Hitler: Diagnosis of a Destructive Prophet. By Fritz Redlich. New York:  Oxford University Press, 1998.

This man was one of the most recognizable figures of the twentieth century. His ideas and beliefs about human nature have been felt throughout the world. He was fascinated by individual and group psychology, intrigued by what motivated people, and was convinced that their family backgrounds were all important in determining their future. Born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the latter half of the nineteenth century, he moved to Vienna at a young age where he was deeply influenced by his life experience there. As the eldest child of his father's third wife, he suffered the loss of a younger brother at an early age. He was intellectually gifted, possessed an extraordinary memory, and had an aesthetic side, which was not easily integrated into his life. He was a dreamer as a child and during his awkward adolescence tended to romanticize about women from afar. When he grew up he liked to use medical analogies to express his philosophical, psychological, or political ideas; he was alienated from organized religion, but did not totally renounce his ties. For a period of time, he used and perhaps abused psychostimulants, which may have affected his judgment and creativity. It is doubtful, however, that he ever became addicted, as he was generally very disciplined in most of his personal habits. He was very interested in the sexual and procreative habits of others having written extensively about his views, but very little is known about his own sexual life. He demanded absolute loyalty from his followers, but enmity would inevitably develop within in his inner circle resulting in banishment of the alleged infidels. After his influence spread throughout Europe, many of his followers relocated to the Americas during the 1940s. As he got older, his health declined and his outlook on life became very bleak. When he reached the point where he knew the end was inevitable, he hastened his demise with the help of his personal physician. Sigmund Freud or Adolf Hitler? Although th