Man's Search for Meaning (1946) by Viktor Frankl

Viktor Frankl’s riveting account of his survival in the Nazi concentration camps and his exploration of the human will to find meaning in spite of the worst adversity.

"Man's Search for Meaning" has offered solace and guidance to readers since it was first published over 70 years ago. Today, as new generations face new challenges and an ever more complex and uncertain world, Frankl’s classic work continues to inspire us to find significance in the act of living.

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"Man's Search for Meaning" Show Notes

0:00 - Intro to "Man's Search for Meaning"

Frankl believes “The meaning of my life is to help others find the meaning of theirs.” This book is a description of how Frankl's "Will to Meaning" helped himself and others to survive the nightmare of the concentration camps, and how his philosophy can help you to endure any suffering.Intended audience: Anyone who needs a cure for boredom, depression and lack of purpose; Anyone who is searching for what they need most in your life; Anyone who wants a powerful, first-person description of the Nazi concentration camps; Anyone who wants to cure their neurosis.Who won't like it: People who aren’t ready to accept the evil things men are capable of doing; People who are too scared to be truly honest with themselves; People who only read writing that is superficial and easy…But EVERYONE SHOULD read this book!

5:30 - How easy is the book to read?

Very Difficult. Purely reading wise, the first half of the book is “easy” to read; the second half is much more difficult, with lots of scientific terms and analysis. However, as for the subject matter, his stories of the concentration camps are very painful to read. Absolutely worthwhile but be prepared.Print: 192 pages (4-5 hours to read)Audiobook: 4 hours 45 minutes

6:00 - Reviews and significance of "Man's Search for Meaning"

16,181 -- 4.7 Stars (Sold over 16 million copies, translated into 50 languages)Currently: #1 Amazon - Jewish Holocaust History#1 Amazon - Judaism #1 Amazon - Behavior (psychology) #3 Amazon - Existential Psychology#14 Audible - Philosophy

8:30 - Bio of Viktor Frankl

Born 1905 in AustriaWhen he was three he said he would be a doctorFascinated by psychology from an early age; While in junior high school he took additional adult-education college classes at night in Applied PsychologyWhen he was 16, Frankl began writing letters to Sigmund Freud and formed a friendshipWhile he was in medical school, Frankl, now 19 years old, published his first article in the International Journal of Psychoanalysis (Freud submitted the article and recommended it)Frankl founded Vienna’s first private youth counseling program and worked with troubled youthsAfter obtaining his M.D. as a psychiatrist, he was in charge of the "pavilion for suicidal women". Over a four-year period (1933–1937), he treated no less than 3,000 patients each year.By the time he was 34, Dr Frankl was the head of the Neurology Department at Rothschild Hospital in Vienna.When the Nazi’s began to send Jews to concentration camps, Frankl was offered a US immigrant visa. Rather than escape and work safely in America, Frankl chose to stay in Vienna with his aging parents. He, his wife and his parents were arrested in 1942 and deported to the camps. None of his family survived.Frankl spent three years in four different concentration camps, including Auschwitz and DachauAfter he returned from the camps, in 1948, Frankl earned a Ph.D. in philosophy and was the head of the neurology dept at Vienna Policlinic Hospital for the next 25 years.As a visiting professor he taught at Harvard, Stanford and the University of Pittsburgh; Frankl lectured widely in Europe, the Americas, Australia, Asia and Africa. Frankl published 39 books, which were translated into 49 languages. He received