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This ambitious compendium takes the reader on a journey both historical and topical through Freud's development of psychoanalysis. Along the way it gives a glimpse of ideas from some of Freud's coworkers and certain extenders of his ideas, as well as noting others who have used Freudian thought as a segue to their own divergent paths toward psychoanalytic synthesis. The word compendium captures the thoroughness of this effort, in that it designates a work that gathers and succinctly presents all the details essential to the comprehensive knowledge of a subject. W. W. Meissner's new book does just that, for the current state of psychoanalytic theory.
The book is directed explicitly toward informing “the potential student of general psychiatry about this fundamental discipline within psychiatry” (p. 1). Despite that expressed focus, however, there is nothing in the remainder of the book that would discourage readers from disciplines other than psychiatry. In fact, it would seem that the book is meant to interest students not only of mental health but of philosophy and religion as well. In short, anyone interested in the field may benefit from this systematic account of Freud's psychoanalytic thought and selective presentation of later theorists.
The organization of the book requires mention. Any selection from as vast an oeuvre as Freud's is a challenging task and is inevitably subject to questions about sequencing, emphases, and omissions. Certain points of view will be highlighted, while others are passed over quickly or ignored altogether. This is especially true when the aim is to include not only Freud's work but that of others in a burgeoning field. In acknowledgment of that constraint, the book is thoughtfully arranged, each chapter opening with general statements of the material to be discussed, followed by detailed explication with appropriate subheads to guide the reader. The text initially moves between an historical and a topical focus, starting with Freud's