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Any book must be evaluated in terms of the question, has it accomplished its purpose? In his introduction, Dr. Nunberg states, “Freud laid down the foundations for the study of the neuroses … and presented them succinctly in Part III of his Introductory Lectures. Since then, however, there have come from his pen new and important contributions which complete or modify some of the views expressed in those ‘earlier’ works…. Accordingly, my first task has been to show that the ‘new,’ having developed organically on the basis of the ‘old,’ now forms an integral part of the entire psychoanalytic system and can perfectly well be brought into harmony with the ‘earlier’ views. … I sought in a unified way to present the state of our present-day psychoanalytic knowledge and to apply it to the neurosis…. My concern (is) to impart only knowledge that was certain. I may add that where I have attempted my own explanations. … I wish to stress my own responsibility, especially for the role which I have assigned to the synthetic function of the ego, and for the conceptions of adaptation to reality, and of the feeling of guilt.”
This reader, taking exception only to the statement of what is “certain knowledge,” feels that Nunberg has succeeded in his stated purpose to a superlative degree. In my opinion the book fills a sorely needed gap. In a clear, easily readable style Freudian theory and practice of today is outlined and presented. I particularly appreciated the orderly and clearly defined concepts, their relation to clinical material and the demonstration of the relationship between theory and technique.
The book was first published in 1932 in German under the title, Allgemeine Neur-osenlehre auf Psychanalytischer Grundlage. Since that time Dr. Nunberg obviously has not been stagnant. This book has been the basis of courses he has given and, as such, it reflects the thought and refinement that must have been necessary for the textbooklike clarity of his definition of terms. His ow