Man's Search for Meaning
-
-
4.7 • 12 Ratings
-
-
- $18.99
Publisher Description
As relevant today as it was when it was first published, Man’s Search for Meaning is a book for finding strength and purpose in times of great despair.
“This is a book I reread a lot … it gives me hope … it gives me a sense of strength.”—Anderson Cooper, Anderson Cooper 360/CNN
Viktor E. Frankl was a medical doctor at a psychiatric hospital in 1942 when he became a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps in World War II. In 1946, he published this book about his camp experiences and a method of psychotherapy he developed. Forty-five years later, it was still named one of the most influential books in the United States.
Part One describes his three years in four Nazi concentration camps, which took the lives of his wife, father, mother, and brother. He closely observed inmates’ reactions to their situation, as well as how survivors came to terms with their liberation.
Part Two, introducing logotherapy, is an academic discussion of the psychological reactions experienced by all inmates to one degree or another. It solidified Frankl’s early theory that humanity’s primary motivational force is finding meaning in one’s life.
In Germany, titled Ein Psychologe erlebt das Konzentrationslager, or A Psychologist Experiences the Concentration Camp, its title in the first English translation was From Death-Camp to Existentialism. As of 2022, this book has sold 16 million copies and been published in 52 languages.
Customer Reviews
Amazing and life changing
An eye opener, I heard about it in a podcast between Jordan Peterson and Tommy Robins, and I immediately thought about buying. As I rarely have time for reading between a full time unfulfilling job, kids and commute, I thought the audiobook would be better. I finished it in two days in commutes and house chores. By the end of the book when the student said to Dr Franklin : your meaning of life is helping people find meaning to their life…my life changed. Thank you for this amazing book
A Profound Testament to the Resilience of the Human Spirit”
Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning is one of the most profound and life-altering books I’ve ever encountered. Written through the lens of Frankl’s harrowing experiences as a Holocaust survivor, this book is more than a recounting of unimaginable suffering—it’s a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the search for meaning even in the face of unspeakable horrors.
Frankl’s ability to extract profound insights from his time in concentration camps is nothing short of astonishing. Despite enduring atrocities that scarred him physically and emotionally, he sought to understand the human condition rather than succumb to despair. His perspective—anchored in his training as a psychiatrist and his deep philosophical understanding—gave him the unique ability to see beyond his suffering. While he never suggests that this outlook could erase the scars of trauma, his approach offers a pathway to transcend pain by finding purpose.
The central idea of Man’s Search for Meaning—that life is not defined by what happens to us but by how we respond to it—gave me chills as I read it. Frankl shows us that even in the darkest moments, where humanity is stripped down to its most primal instincts, the search for meaning becomes a beacon of hope. His belief that suffering ceases to be suffering the moment we find meaning in it is an extraordinary perspective that challenges us to rethink how we approach adversity.
The book is as much about survival as it is about transformation. Frankl’s reflections on the camps are brutally honest, yet his focus on the “other side”—the possibility of personal growth and hope amidst despair—is what makes this book timeless. He doesn’t offer simple platitudes but instead a deeply thoughtful philosophy rooted in his personal experience and the principles of logotherapy, which he developed after the war.
This book is essential for anyone who seeks to understand how to endure and grow through suffering. It is a guide not just for survival, but for living a meaningful life. I cannot recommend Man’s Search for Meaning highly enough—it will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
DrT
Meh?
There are specific lines that jump out at me as useful, however I would have liked more added content about the resulting philosophy (I found the examples crude and vague).