. But the book should have just been Part 1.

Part2: Totally unrelated. Pyschoanalysis stuff. And it was all soooo basic. Like this:
Problem: You want to kill people.
Solution: Tell yourself to go ahead and kill people, then all of a sudden you won't want to kill people.

Anyways, perhaps I would have liked this book more except that I have a bad association with it. The other night I was reading in the dark with my flashlight. My husband claims he can't sleep with the reading light on. I say his eyes are shut, it should not be an issue. But out of courtesy, I use a flashlight. Well, there was a little tiny fly that liked the light too. Then he flew up my nose and I had to blow him out. I hope he doesn't write a book about his experiences. (less)

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06/24/08

Jeffrey rated it:

bookshelves: spiritual

This classic has been around for some time, selling some 12 million copies in the process. This new updated re-release is a testament to its selling power (June 14th 2006 (first published 2004) by Beacon Press).

But what makes it such a hot seller? Even though its title alludes to its content, it's more of a concentration camp testimonial / memoir and psychiatric exposition than philosophical pondering on man's search for meaning. However, even though this topic is not explored in qu...more This classic has been around for some time, selling some 12 million copies in the process. This new updated re-release is a testament to its selling power (June 14th 2006 (first published 2004) by Beacon Press).

But what makes it such a hot seller? Even though its title alludes to its content, it's more of a concentration camp testimonial / memoir and psychiatric exposition than philosophical pondering on man's search for meaning. However, even though this topic is not explored in quantity, the title's "search" is explored, but the real message may be glossed over if the reader is not observant. So let's get more into this profoundly important meaning of life that Frankel brings to the page, short in its quantity, yet heavy in its quality for the observant.

The title tells you what the significant point of this book is. It is when Frankl and the others caught in the continuous horror and boundless misery find love. Yes, they find love. This is significant because it is only when one is deprived, when one runs up against extreme circumstance, when one is pushed to the brink does he or she fully appreciate and understand that which is most significant in life or what is most meaningful. And as one encounters these extremes, he or she finds great insight, wonder, miracles even, in the most bizarre and unusual light.

Frankl discovers in the concentration camps that those of great intellectual life, the reflectors, the thinkers, the meditaters even, are the ones who "survive camp life better." It is the "less hardy" who fair better than the "robust." What does this mean? Those who have prepared themselves emotionally, spiritually, are the ones who have the greater strength to deal with the utmost difficult times, not necessarily those who in easy times appear under control, the loud, the braggart, even the profane. The spirit protects while the flesh rots.

To continue, Frankl in thinking on his wife, sees love for the far greater thing that it is than one may ever see in settled, comfortable times. It is within this abject horror that Frankl is blessed with a vision of the significance of man and his purpose for being, for he states, "The truth--love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire." Later he states, "Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love. I understood how a man who has nothing in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved. In a position of utter desolation, when man cannot express himself in positive acting, when his only achievement may consist in enduring his sufferings in the right way--an honorable way--in such a position man can, through loving contemplation of the image he carries of his beloved, achieve fulfillment. For the first time in my life I was able to understand the meaning of the words, "The angels are lost in perpetual contemplation of an infinite glory."

The sanctity of the woman, marriage and its central importance to not only society but eternity is made whole and evident here. It is this sanctified nature of the human race of which the angels speak.

Love: when asked what the meaning of life is Mother Teresa said to love and be loved. When speaking to my wife tonight she mentioning that "people come in hundreds," that at any point in time you can stop and say, "None of us will be alive 100 years from now." Putting that into perspective with the endless eons that have and will pass, the insignificance of our mortal lives beyond learning things eternal is shown pointless. Those who aim for monetary, material, social, political, or any temporal or transitory success is insignificant beyond measure in the face of what Frankl learns amongst the appallingly endless torment that in actuality only lasted an insignificant spit in the cosmic bucket of time. His great temporary suffering revealing pearls of wisdom, priceless even, vision of the third eye beyond the veil into the eternities.

Where is there significance? When is it discovered? In our most harrowing moments; the real reason why we are here, for it is in these moments, and maybe only in these moments, that we learn best or learn things eternal: "I knew only one thing--which I learned well: Love goes very far beyond the physical person of the beloved. It finds its deepest meaning in his spiritual being, his inner self. Whether or not he is actually present, whether or not he is still alive at all, ceases somehow to be of importance" (Frankel).

It has only been in my hours of despair, amongst the suicidal depression, the endless days / months / years of hopelessness, the destructive anger, abject fear experienced through losing all my money and material items, confronting cancer and living with a bad heart, lungs, feat, and anus probably to the end of my life that has propelled me, blessed me, opened me up to the vision of the eternal love that resides in all of us, the great hope that bristles underneath the pointless pursuits of the world, and the love, love, love, waiting to bless us as we become obedient to the true purpose of our existence. Love and the seeking of all that it entails.
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04/25/08

Wendyslc rated it:

Read in January, 1983

recommends it for: anyone over 13

Reading this book in high school changed my life. I grew up in an abusive home and was in constant survival mode. After reading this book I realized that I had a choice. I could let my circumstances dictate my attitude or I could choose my attitude, which could then change my circumstances.

Becoming an adult is the hardest thing we every do. Being an adult means accepting responsibility for your thoughts, actions and character. I realized that I can choose my thoughts and actions reg...more

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04/23/08

Kates rated it:

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in April, 2008

"For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's dedication to a cause greater that oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other that oneself."

"An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior."

"The camp inmate was frightened of making decisions and of taking any sort of initiative whatsoever. This was the result of a strong feeling that fat...more

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04/18/08

Patrick rated it:

Read in April, 2008

recommends it for: Anyone of a philosophical bent

This book is a philosophical/psychological treatise filled with some truly excellent insights, but even despite it's extremely short length (my edition was only 211 pages including a very lengthy bibliography) it presented something of a challenge to me from an aesthetic standpoint. Simply put, Frankl is not a great storyteller, even when one would assume his subject matter--his own experiences as a Holocaust survivor--is gripping material by its very nature.

Approximately the firs...more This book is a philosophical/psychological treatise filled with some truly excellent insights, but even despite it's extremely short length (my edition was only 211 pages including a very lengthy bibliography) it presented something of a challenge to me from an aesthetic standpoint. Simply put, Frankl is not a great storyteller, even when one would assume his subject matter--his own experiences as a Holocaust survivor--is gripping material by its very nature.

Approximately the first two-thirds of the book is a recounting of Frankl's experiences as a prisoner in Nazi death camps during the later stages of World War II. This story of the search for meaning and the ultimate triumph of humanity in the face perhaps the most hopeless situation imaginable feels as though it should be inspiring, yet somehow it comes across as strangely clinical (although perhaps this is not so strange, considering Frankl's academic background). Harsh as it sounds even to my own ears, I didn't find the author's recounting of his first-hand experiences as a witness to one of the greatest crimes in the history of humanity to be particularly engaging. This is in no way a reflection on the subject; Frankl is just not a great storyteller. If one is looking for a moving, personalizing first-hand account of the horror that was the Holocaust, there are innumerable better sources.

But ultimately my criticism is a minor one, as it relates entirely to style and not substance. As a mental exercise the book truly comes to life in the all-too-brief final third or so, in which the author sets out his case for logotherapy, the school of psychotherapy with which he is intimately associated. It is here, in the section he titles "Logotherapy in a Nutshell" where he makes a compelling argument that the solution to most of the problems which confront us on a psychological level can be found not dissecting the pain from our past but in finding value in our future. Frankl is fond of quoting Nietzche, who once said wrote that "he who has a 'why' to live can bear almost any 'how'", even, apparently if that 'how' involves finding a way to endure a place like Auschwitz. Frankl is the champion of what he calls the "will to meaning"; in his estimation it is the human need for meaning that is at the root of all our existential angst.

And just what is the meaning of life? If you were to ask Frankl he would probably point at you like Jack Palance in City Slickers and say "that's what you've got to figure out." One of my favorite analogies from the book holds that asking a wise man to tell you the most important thing is in life is like asking a chess master what the best move is in chess; such an inquiry cannot be meaningful outside the context of the specific circumstances in which the "player" finds himself or herself. Frankl isn't going to tell you what to find meaning in, but he is going to tell you that until you find real meaning, you will wander in the existential vacuum which seems to imprison so much of modern society. On this point, I could not agree more.(less)

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01/29/08

Mike rated it:

If you have an interest in psychological and philosophical issues and usually only respect the advice of those who have walked their talk, then you need to read this book. Dr. Frankl endured the horrors of three Nazi concentration camps and then thankfully lived to document his experience and, more to the point, the effects of the camps' conditions on himself, his colleagues, and his oppressors.

The book's first part contains Dr. Frankl's observances of human nature in the con...more