Man's Search for Meaning Audio CD – Unabridged, 1 Mar. 2008

I really enjoyed this book and found it to be moving and inspiring!Parts of it were sad and difficult to read with the ordeals that the author suffered but aprat from that it was a great book an one that's well worth a read!

What else can I say. One of the most important ‘must read’ books ever written! A true and outstanding classic! A great and moving real life account on the importance and impact of how you perceive life events and what life throws at you. Very moving and extremely poignant!

Tough, tough book to read. It gets to you, you have to be inhumane not to be disturbed or unsettled. Read it slowly, chew it finely, regurgitate and re-chew it, do this as many time as you need to. This is not a one time read book. It is not a quick pop in one or one to add to the bragging list of the number of books we read in a year. It is a life changing book, a deep one that goes to the core of man’s existence. Viktor’s experience and his ability to interrogate and leverage such experience to produce this masterpiece is divine. It is a stunning piece of work that produces unparalleled hope for the open minded person.This book is jarring and grating to the soul as it recounts the harrowing experience of man kind in the hands of fellow human, it however also reveal the resilience of the human spirit and it’s ability to withstand and overcome the most intolerable circumstance.This book is a gem birthed from the most deplorable situation that human can be subjected to, polished to perfection in the suffering and glittering as a light to guide us as we go through our own dark night. Admonishing us to rise above our own sufferings whatever it may be and find the grace to ascend spiritually. A book of hope for a soft and weaken age that sees no value in suffering and inconvenience.The second part of the book gets heavier, more academic, chewy and requiring more intellectual jaw muscle to digest. This is where Viktor starts to unravel the theory of Logotherapy and the intention of the book, the Auschwitz story, while no less significant and gripping is the bait to entice us to hear the harder lecture about the meaning of life and hopefully by the time we reach this stage in the book, we are well rooted in our seats and less likely hop off.Finding meaning in suffering whilst it might not inspire envy builds strength. Also understanding that human experience might not be the ultimate cosmos and there other realm by which our suffering make sense and this will possibly be the answer to those that ask why does God allow suffering.The second part on logotherapy is a thoroughly delicious intellectual read, some of the thoughts on the meaning of life is crunchy, sumptuous, thought provoking, beautiful and enlightening. A satisfying intellectual work out.This book and section on Logotherapy does us an immense favour, breaking open the hard surface of ignorance regarding our suffering to stretch us out of the indulgent mindset of soften civilian to a transcendent one that accurately translate and value his suffering not trading it cheaply by complaining, becoming despondent or seeking sympathy. It guides us to treasure that which constricts but reveals meaning in our life. It forces growth and maturity in otherwise hopeless situation and like roots we shoot out of the deserts of our lives.

Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl is a poignant exploration of resilience under the most testing conditions. As a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, Frankl intertwines his concentration camp experiences with his psychological expertise. Central to the book is the idea of logotherapy, which posits that finding meaning in life is the primary human drive.Frankl's narrative transcends its historical context, offering timeless insights into human endurance and the quest for purpose. The book is especially impactful for those facing personal adversities, as it highlights the power of choice and perspective in shaping one's destiny.This work is not just a memoir; it's a guide that challenges and inspires the reader to reflect on their life's meaning. Frankl's enduring wisdom makes "Man's Search for Meaning" an essential read for understanding the depths of the human spirit and the pursuit of hope amidst despair.

This was a surprisingly readable book on the holocaust by an inmate of several of the camps. It describes the psychology of survival in the camps. Viktor Frankl became an important psychotherapist in which he implements ideas he developed while in the concentration camp. The book is divided into two parts: part 1 describing what happened to him from 1st impressions until release; the 2nd part describes his implementation of his psychotherapy with different individuals. The book is moving example of what existentialist thought can actually be for in real life, what good it can do, how it can help people. He tells the story of his experience and how you can maintain your inner freedom and your human identity in the face of a situation that is designed to completely destroy and demolish all human dignity. It’s almost impossible to do, and he doesn’t say “This is the recipe for how I did it” — he just explores the ways in which fragments of purpose and of meaning in human life kept him going. He also writes about his experience after the end of the war, when he started to write about psychology and existentialist psychology, which he was one of the founders of. That was equally difficult, finding meaning in a world after all meaning has been destroyed, and all human dignity has been dismantled. In dealing with patients who present with various kinds of depression or a sense of meaninglessness, Frankl concludes that it’s all about looking at the ways in which people construct meaning and purpose in their lives. Again, this reverses the usual way of understanding human existence. We are not just sets of symptoms and conditions. We are thrown into a situation — which might be an absolutely unendurable, impossible situation — but we always have the freedom to make of it what we will, according to our own choices, to impose our own meaning on it.It’s not just a matter of enduring or retreating into an inner realm in which you’re free. In fact, it’s not really about the inner realm at all, because the way you find meaning is not within, but through a purpose in the world, something that’s outside you, something that is greater than you. It could be by creating something, and it could be — and very often is — connections to other human beings, whether it’s comrades, friends, family or the people you come up against in life. And if all else fails — as it tended to in the concentration camps — and all the usual sources of meaning fall apart, there is always the chance of finding a meaning in the suffering itself. This is something that’s very hard to talk about in the abstract, but that was the conclusion that he came to.It’s interesting how optimistic Viktor Frankl’s philosophy is. Existentialism is often characterised as a rather morbid philosophy, dwelling on. That view of existentialism as “Life is terrible and we just have to resign ourselves to it” is a real misrepresentation. Sartre would have said, “No, we can change the circumstances of our lives.” He believed we could do it through revolution, through Marxism, through politics — and potentially through ethics as well, though that is something he never finished working out completely. With Viktor Frankl there’s a sense that we need this philosophy to help us to live. Existentialist philosophy doesn’t bring despair and angst into our lives, it gives us a way of making sense, it’s a way of discovering our own inner freedom. There’s a lot more that’s positive in existentialism than it’s ever given credit for, because it really is about how you live your life, and how you exist, given what you’re presented with. angst and anguish and the difficulty of making choices. It’s a nice foil to that caricature of existentialism. It avoids the pitfalls of Colin Wilson's evangelical approach.

This is an amazing story of an amazing man who survived the nazi concentration camps. The book is in two parts. In the first part the author describes his experiences in the camps and how he dealt with the extreme conditions. The second part describes a strategy for dealing with the difficulties life throws at you. It certainly changed the way I think.

Really enjoyed reading this very insightful book. One cannot even comprehend in the slightest what the prisoners of Aushwitz endured on a daily basis yet Mr Frankl rose above and against all odds to shine his light even in the very darkest of dark times in history….. his ideas and theories make perfect sense and a true inspiration to try a new approach to the days ahead- thank you Mr Frankl wherever you might be

It’s a good read if you want something to really think about.

Esse livro me ajudou muito a colocar meus problemas em perspectiva, tornando-me mais grato por tudo que tenho na vida.O momento do livro que ele está dormindo no meio de outros em um degrau me marcou bastantes. Todos os dias tenho o luxo de dormir na minha cama. Às vezes tenho dificuldades para dormir e agora sempre vem a minha cabeça que sou extremamente privilegiado e que as coisas poderiam estar muito piores.Esse é um exemplo simples de aplicação prática do livro, mas para mim foi muito marcante em vários aspectos.

Before buying this edition I had three copies of this book: two English paperbacks and one Marathi translation. I’ve read this book three times. I love it so much that I decided to buy a beautiful edition.But when I saw this edition on Amazon then I felt this is the I am looking for. Thus hardcover edition available in peacock green, which is very beautiful. If you are a true fan of the book, you would love to have this edition.For those who want to buy this book for its content, let me tell you a few words about it.This book is by the well-known psychologist Viktor Frankl, who was in a Nazi concentration camp. There, he realized that people who live longer are those who have hope in their lives. They have a sense of meaning that helps them survive any condition.This approach led Frankl to propose a therapy known as logotherapy, which focuses on the meaning of life. Logotherapy helps people find meaning in their lives and makes their existence worthwhile.You will find many valuable insights in this book, but the most important takeaway is the realization of the attitude one must possess in times of turbulence.Enjoy your reading.

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