Reviews

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

ptenorio71's review against another edition

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4.0

Analysis of what drives a human to overcome life's challenges and how by understanding what aspects of life you can control and own are more important than dwelling on your circumstance. Must read book for all. Read again 5/10/23. The impact was more pronounced in 2023 with my personal evolution associated with examining the motivations of individuals and what drive personal and moral growth.

lar_iiious's review against another edition

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4.0

It's time for a belated review.
I wanted to love this book. I didn't.
However, it was really quite interesting.
Frankl's logotherapy offers some promising concepts and I like the important role of meaning.
It makes sense to see a lack of meaning in life as a cause for many (mental health) problems.

The first part of this book was (obviously) not very pleasant and it might sound cold but I felt very distant and removed from the events. Maybe I've already read too much about this topic or the writing was too factual for me to actually feel shocked.

If anything I felt surprised to hear about how people behaved in unexpected ways sometimes. Frankl highlights how people aren't black or white but really, really all shades of gray. Instead situational influence and its impact on human behavior is shown here. People might react differently in the same situation. But they still might behave differently than you'd expect them to. Maybe that's what I liked best about this book.

lackritzj's review against another edition

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5.0

Wrenching testimony of life in a concentration camp with the light of hope for mankind. "The way in which man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportunity - even under the most difficult of circumstances- to add a deeper meaning to his life. " p. 76
"What man actually needs is not a tensionless state, but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task." p. 110

jenmcgee's review against another edition

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4.0

One of those books that one really should have read earlier--pretty much whenever one actually reads it. The first half is a description of the author's experience in the Nazi concentration camps, the second half a delineation of his psychological theories. The second half is inevitably drier than the first, but with the experiences Frankl has described still firmly in one's mind, one feels a stronger sense of connection to what he's talking about. The foreword frames the book in terms of religion, but I think that's a misnomer--Frankl doesn't seem to be relying on religion to give life meaning, although that is of course one possible path. Harrowing, thoughtful, and ultimately inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time.

octoelle's review against another edition

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5.0

Inspirational. This is a life-changing book and I don't know why I haven't read it before. The copy I read I got from the library but I am going to purchase my own copy.

rachelorton's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5; A stellar reminder that there’s a reason to have hope, and attitude is everything. I did like this and it has great messages. I just wish I would’ve read it earlier in my life and maybe when I was in school. Helpful messages which can be applied to one’s life and in therapy practice, though I did find it redundant.

belandjar's review against another edition

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5.0

Sebenarnya aku sudah mendapatkan rekomendasi untuk membaca buku ini sejak tahun 2018. Namun, baru tergerak untuk membaca dan menyelesaikannya sekarang.

Sejujurnya, saat membaca buku aku tidak pernah melakukan riset pendahuluan. Oleh karena itu, aku cukup kaget atau setidaknya ekspektasiku tidak terjawab oleh buku ini saat pertama membaca. Aku pikir, buku ini tentang "orang biasa" yang bisa melewati kejamnya kehidupan kamp. Ternyata, Viktor E. Frankl bahkan telah memiliki ilmu yang mumpuni untuk melalui masa sulit tersebut. Ini menyebabkan pengalaman membaca tidak se-wah yang aku bayangkan di awal. Akan tetapi tidak mengurangi isi buku sama sekali.

Aku senang sekali membaca buku ini di kala pandemi. Buku ini sangat membantuku melalui pandemi yang tak tahu kapan akan berakhir dengan lebih semangat. Mungkin tidak sesulit kehidupan di kamp tapi tetap saja, pandemi ini sangat menyulitkan untukku. Pandemi begitu berdampak terhadap psikologisku, terutama karena keterbatasan interaksi secara langsung dengan orang lain.

Aku suka sekali gagasan yang diberikan Frankl untuk membayangkan masa depan, apa yang menunggu kita setelah ini. Mungkin setelah pandemi atau setelah masa sulit dan tidak nyaman yang dilalui oleh para pembaca. Mungkin gagasan ini terasa mengkhayal tapi setidaknya ini memberi semangat. Setidaknya, setiap diri kini memiliki alasan untuk tetap melanjutkan hidupnya untuk masa depan yang diimpikan.

Selain itu, aku setuju kalau buku ini cukup religius. Rasanya pengalaman dan perspektif Frankl bisa direlasikan dengan ajaran agama masing-masing pembaca. Sebab aku melakukan hal yang sama dan rasanya nyaman sekali kita kesulitan yang kita hadapi dikembalikan kepada-Nya. Buku ini secara tidak langsung "mengetuk" aku untuk kembali mendekat kepada-Nya dan menjadi lebih religius sebagai upaya mencari ketenangan dan kekuatan untuk melewati masa sulit ini.

Dan, aku dengan senang hati merekomendasikan buku ini untuk semua orang. Terlebih jika orang tersebut sedang mengalami masa sulit dan kehilangan harapan hidup. Rasanya, buku ini memberi semangat dan menunjukkan bahwa hidup selalu memiliki makna untuk setiap pribadinya.

bookmarksandbrews's review against another edition

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5.0

Lot of good stuff here...

gabby_jan's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

4.75

pau_tt's review against another edition

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reflective sad fast-paced

4.25

 Krankl nos narra lo que vivió en los campos de concentración, dándonos una lectura difícil (emocionalmente) pero al mismo tiempo muy reflexiva.
A pesar de ser un acontecimiento de gran dificultad intenta (sin hacer menos) hacer énfasis en los sucesos positivos, siendo la fortaleza que se puede tener en momentos donde parecer no haber luz y lo poderoso que puede ser la mente su principal base.