You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
Dr. Berg attempts in this book a popular description for the lay public of the psycho-analytic method and even theory. He does so by presenting a series of upwards of 20 cases, largely in the form of what seemingly purport to be verbatim records. These run so smoothly, however, that one suspects that Dr. Berg's literary art has played a considerable part. The impression conveyed is undoubtedly that psycho-analysis is a much easier, shorter, and therapeutically more uniformly successful form of treatment than the common experience would suggest. This is no doubt in conformity with the aim of the book, to popularize psycho-analysis, but naturally it detracts from its scientific value.
At the same time, Dr. Berg contrives to cover a surprising amount of the analytic ground, and without any gross misrepresentation. There is a heavy emphasis on the essential part played by sexual factors, in the narrower sense of the term for the most part. There is no adverse criticism of Freud, such as one expects from a psychotherapist who is not a member of any Psycho-analytical Society. On the other hand, there is no reference to more recent theoretical developments, and the point of view, for the most part, is that of rather early Freud. Dr. Berg is surely mistaken in quoting Freud as maintaining that neurasthenia is due to early masturbation. His description of the formation of the ego and super-ego, also, is original rather than faithful to Freud's ideas; for instance, he states (p. 254): 'The newly developing Ego of the infant, in attempting to adjust itself to this specific environment, finds itself occupied chiefly in opposing Id wishes, or at least in grossly modifying them.' In later life this 'primitive Ego' simply undergoes a change of name to 'Super-ego'.
The printer seems to have had some difficulty with the word 'epinosic', which appears variously as 'episodic' (p. 23), and 'episoic' (pp. 258, 259).