Reviews tagging 'Excrement'

Man's Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy by Viktor E. Frankl

8 reviews

cmwilliams29's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative sad medium-paced

3.75

I read bits and piece of this many years ago, but it's great to finally read the full text. A harrowing and powerful account of life in a concentration camp and the insights he gathers from the behaviour of those prisoners is just stunning. To see how Frankl used his training from before the war to then develop his theories afterwards is impressive. An important book - I understand why it has received so much praise in the past.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Excrement, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and War

Minor: Cannibalism

jataraxia's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Genocide, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, Murder, War, and Deportation

Moderate: Child death and Deportation

Minor: Excrement and Cannibalism

picturetalk321's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

rat_on_wheels's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

This book definitely seems less pedantic and condescending than many which try to tackle the issues of depression and hopelessness in people with logic and grace. Through detailing memorable instances of events throughout his trials in the concentration camps of the Third Reich, he gives reasoning behind people’s need for purpose and motivation, and does so in a way that can relate to victims of such horrific atrocities just as easily as to young children suffering some of the first minor complications they’ve ever had. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Antisemitism, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

ac_rva's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, Murder, and War

mdwsn27's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail

crufts's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

After several months without one, it's wonderful to be able to write another five-star review.

Man's Search For Meaning is two books in one: it's a Holocaust memoir, but also an introduction to a form of psychotherapy called logotherapy which focuses on the human desire for meaning.

Firstly, how well does it work as a Holocaust memoir? Compared to other Holocaust memoirs (Elie Wiesel's Night, Yoram Gross's My Illustrated Life, and another memoir which will remain unnamed), Man's Search comes out on top as the best one I've ever read.
It declares exactly what it is up front (unlike My Illustrated Life). It only includes details that are relevant to the overall thesis of the story (unlike the memoir-which-shall-not-be-named). It writes with hope and intention for a better humanity (unlike Night, which is a portrait of inhumanity and cruelty). Its text is not fragmented and manic prose, but simple descriptive statements (also unlike Night). And it's short and to the point (which can be considered a plus for nearly any book, but especially a Holocaust memoir).

Secondly, how well does it work as a primer for logotherapy? Pretty well. Here my comparisons are the various other psychology books I've read, but especially The Courage To Be Disliked, since that book also attempts to promote a particular school of psychotherapy. (See my review of The Courage here.)
While I would have liked to hear more about how logotherapy can be applied in practice, the theory itself appears sound. Any reader over the age of two can attest to the truth of the claim that you can bear suffering quite well as long as you feel it's for a purpose, or it otherwise has meaning. Conversely, it's when one's suffering seems meaningless that thoughts of ending it all start to circle.
And you know, whenever I've been in a truly difficult or hopeless situation, stricken with fear or dread, there was always one thing that always gave me instantaneous comfort: the knowledge that no matter what happened, I still had the power to be the best version of myself possible. Whoever (or whatever) was causing me grief, no matter what they did to me, they couldn't stop me from choosing to remain polite, kind, and moral. "Living well is the best revenge", and by living well I gained the strength to get through those difficulties. And this is exactly the claim the book makes.
These observations are in contrast to my reading of The Courage To Be Disliked, where some of its claims rang true but others rang very hollow indeed. Now I actually want to read up about logotherapy!

If other Holocaust memoirs have burned you with their relentless misery and meaningless suffering, Man's Search For Meaning may be the soothing salve you need.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Confinement, Hate crime, Torture, Excrement, Antisemitism, and Cannibalism

This is a Holocaust memoir. If you're looking for some light reading today, this book isn't the right pick. You might also consider reading only the second part (which discusses logotherapy), although you'll miss some of the context.

ruthiethetoothie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Antisemitism, and Grief

Moderate: Excrement