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Freud: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions Book 45) Kindle Edition

by Anthony Storr (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 266 ratings
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Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) revolutionized the way in which we think about ourselves. From its beginnings as a theory of neurosis, Freud developed psycho-analysis into a general psychology which became widely accepted as the predominant mode of discussing personality and interpersonal relationships.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
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  1. ISBN-10
    9780192854551
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0192854551
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    OUP Oxford
  5. Publication date
    February 22, 2001
  6. Language
    English
  7. File size
    1106 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Invaluable to the novice approaching Freud's works for the first time....As an evaluation of Freud's theory, Storr's book is concise and up-to-date....An important addition to any library collection."--Choice

"Storr's brief, elegant, and interesting book coolly surveys what we might term the house of Freud and finds almost everything flawed...yet he does not dispute that the builder of the shaky house was a genius."--D.M. Thomas, The Observer

"A model exercise in synthesis."--The Independent

About the Author

Anthony Storr is Emeritus Fellow of Green College.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005DKR4QA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ OUP Oxford (February 22, 2001)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 22, 2001
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1106 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 177 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 266 ratings

About the author

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Anthony Storr

Anthony Storr

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
266 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Peter Reeve
5.0 out of 5 stars A first-rate introduction to Freud
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2007
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Freud is now somewhat unfashionable, and stands on the periphery of current psychological thought and practice. Yet the very people who denigrate his work do so using terms and concepts that owe a great deal to that work. To be a 'Freudian' today makes as much sense as being a 'Newtonian', but that should not blind us to the importance of his contribution. Storr adopts just the right approach -- he begins each topic with a summary of what Freud said, then offers criticisms of it. He talks more than once of the need to 'separate the wheat from the chaff'. Freud was once revered as a kind of Messiah. Now he is reviled. As usual, the truth lies somewhere in between. Given the brevity of this book, it is remarkably comprehensive, and is an ideal introduction to the man and his work. I read Schopenhauer: A Very Short Introduction before reading this book and I would recommend doing that. There is an obvious indebtedness, although Freud specifically denied it.
6 people found this helpful
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Edward Garcia
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2012
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I need this book for class and it came in a timely manner and I just enjoyed the ease of reading this book. It is straightforward and to the point.
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Ron Palumbo
5.0 out of 5 stars The best I've run across . . .
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2013
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Over the years, I suppose I have read a dozen different introductions to Freud's work. This is by far the best.
The author (a psychiatrist himself) manages to write clearly and directly while attending to the nuances of Freud's thought and noting how Freud's conceptualization of key ideas changed over the course of his very long professional career.
In addition, Storr appears to be very fair-minded in pointing out the shortcomings of some of these ideas and ways in which they have not proved out in clinical practice.
If you want to follow up with a bit more about Freud's life -- or if you refer a more visual approach -- I suggest you pick up a used copy of Freud for Beginners by Appignanesi & Zarate (Pantheon Books).
3 people found this helpful
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Alejandro
5.0 out of 5 stars Very balanced approach to the subject
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2014
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I am going to be honest: I came to read this book with a very negative image of Freud from a scientific point of view. I come away with a different image of Freud and his ideas altogether after reading it. This book portrays a very balanced view of his work. I'd easily recommend it to anyone interested in a clear explanation of his main ideas and his contributions to humanity.
One person found this helpful
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johnb.
3.0 out of 5 stars Who Knew Frued Could Be So Blah?
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2015
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I'd be more inclined to rate this a 2.5. The writing was blah enough to make the topic itself meh overall. Worst yet, it isn't a really short introduction. While far from thorough, the "really" really must go. At 155 pages of small type with nearly non existent margin you're getting a 200+ page book's worth of information. This isn't a complaint until you factor in the first part of the review at which point the entire enterprise is drudgery. Starting in on the Marx sibling of this series today I hopes of a better experience.
One person found this helpful
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Ava Collopy Books
4.0 out of 5 stars A good, accessible overview of the whole subject
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2016
This is a good introduction to the "Father of Psychoanalysis". Although most or all of Freud's theories have been disproved and/ or are highly contested, and his (and his time period's) misogynistic views taint all of his work, we must remember that he invented this area of study and therefore had nothing to base his work on. It was all guesswork and therefore couldn't be as scientific and accurate as it would later become. But his influence was immense; biographies of public and historical figures went from being factual accounts to stories that included some exploration of peoples' childhoods and what helped to shape the person we see today. He taught humanity to analyze itself. That's why it's still worth learning more about Freud and his original works. It's also a lead-in to any study of Jung.

I like every 'A very short Introduction' book I've ever read. They really are great if you just want an overview of a subject without going into great detail; it's more than a website will give you but less (and less time-consuming) than a long book. They're good for subjects you only have some interest in as well as subjects you want to know more about but first want a general grasp of the information so you can better understand anything on the subject that goes into greater detail. If we all read one of these per week we'd be a much more knowledgeable society in under a year.

 Freud: A Very Short Introduction
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Catherine Fleischman
5.0 out of 5 stars this is a great place to start
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2015
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If you want (or have) to learn about Freud and psychoanalytic theory, this is a great place to start.
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Andrew Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars A superb introduction to Freud
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 3, 2021
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This Very Short Introduction provides a really excellent overview of Freud's thought, his methods, his contribution to the development of psychoanalysis and the legacy that he has left to Western society. Anthony Storr, the author, is clearly an authority on Freud and provides a very easy to read introduction to his subject. He covers Freud's life and character; the place of trauma and phantasy in psychological illness; the role of the past in the neuroses experienced by individuals; the place of free association, dreams and transference in the psychoanalytic method; the role of the ego, super-ego and id in human psychological structures; issues associated with agression, depression and paranoia; jokes and the psycho-pathology of everyday life; Freud's views on art and literature; Freud's take on culture and religion; Freud's role as a therapist; contemporary themes in psychoanalysis; and, in a final short chapter, a brief overview of the enduring appeal of psychoanalysis. If you are looking for a commanding and accessible introduction to Freud, this book is the place to start: highly recommended.
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Alan Cristofher Ribeiro
5.0 out of 5 stars Bom livro introdutório.
Reviewed in Brazil on February 22, 2020
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Comprei o livro em uma promoção mais por vaidade que por necessidade; estudei a teoria Freudiana na faculdade e possuo sua obra completa, o livro cumpre com o que promete, a edição é econômica e pouco aprofundada mas valeu pelo custo benefício.
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Parveen Kumar
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent
Reviewed in India on June 20, 2020
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best contents overall...
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mrlawren
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Summary
Reviewed in Canada on June 14, 2015
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A clear well constructed and very readable account of a strange, original yet flawed man whose ideas had an influence on the treatment of mental illness that seems to have exceeded their practical utility - and that osmosed into popular consciousness [and presumably unconsciousness] where they often seem to still reside. I read this book in conjunction with the superb Oxford Very Short Introduction on Carl Jung by Anthony Stevens and found the two books most helpfully illuminated each other.
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もにす
4.0 out of 5 stars 標準的入門書。ただ、後半少し薄いかも、、、
Reviewed in Japan on September 14, 2004
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第１章でフロイトの生涯のエピソードが語られ、２章以後は理論的発展の順序におおまかに従って説明が加えられていきます。最終章の方では現在の精神分析の状況がスケッチされているので、フロイトをその創始者とする、精神分析学全体の入門書という趣をもった本としても評価できるでしょう。
ただ、これは単に僕の能力不足という理由もありそうですが、数回通読したにもかかわらず、数日経つと、その理論の内容や概念の意味などを覚えていない
ものが多く、結果として本書よりもむしろ日本語で書かれた書籍で勉強したことの方が覚えているということになっています。そもそものフロイト理論が捉えにくいものだとしても、今思い出すと少し不満を感じてしまうので星一つ減点します。
ただ、数回通読したということからも察せられるように、初めてこの本でフロイトに触れることになった場合には、読者をその魅力に数日間ははまり続けさせるだけの力は、この本にも（むしろ、この本でこそ）あるだろうことには疑いありません。
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